Michael J. Fox is best known for his role in the Back to the Future trilogy, but he's
done more than time travel during his evolution into a megastar. Let's hop in the DeLorean
to see the transformation of Michael J. Fox.
Michael J. Fox was born in Edmonton, Canada in 1961. Though he grew up in Alberta's capital,
he would call many places home during his father William's service with the Canadian
Armed Forces. According to his bio on the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research page, Fox considers himself an "army brat" whose family "moved several times during
his childhood." In a 2017 interview with CBC, Fox recalled:
"I crossed Canada a couple times before I was 10."
After his father's 1971 retirement from the military, Fox, his parents, and his four siblings
settled in Burnaby, British Columbia, not far from Vancouver. There, he started fifth
grade at Morley Elementary School. After becoming a successful star in Hollywood, Fox still
never forgot his roots. He told CBC that being Canadian even helped his career as an actor
because, as he put it,
"You approach familiar things a different way; you come at it from a different angle.
[...] My reference for everything is my Canadian background, my life in Canada."
Writing in his memoir, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future, Fox had this recollection
about his high school days:
"I found myself in the strange position of receiving solid reviews for my professional
acting at the same time I was flunking high school drama for too many absences."
The actor told Rolling Stone that the specific reason he didn't pass the class was:
"I wasn't there one day to put a bag over my head and crawl across the room backward,
humming."
He ultimately decided to drop out of school to pursue a career in acting. While some were
supportive of his decision, his social studies teacher had a different opinion. Fox recalled
the teacher telling him that he was making a big mistake and warning him that he wasn't
going to be, quote, "cute forever." Though Fox's father had been critical of his poor
academic performance, he still drove his son out to Los Angeles for a fresh start.
"I was really into acting and really into trying to find work and really into trying
to get better as an actor."
Partly because he had dropped out of school himself in eighth grade, the actor's dad supported
his career choice. He also understood that living in Hollywood would help Fox pursue
his dream. The decision worked out well for Fox, but he still desired to properly close
his high school career. A decade and a half after dropping out, he got his GED at the
behest of his 4-year-old son.
While Michael J. Fox didn't take the traditional route of high school followed by college,
he compared his move to California to pursuing higher education. In A Funny Thing Happened
On The Way To The Future, he revealed that he set himself a four-year goal to make it
as an actor. Writing in his memoir, Fox had this recollection about his early years in
the golden state:
"The next four years provided as intense an undergraduate experience as one would expect
from any college career, replete with parties and heavy workloads."
He also became close friends with three frat members at UCLA who lived in the apartment
next door. This allowed Fox to experience parts of college culture that he would have
missed out on otherwise, like, quote, "free beer and college girls." Fox was having fun
socially but struggling to make ends meet, telling The New York Times during a 1985 interview:
"I was getting all these great letters from collection agencies saying 'This is your last
chance' in big red letters."
Fortunately, he soon landed his breakthrough role as Alex P. Keaton in the TV sitcom Family
Ties. The actor said of his first big acting opportunity,
"It's funny, because at a time when I was so low I would have taken any role, the role
came around."
After growing in popularity on TV, Michael J. Fox made his transition to the big screen
— thanks to another actor's shortcomings. The role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future
originally went to Eric Stoltz, who was known for his role in Mask. Stoltz had even started
filming scenes for the soon-to-be-classic sci-fi adventure. But according to The New
York Times, producers felt that he was "too intense" for the comic role of the young time
traveler.
"And he showed me the first five weeks of footage cut together and he just said I don't
think we're getting the laughs that I was hoping we would get."
As a result, Stoltz was fired from the film, and producers recruited Fox for the project.
The sudden change meant that Fox had to immediately start filming the movie while he was still
busy working on Family Ties. He confessed that holding down two acting jobs at once
was difficult, and during an interview with BBC host Barry Norman at the movie's premiere,
Fox called what happened to Stoltz:
"It is, in my way of thinking, the actor's nightmare."
But referencing the film's famous producer, he said to The New York Times,
"How can you say no to Steven Spielberg?"
"Did Speilberg beg you to do the movie?"
"Yeah, on his knees. He came to me and he was crying and it was terrible."
Back to the Future debuted in London in 1985, and even though it was his first time in a
major motion picture, Fox still had no desire to see his work. According to the actor, he
decided to wait until he returned to Los Angeles from London to see it.
Few stars were hotter than Michael J. Fox in the late '80s. In addition to the first
Back to the Future movie, the actor also starred in Teen Wolf in 1985. Plus, he was still starring
in the top-rated sitcom Family Ties. The television series also introduced Fox to his future wife,
actor Tracy Pollan. She joined the show to play Fox's on-screen girlfriend thanks in
part to the actor himself. Fox told People in 1986:
"Tracy had strength but she wasn't overbearing."
In the beginning, both actors denied any speculation that they were involved in a real-life romance.
