Nearly eight months after an undisclosed “medical complication” left him hospitalized for weeks, Jamie Foxx emerged on Monday night in his first public appearance for a surprise award.

He received the Vanguard Award for his performance in The Burial at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema and Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements. After an introduction from costar Jurnee Smollet, Foxx took the stage, where he said, “I couldn’t do that six months ago, I couldn’t actually walk to [the stage]. And I’m not a clone, I’m not a clone. I know a lot of people saying that I was cloned out there”—a joking reference to his Netflix film, They Cloned Tyrone, which was released in June and earned him a Gotham Award nomination last month. “It feels good to be here. I cherish every single minute now. It’s different.”

The 55-year-old Oscar winner added, “I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy because it’s tough when it’s almost over, when you see the tunnel. I saw the tunnel, I didn’t see the light. It was hot in that tunnel too, I don’t know where I was going. ‘Shit, am I going to the right place?’”

On his recovery from the medical complication, which, according to Foxx’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, occurred while the actor was in Atlanta shooting the movie Back in Action, a Netflix comedy costarring Cameron Diaz (in her first feature-film role in almost 10 years), he said, “I have a new respect for life, I have a new respect for my art. I watched so many movies and listened to so many songs trying to have the time go by. Don’t give up on your art, man, don’t give up on your art. When you realize that it could be over like that…I got to tell you, don’t give up on your art and don’t let them take the art from you either.”

It was Foxx’s daughter who initially shared news of her father’s emergency. “We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery,” read an April Instagram post that has since been removed. “We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time.”

Foxx was first sighted in public again in July on a boat on the Chicago River. Later that month, he thanked his family, friends, and fans for their support, saying on Instagram: “I went to hell and back, and my road to recovery has some potholes as well, but I’m coming back.” He also hinted at a return to work. “Every once in a while, I just burst into tears…because it’s been tough, man, I was sick,” Foxx explained. “But now I’ve got my legs under me, so you’re going to see me.”