After starting off as a child actor, Michael J. Fox rose to national prominence as Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties and as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future franchise. In 2020, Fox announced his retirement, but he did confirm that certain circumstances could get him to act again.
In 1998, Fox revealed that in 1991, he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which already impacted the way he would work from then on. As his symptoms worsened, Fox was able to act with less frequency, but he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to support Parkinson’s research and has since raised 2 billion for the cause.
Michael J. Fox says that there is something that could get him to act again
Fox recently sat down for a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, on the eve of a charity event for his award-winning foundation. The foundation and educating the public on the need to fund Parkinson’s research and cures has gotten the majority of Fox’s attention, but he is open to working in Hollywood again.
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“If someone offers me a part and I do it and I have a good time, great,” said Fox. “I would do acting if something came up that I could put my realities into it, my challenges, if I could figure it out.”
His symptoms started out decades ago with a tremor in his pinky finger. According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms can range from minimal involuntary twitches like that, or they can progress to impaired movements, stiff muscles, debilitated balance, loss of automatic movements, and speech problems.
The actor-turned-activist uses his platform to educate the world and help those in a similar position
Although he does not act in new shows or films, Fox is still front and center in front of the cameras, at the podium for speeches, and a public driving force behind Parkinson’s awareness. In 2023, he released Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, an intimate look into his life and world since he was diagnosed. For Fox, remaining upfront and transparent is as important to him as any other part of his mission.
“I decided to create this documentary for a couple of reasons, first bringing awareness to this disease has been very important to me for years and I wanted to continue that work through film,” he explained, speaking with Us Weekly. “The second is for my fans. They, along with my family, [have] been the reason I have been able to go on. As I say, my fans gave me life and I wanted to be open about mine.”
As far as the near future goes, Fox mused, “My goals are always shifting. My biggest goal, I think, was to raise a family. We have four amazing kids, and that’s been the big thing. And then the other is with the work we’ve done with the foundation and wanting to achieve those goals.”