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Billy Connolly Makes Rare Key West Film Festival Appearance to Accept Artistic Excellence Award

The 82-year-old comedian has largely stepped back from public life since his 2013 Parkinson's diagnosis.

Overview

  • Longtime friends Steve Buscemi and Aidan Quinn presented the honor during the Florida event.
  • Using a walking stick, Connolly told the audience, "I walk with a stick because I suffer from a horrible illness."
  • His wife, Pamela, supported him onstage by holding the microphone as the crowd responded warmly.
  • Quinn shared that videos of Connolly’s stand-up brought joy to his late brother Paul during cancer treatment.
  • The Glasgow-born star now lives in Florida on doctors’ advice after his diagnosis and has appeared in more than 50 films, including Mrs Brown and The Last Samurai.