Canadian actor Michael J. Fox.GEORGE WALKER IV/AP/The Associated Press
In 1985, Canada’s second-favourite Fox was the star of both the top-rated TV show and the two biggest blockbusters, and his face was on the cover of every magazine. For a while, he embodied the Hollywood dream—until his body turned on him. But the 63-year-old hasn’t let Parkinson’s slow him down (much). He’s starred in hit TV shows, written four books and raised four kids with his wife, Tracy Pollan—proving that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
Work with what you’ve got
Fox is just 5-foot-4. As a kid who aspired to hockey greatness, that was a major liability. But when he moved to L.A. at 16, it was an asset, since he could play much younger roles with far more maturity. He was also a gifted comedian—a skill he developed to deflect bullies back home in B.C.—and much of that relied on what he calls “high-level muggery.” When Parkinson’s began to harden his facial muscles while he was starring in Spin City, he had to find a new way to act, as he said back in 2019. “Ultimately, I found that the ‘less is more’ philosophy works for me. Which is convenient, because I have less.”
Own your talent
When Fox hit it big as an actor, he considered himself lucky, not particularly talented. “I was comfortable with the idea that I had won the lottery, and that made me less respectful of what talent I had,” he once said. But soon there was no denying he had something others didn’t. When he was cast as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties—the producer’s second choice—it became clear he had perfect comedic timing, and the show quickly shifted from focusing on his former-hippie parents to focusing on TV’s most charismatic Young Republican.
Acceptance, not resignation
Fox was diagnosed in 1991, at just 29. He was on a career hot streak and had just become a dad. It took him several years—along with some heavy boozing—to accept that his future was irrevocably altered. But he stresses that acceptance isn’t the same as resignation. “It means understanding and dealing straightforwardly.” Every day, he fights, even though he knows the odds are against him. “Parkinson’s is still kicking my ass. I won’t win at this. I will lose,” he told Variety last year. “But there’s plenty to be gained in the loss.”
Be the change
Before Fox went public with his diagnosis in 1998, Parkinson’s was largely considered a disease afflicting the elderly, and research into causes and cures was underfunded. “People were naked in their thirst for somebody to come and help,” he once said—and having an international star like Fox brought hope to the Parkinson’s community. In 2000, he created the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has since raised more than US$1 billion for Parkinson’s research. In mid-2023, an international coalition of researchers led by the foundation made a major breakthrough, discovering a biomarker for Parkinson’s that could lead to earlier detection and more effective treatment.
It can get worse
Even with the highest level of care, living with Parkinson’s is hell. Fox bares all in the 2023 documentary Still, which chronicles his rise to fame, along with his frequent falls and broken bones, his uncontrollable movements, and facial muscles that are all but frozen. As he said during one interview promoting the film: “I’m not gonna lie. It’s getting harder. Every day it’s tougher.” And yet, it’s worth it. “I love waking up and figuring that stuff out and at the same time being with my family. My problem is...I fall down and break things. And that’s part of having this. But I hope that, and I feel that, I won’t break as many bones tomorrow. So that’s being optimistic.”
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