Pollan lived on the East coast with her significant other at the time, Kevin Bacon, whom she expected
to marry someday. However, she said of her and Bacon's relationship,
"But I feel like we're kids still, and marriage is such a grown-up thing."
Fox also had marriage on his mind at the time thanks to his infatuated fans. He confessed
to The New York Times in 1985,
"I've gotten a lot of marriage proposals lately. I'm not complaining."
But by 1988, he and Pollan were husband and wife. The couple went on to have four children
together — son Sam, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, and daughter Esmé.
The future was looking bright for Michael J. Fox thanks to the outstanding success of
the Back to the Future trilogy. According to People, the original film earned over $300
million worldwide to become the top-grossing movie of 1985. As a result, Fox's salary increased
"from $250,000 for the original to $5 million for each of the sequels." In 1989, he said
of his career,
"It's been a pretty busy 10 years. It's felt like 30."
But after the trilogy concluded, Fox received terrible news that put his next ten years
and beyond in doubt. According to his bio on the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research website, Fox was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991. He was just 29
years old. Fox told The New York Times Magazine:
"I was so scared. I was so unfamiliar with Parkinson's."
Looking back on his reaction to receiving his diagnosis, the actor remembered the uncertainty
of not knowing when the disease was going to get, quote, "bad," which completely changed
his approach to his Hollywood career. Feeling what he called, quote, "time restrictions
or financial pressures," he admitted that he looked to choose quantity over quality
in terms of picking his next movies. But reflecting back, he said,
"It shouldn't have been to do as many quick successful ones as I could. It should've been
to do as many good ones as I could."
In addition to his sci-fi work, Michael J. Fox starred in a variety of other films, including
Doc Hollywood, Casualties of War with Sean Penn, and the Walt Disney tear-jerker Homeward
Bound: The Incredible Journey. Then, following a string of unmemorable performances on the
big screen, Fox returned to scripted television — the medium that first made him a star.
Starting in 1996, he played New York City's Deputy Mayor Michael Flaherty in the ABC series
Spin City.
The comedy, co-created by Bill Lawrence, who later helped create Scrubs and Ted Lasso,
was a huge success, earning Fox three Golden Globes and one Emmy in addition to numerous
other awards and nominations. Behind the scenes, however, Fox was dealing with his Parkinson's
disease diagnosis. According to the actor, the initial shock caused confusion about how
to best balance his health and his acting career. He told The New York Times Magazine
that it took about three years from initially learning about his diagnosis to accepting
his health situation. He explained,
"Acceptance doesn't mean resignation. It means understanding and dealing straightforwardly.
When I did 'Spin City,' I started to do that."
Michael J. Fox continued to act while his health deteriorated from Parkinson's disease,
but he kept the fact a secret from the public for years. The actor told The New York Times
Magazine that he could hide his health issues somewhat by incorporating, quote, "high-level
muggery." He elaborated,
"I could pull a face; I could do a double take."
But in 1998, seven years after first receiving his diagnosis with Parkinson's, he announced
that he was living with the disease. That March he underwent brain surgery, as reported
by The New York Times. The goal of the procedure was to alleviate some of his symptoms, which
included stiffness and tremors in his left side. With his secret out, Fox vowed to continue
his work in entertainment post-surgery. His agent said that the then-37-year-old actor
would be capable of working on Spin City, future projects and personal commitments for
many years.
Looking back on his announcement, Fox revealed that part of the reason he shared his health
news with the world was due to a lack of privacy. Fox recalled during an October 2021 ET interview:
"The paparazzi and stuff, they would stand outside my apartment and heckle at me, like,
'What's a matter with you?' I can't be making my neighbors deal with this,' so I came out,
and it was great. It was a great thing."
"It's a great opportunity, to even get put in this position."
At the start of the new millennium, Michael J. Fox announced his retirement from Spin
City. According to the actor, one of the reasons he decided to step away was due to increased
physical difficulties. He spoke to The New York Times Magazine about his later years
in the series, saying,
"I felt my face hardening. My movements were constricted. [While filming] I would anchor
myself against a desk or the wall. Eventually it was too burdensome. So I left."
As recapped on his bio for the Michael J. Fox Center for Parkinson's Research, which
he founded in 2000, Fox wanted to ceremoniously leave upon the completion of his fourth season
and 100th episode of the sitcom. The actor announced that his health issues and "new
priorities" made it the right time to step away from the demands of a weekly series.
While speaking to The New York Times after founding his research foundation, Fox said,
"Not in any way do I think I'm bringing any kind of great intellect or insight to Parkinson's."
Instead, he hoped to use his celebrity status to bring awareness to the cause, in addition
to learning more about the disease himself. Twenty years later, his foundation would be
one of the leaders in helping people affected by the disease. As of 2020, it has funded
more than $1 billion in Parkinson's research, The New York Times reported.
Following Michael J. Fox's departure from Spin City, Charlie Sheen joined the series
to replace his character. However, Fox stayed involved in the show through his role as an
executive producer until it ended in 2002. While it appeared that he may have stepped
away from acting for good, he returned a few years later on the medical comedy Scrubs.
