Michael J. Fox has shared an update on his health and his life with Parkinson's disease.
"Back To The Future" star Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 when he was 29 years
old, and has been very open about his experiences with the disease.
Speaking to People in 1999 about the moment he knew something was wrong, he shared that
he noticed his little finger twitching while on a movie set.
He then learned his diagnosis from a doctor and called it "incomprehensible" that he had
Parkinson's, though it came with some good news as the doctor claimed he would "be able
to function for years and years."
But the next few years brought more problems as the disease took more of a hold and Fox
began to experience more "stiffness and tremors" on his left side.
Fox continued to work though, acting in several TV shows and movies before retiring in 2020.
Fox opened up about the decision in his book, "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers
Mortality," admitting "not being able to speak reliably is a game-breaker for an actor" while
also sharing he was having trouble remembering lines.
He wrote,
"There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a 12-hour workday, and memorizing
seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me."
While he left open the possibility of a return to acting, he maintained that he was at peace
with his decision.
Now, he's sharing some great news about his health and how he's really doing decades after
his diagnosis.
Speaking in an interview with AARP the Magazine, Fox shared that he's doing, quote, "above
average, for a brain-damaged man."
He said he beat the odds after originally being told by a doctor he'd only be able to
work for around a decade after his diagnosis; he instead continued to work for around 30
years.
Fox joked that he's, quote, "kind of a freak," adding, "It's weird that I've done as well
as I have for as long as I have."
He also noted the extent to which Parkinson's affects him can change from day to day, saying,
"The disease is this thing that's attached to my life — it isn't the driver.
And because I have assets, I have access to things others don't."
The star also shared that he gets through the darker times by being grateful for what
he has, sharing,
"I am genuinely a happy guy.
I don't have a morbid thought in my head — I don't fear death.
At all.
[...] If you don't think you have anything to be grateful for, keep looking."
The star has been very active in helping others with the disease over the years, founding
The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which celebrated 20 years of work in October.
Fox told People at the time,
"The disease is a problem that will be there until you solve it.
But we're hopeful."
Michael J. Fox's time with Parkinson's disease certainly hasn't been without its challenges,
including a difficult time after a surgery in 2018 that saw him break his arm.
Fox opened up about the incident — which he described as being his "bottom" — to
"Good Morning America," recalling feeling, quote, "so useless."
Fox called the accident pointless, stupid, and avoidable, adding,
"I have to think before I walk; I can't just get up and go because I don't have much control
of my momentum and control of my direction."
He also recalled the low moment in a 2020 interview with USA Today, admitting he felt
like an "idiot" after the injury -- and he also began to doubt his own tendency toward
optimism.
Fox said to himself,
"'All this time you've been telling everybody to be optimistic, chin-up, and you're miserable
now.
There's nothing but pain and regret.
There's no way to put a shine on this.'"
Fox had to fight hard to get himself back to the positive place he's in today, admitting
that although he still very much believed being positive was his best way of staying
healthy, the injury made him severely question that outlook.
Speaking to AARP the Magazine, Michael J. Fox also opened up about whether or not he
expects there to be a cure for Parkinson's disease in his lifetime.
His response, not optimistic, was,
"I'm really blunt with people about cures.
I'm 60 years old, and science is hard.
So, no."
But that doesn't mean he's giving up hope completely, and it certainly doesn't mean
he's not trying.
Speaking about the Michael J. Fox Foundation, he shared what he founded all those years
ago has since "become this giant network of patients, scientists and institutions."
He added that "patients are the key" to finding a cure, helping to, quote, "identify the disease
in people before symptoms are evident, and to treat it pro-actively and get rid of it."
Fox previously shared how pleasantly surprised he was by the response from the public after
he shared his diagnosis.
He told Entertainment Tonight in October that people "responded with interest, in the desire
to find an answer to the disease."
He felt as though he had been given a great opportunity, and didn't want to squander it.
But while it could take a while for a cure for Parkinson's, there's no doubting Fox's
tireless efforts.
As an inspiration to others for decades now, it's no surprise that the selfless actor is
the 2022 AARP Purpose Prize Honoree.
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