Michael J. Fox’s upcoming documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which will premiere on Apple TV+ next month, chronicles his health challenges and successes over the past few decades. During a recent interview with Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning, the 61-year-old actor shared his experience of living with Parkinson’s disease.
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, described the difficulties he has faced while coping with the medical condition. “[Parkinson’s] banging on the door … I’m not going to lie, it’s getting hard. It’s getting harder. It’s getting tougher,” he confessed to the host. “Every day it’s tougher … that’s the way it is.”
Michael J. Fox revealed that he might not live to 80 years
During the interview, Fox revealed that he has had more difficulty walking and has suffered multiple bone fractures since having surgery to remove a benign tumor from his spine. He emphasized that Parkinson’s disease is a condition that one lives with rather than dies from.
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He also stated that with the rate at which the disease is progressing, he understands that he does not have much time to live. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it .… I’m not going to be 80,” Fox admitted. “I’m not going to be 80.”
The actor says he is grateful for his life
Although the actor has been living with Parkinson’s disease for over 30 years, he revealed to host Pauley that he remains focused on gratitude because of how he has been able to manage the disease over time. “I recognize how hard this is for people, and I recognize how hard it is for me, but I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff. And I realize, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable,” Fox explained. “If you can find something to be grateful for, then you can find something to look forward to, and you carry on.”
The 61-year-old is also promoting groundbreaking research on Parkinson’s, which is funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation.