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Michael J Fox recently opened up about his struggle with Parkinson's disease during an appearance on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast.
The Back to the Future star shared how his condition made it difficult for him to remember his lines and compelled him to change the kind of roles he was taking up. Fox rose to fame after bagging a role in the ’80s TV series Family Ties, and announced his retirement in 2020.
Michael J Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 at the age of 29 and he revealed his diagnosis to the public in 1998 to campaign for increased research about Parkinson’s. He announced his departure from Spin City in 2000 and went on to establish The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research that year.
Speaking to CBS Mornings in 2021, Michael J Fox recalled the first time his wife, Family Ties co-star Tracy Pollan, and he learned about the diagnosis. He said it was the first as well as the last time the couple cried over his condition:
“So very early in the marriage she got this dumped on her. And the moment that I told her I was realizing was the last time we cried about it together. We haven't cried about Parkinson's since. We've just dealt with it and lived our lives. But we cried about it that first time.”
The actor shared that they were initially unaware of the symptoms and consequences of the disease:
“We didn't know what to expect. We didn't know what would happen. We didn't know. You know, no one could say when it would have more effects. More symptoms than what I had, which was a twitch, twitching pinkie. But they [doctors] just said it was coming.”
The Teen Wolf actor has been successful in taking Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research forward, and it has been described by The New York Times as “the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world.”
Looking into Michael J Fox’s battle with Parkinson’s disease
During his recent appearance on the Working It Out podcast, actor Michael J Fox revealed how he approached his professional life differently in recent years as per the developments of his Parkinson’s disease.
He said that he became more selective about projects prior to his retirement as he faced difficulty in remembering his lines due to the disease:
“When I did the spinoff from [The] Good Wife, which is [The] Good Fight, I couldn’t remember the lines. I just had this blank, I couldn’t remember the lines.”
Fox said the experience was “strange” for him after a successful career spanning several decades. He recalled his ability to rapidly memorize the script while filming Family Ties:
“[Family] Ties used to give me the script and I’d go, ‘I’m in. Mallory, get off the phone.’ And I knew it, like in an instant, and it continued to be that way for me. I have 70 pages of dialogue on a [Brian] De Palma movie, and knowing that a hugely expensive Steadicam shot depends on me knowing the lines — not a trickle of sweat on my brow.”
However, the situation changed when Michael J Fox failed to “get this line together” during the CBS spinoff. He shared that he faced the “same problem” while filming Kiefer Sutherland’s show Designated Survivor.
He continued:
“It was this legal stuff and I just couldn’t get it. But what [was] really refreshing was I didn’t panic. I didn’t freak out. I just went, ‘Well, that’s that. Moving on. A key element of this process is memorizing lines, and I can’t do it.'”
The Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee then revealed how he realized that he could not take up roles with a lot of lines and decided to change his process:
“I don’t take on something with a lot of lines, because I can’t do it. And for whatever reason, it just is what it is. I can’t remember five pages of dialogue. I can’t do it. It can’t be done. So I go to the beach.”
Michael J Fox previously opened up to People about several other struggles he had to face while dealing with his condition:
“My short-term memory is shot. I’m down to [writing]. My guitar playing is no good. My sketching is no good anymore, my dancing never was good and acting is getting tougher to do. So it’s down to writing. Luckily, I really enjoy it.”
In his earlier interview with CBS News, Michael J Fox also spoke about the physical difficulties that come with Parkinson’s:
“I have a wheelchair that I use every now and then and it still sucks. I have a hard time getting to a restaurant and up the stairs to where my family's eating perhaps at a dinner. But then I'm there with my son and my three daughters and my wife, and friends of ours. And it's just like, that's great.”
The actor said that while he was aware of the obstacles in his life, he was wise enough to know what could be under his control and what could not:
“I thought, 'Who am I to tell people, cheer up? Who am I to tell people it's gonna be okay? Who am I to tell people 'Have a positive attitude. You really got to go to that and check that place and say, 'Is that just something I say? Or is that something I believe?' If it's something I believe, is it something I can live? And if I can live it, is it fair for me to ask others or suggest to others, or prescribe that others look at it the same way?”
Although Michael J Fox admitted that living with Parkinson's disease is a “heavy thing,” he said that he is still “Mr Optimist” and continues to remain positive about the situation.
