Michael J. Fox Once Drank ‘Snake Cocktail’ With Woody Harrelson

Earlier this week, we reported that Michael J. Fox was presented with an honorary Oscar by his old friend and fellow Hollywood star Woody Harrelson. During his speech, Harrelson told a story from his and Fox’s past that involves a “snake cocktail,” and it shows that the two of them were really living it up in the 1980s! 

Harrelson And Fox Try ‘Snake Cocktail’

Fox News reported that Fox told the audience at the Governor’s Ball in Los Angeles on Saturday night that back in 1988, he went to visit Fox in Thailand, where the former “Family Ties” star was filming Casualties of War. During this trip, the two friends had an experience with a “snake cocktail” that neither of them have ever forgotten. 

“Mike and I drink lots of things together and he can hold his own,” said Harrelson, 61. “But Mike promptly vomited his snake cocktail, never could hold his cobra blood.”

While he was in Thailand, Harrelson said that Fox took him “to the end of the jungle,” where he was horrified to run into a bunch of cobras.

“I run up to the wall, and I couldn’t believe it,” he recalled. “I look in there and Mike is sitting next to this kid with dozens of cobras all around them ready to strike and – no jest – and the kid was toying with these cobras.”

Related: Michael J. Fox Receives Honorary Oscar – Is Supported By ‘Back To The Future’ Co-Star Christopher Lloyd At Ceremony

‘I Saw The Craziest Fight’

Harrelson was stunned to see the child mocking the cobras, and eventually throwing one into a cage with a mongoose.

“I saw the craziest fight I’ve ever seen between any animals other than studio executives,” Harrelson recounted. “The mongoose won, they took the snake… tied it by its tail, run the blood out, half-filled four glasses with cobra blood and half with Thai whiskey.”

In Thailand, drinking the blood of a cobra is “becoming brother to the snake,” according to Harrelson. Unfortunately for Fox, this drink did not sit well with his stomach, and he immediately vomited. 

“I love you,” Fox told Harrelson as he took the stage to accept the award. “We did some damage. We did some damage in the ’80s.”

Check out Harrelson’s full speech in the video below.

Fox’s Parkinson’s Battle

There were also some serious moments in Harrelson’s speech, as he also talked about Fox’s battle with Parkinson’s disease, which the Back To The Future star was diagnosed with back in 1991. Harrelson praised Fox, 61, for turning “a chilling diagnosis into a courageous mission,” referring to the over $1 billion the Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised for Parkinson’s research. 

“He never asked for the role of Parkinson’s advocate, but it is his best performance,” Harrelson said, according to Yahoo News. “Michael J Fox sets the ultimate example of how to fight and how to live.”

Related: Michael J. Fox Gives Sad Update About His Health After Battling Parkinson’s For Over 30 Years

Fox talked about his battle with Parkinson’s as well in his acceptance speech.

“I refer to Parkinson’s as the gift that keeps on taking. But it truly has been a gift,” Fox said. “I’m really blunt with people about cures. When they ask me if I will be relieved of Parkinson’s in my lifetime, I say, ‘I’m 60 years old, and science is hard. So, no.’”

“I am genuinely a happy guy,” he continued. “I don’t have a morbid thought in my head — I don’t fear death. At all.”

Check out Fox’s full speech as he accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in the video below.

Fox is an inspiration to millions of people, so if anyone deserves an honorary Oscar for humanitarian work, it’s him. We applaud Harrelson for giving such a fun yet touching speech as he presented his friend with this incredible award.