Michael J. Fox declares he still has ‘a lot left to do’ as he comes out of retirement amid Parkinson’s battle

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Despite living with Parkinson’s disease for many years, Michael J. Fox continues to pursue his goals and enjoy life.

Michael J. Fox, the famous actor from Back to the Future, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 when he was only 29 years old. He shared the news with the public seven years later.

For many years, Michael J. Fox has been a leading voice in Parkinson’s research. His foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, has collected over $2 billion, helping scientists make important discoveries and develop new treatments.

After taking a break from acting in 2020 because of health issues, Michael J. Fox recently appeared in a few episodes of the Apple TV+ series *Shrinking*, and is currently promoting his latest book, *Future Boy*.

He shared with People that seeing the work of others inspires him to explore his own potential as both an actor and a writer. He also feels he still has much to offer in his personal life, as a parent, husband, and friend.

In the movie *Shrinking*, starring Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox portrayed a character living with Parkinson’s disease, a first for the actor.

He explained that this was the first time he’d been on set without feeling any physical concerns. He didn’t have to worry about being tired or coughing – he could just focus on performing.

Despite the challenges Parkinson’s disease presents with movement, speech, and coordination, he continues to face it with a practical and optimistic attitude.

He explained that he starts his day by getting a sense of what challenges lie ahead and tries to prepare for them. He’s constantly facing new physical difficulties, but he manages to overcome them. It took time to adjust, but he now relies on a wheelchair quite a bit.

Still, Fox explains he tries to ‘take the good’ and ‘seize it’ whenever given the chance.

Looking back on the last year, Fox, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January for his work as an advocate, described the period as ‘very positive and energizing.’

‘If you put your mind to it,’ he insisted. ‘You can do anything.’

I’ve been following Michael J. Fox for years, and it’s so wonderful to see his family thriving. He and his wife, Tracy Pollan, have been married since 1988 and raised four amazing kids. Their oldest, Sam, is 36, and they also have 30-year-old twin daughters, Aquinnah and Schuyler. The youngest, Esmé, is 23 now – it’s just lovely to see how they’ve all grown up!

Fox initially went into retirement in 2020 due to his struggles from Parkinson’s. 

Michael noticed a persistent sore shoulder while filming Doc Hollywood, which led to a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 1991 when he was just 29 years old.

The actor went public with his diagnosis in 1998.

Michael had previously collaborated with Bill Lawrence, the co-creator of Shrinking, on the ABC comedy Spin City. He departed the show after its fourth season in 2000 as his Parkinson’s disease progressed.

The father of four also appeared in two episodes of *Scrubs*, another show starring Zach Braff, playing a brilliant doctor who struggled with extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Michael explained that his diagnosis led him to step back from acting to focus on family and his foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to funding Parkinson’s disease research and finding a cure.

Michael is best known for playing Marty McFly, the teenage lead in the 1985 hit movie *Back to the Future*. He also starred in the sequels, *Back to the Future Part II* (1989) and *Back to the Future III* (1990).

Harrison Ford also spoke highly of Michael and his enthusiasm to join Shrinking.

He shared with People that having him on the show is incredibly inspiring and gives us a strong sense of direction.

The legend plays therapist Dr. Paul Rhodes in the TV show, who faces his own Parkinson’s diagnosis.

He clarified that their collaboration wasn’t simply about two actors working together. It was the shared dedication to bringing the story to life that truly connected them, and he expressed gratitude for his colleague’s involvement in the project.

Okay, so they asked if getting to work with Michael – *the* Michael, honestly a genius – helped me really *get* the illness I was portraying. And I just… I couldn’t say everything, you know? But I definitely hinted that it did! I mean, it *had* to. There are little things, nuances, that will probably become obvious when people really watch it. Things I picked up just being around him. It’s subtle, but it’s there, I promise. I’m sure of it!

Being together meant we all worked hard to achieve our goals, both the ones we openly discussed and the ones that naturally came along with our plans.

I’ve researched the illness I’m playing as much as possible to accurately portray it.

My character and Michael are experiencing the disease differently. While my character is at a different point in the illness, Michael remains sharp and insightful. He also faces everything with remarkable humor and bravery.

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2025-10-08 17:49