Reflecting on his time with Zach Braff and the other fake doctors, he admitted,
"I don't think I was very good in it, but I enjoyed being back on set."
Even though Fox was humble about his performance as a doctor with obsessive-compulsive disorder,
critics loved his character on the show. The Chicago Tribune wrote about his performance:
"He makes the guy funny and touching without being a lick sentimental."
Screen Rant further praised Fox by deeming him the "greatest guest star" on the entire
series. Following Scrubs, Fox appeared in the series Boston Legal. He recalled smelling
"the arclight" while on the set of the drama, telling The New York Times Magazine:
"Something about that smell made me think, 'Acting is what I do. And I needed to find
a way to do it with my new instrument.'"
With his reignited passion for acting, Fox found he could best play his roles using a,
quote, "less is more' philosophy" for performing.
Over a decade after announcing his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease, Michael J. Fox was
still proving that he was one of the best actors around. In 2009, he guest-starred on
the FX drama Rescue Me. For his portrayal of the drug-addicted character Dwight, Fox
won his fifth Emmy award. The following year, Fox joined the TV series The Good Wife, playing
attorney Louis Canning. Fox was once again captivating on-screen, and he continued the
role from 2010 to 2016.
One of the most impressive aspects of all Fox's acting work during these years was how
he dealt with the unpredictability of his disease. According to The Guardian, he wouldn't
know when his daily meds would kick in to help lessen his symptoms. Reportedly, he could
easily become "akinetic, seized by tremors and stiffness." Alternatively, he could also
become "dyskinesic,", which would sent the actor "rocking, dipping, [and] diving."
But through all the tough days, Fox continued to stay positive. In 2009, he followed up
his 2003 best-selling memoir Lucky Man with his second book, Always Looking Up: The Adventures
of an Incurable Optimist. Plus, Fox continued to advocate for research on Parkinson's, even
once appearing unmedicated before Congress, to illustrate the terrible effects of the
disease, according to The Guardian.
Though he was performing well in other sitcoms, Michael J. Fox wanted to help create a series
about his day-to-day experiences. So in 2013, he became the star of The Michael J. Fox Show.
In the sitcom, he portrayed a news anchor with Parkinson's disease. Unfortunately, the
show didn't connect with audiences, and it ended the year after it premiered. Reflecting
back on why it didn't work, Fox admitted to The New York Times Magazine,
"I didn't have the energy to keep the show on the track that I'd set it out on."
The actor felt like many people involved with the series didn't realize that its premise
and the reality of Parkinson's were the same, telling the magazine:
"This is probably unfair but I feel like one day they woke up and said, 'Oh, he really
has Parkinson's.' Like somebody saw me tremoring in rehearsal and said, 'What's wrong with
him?'"
Fox also seemed to find it difficult to portray his real-life interactions with his family
members in a manner that others unfamiliar with the disease would understand. Fox explained
that his true intent with the show was to not make fun of the disease but rather to
show how people deal with adversity. Unfortunately, instead of translating his highs and lows
with Parkinson's to a sitcom format, Fox confessed,
"We lost that voice and I blame myself."
As if dealing with the effects of Parkinson's disease wasn't difficult enough, Fox sadly
faced another health setback in 2018 when he had to undergo surgery for a recurring
spinal cord issue. Fox told The New York Times Magazine:
"I was told it was benign but if it stayed static I would have diminished feeling in
my legs and difficulty moving."
But things were looking up again post-operation, with the actor successfully completing physical
therapy. Then disaster struck. Fox recalled:
"I woke up, walked into the kitchen to get breakfast, misstepped and I went down. I fractured
the hell out of my arm. I ended up getting 19 pins and a plate."
Before the accident, Fox had decided "to do some acting," but admitted that the injury
was a major blow to his progress.
Prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael J. Fox began drafting his fourth memoir.
Once people started to quarantine, he decided to hole up with his family in Quogue, New
York, according to The New York Times. However, the upheaval didn't stop his progress — in
fact, he and his longtime producing partner, Nelle Fortenberry, used the magic of video
chat to "work six days a week" on his memoir.
Before the end of 2020, Fox released No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality.
That same year, Fox reprised his role as Marty McFly in a teaser trailer for Lil Nas X's
"Holiday" music video. Dressed in a Western outfit similar to the one he wears in Back
to the Future III, Fox warns Lil Nas X to not visit the future year of 2020. The actor
revealed on The Late Late Show with James Corden that Lil Nas X reached out to him for
the cameo.
Fox's kids were fans of the musician and told their dad, quote, "You have to do this," according
to the actor.
He's also reunited with his on-screen best friend from the trilogy, Doc Brown, played
by Christopher Lloyd. In an Instagram photo posted by Fox, he is sitting with Lloyd, and
both men are smiling back at the camera. Fox captioned the picture:
"Back to back."
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