Tragic Details About Michael J. Fox's Life

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Michael J. Fox's breakout role in "Family Ties" came at a dire time in his life. Speaking to Route magazine, the beloved actor revealed that he made the bold move of dropping out of his high school in Canada and moving to America to make his Hollywood dreams a reality. However, when left to his own devices, the young man struggled to make ends meet. Fox was surviving on boiled macaroni and earning extra money by selling rented furniture that didn't belong to him. Of course, paying rent and taxes was basically out of the question for him at that point, so he had to figure out creative ways to avoid his landlord. 

During a May 2023 interview with Variety, the "Spin City" star recalled how he even had to dumpster dive for food at one point. Although the odds were stacked against the fledgling actor, Fox still refused to give up on his ambitions because he had a strong inkling that the tides would eventually turn in his favor. And they did in a spectacular fashion when he landed "Family Ties" and "Back to the Future" in close succession. However, in the beloved star's 2025 memoir "Future Boy," Fox confessed that juggling two major projects that would ultimately define his career was incredibly difficult at the time.

Shooting overlapped for three months, leaving him no choice but to frequently log grueling 20-hour work days. Fox would clock into the "Family Ties" set at 9 a.m. on Monday, spend the night filming "Back To the Future," and only return home after 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

Michael J. Fox was one of the many celebrities who had a health struggle that completely flew under the radar for years. In the Canadian-American star's 2023 film "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie," he detailed how he had noticed a twitch in his pinky finger the morning after going out drinking with fellow actor Woody Harrelson, back in 1991. Shortly afterward, a neurologist informed him that he had Parkinson's disease, and sadly, it was an incurable and degenerative condition. Fox recalled how he reacted to receiving the life-changing diagnosis as a 29-year-old, saying, "I remember standing on the street looking for an answer. My world blew up. I should've seen it coming, the cosmic price I had to pay for all my success," (via Entertainment Tonight). 

While the activist accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in November 2022, he pointed out that doctors had also told him that he wouldn't be able to act after another decade or so. The "Back to the Future" star also opened up about what part of his prognosis he found the hardest to accept, admitting, "I only knew that it would get worse. The diagnosis was definite. The progress was indefinite and uncertain," (via YouTube). 

In fact, Fox remained in strict denial for the seven years that followed his diagnosis and only told a handful of people about it. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, in 2021, the beloved star detailed how paparazzi began camping outside his home and heckling him by shouting invasive questions like, "What's a matter with you?" Fox felt bad that his neighbors had to deal with all the commotion, so he went public with his diagnosis in 1998.

In "Still," Michael J. Fox revealed that he would consume copious amounts of dopamine pills whenever he was on set after his Parkinson's disease diagnosis, to ensure that his early symptoms wouldn't be as obvious and he could deliver a good performance. The beloved actor also confessed that he found it difficult to come to terms with his prognosis and the terrifying uncertainty it brought with it. So, he started drinking heavily to numb the pain and to give himself a break from thinking about the long-term implications. The "Spin City" star's drinking eventually began to affect his tight-knit bond with his family. In Fox's 2020 book "No Time Like the Future," he dubbed the first couple of years he spent with his son, Sam, as "Miller Time." 

Additionally, he noted that one of "[Sam's] earliest memories include going to the fridge to get me beers." Fox confirmed in an August 2014 chat with People that the turning point for his addiction came after his wife, Tracy Pollan, found him passed out on a couch with a can of beer spilling out onto their carpet. In "Still," Fox further admitted that sobriety came with its own set of challenges, describing it as "a knife fight in a closet," per USA Today. He added, "As low as alcohol had brought me, abstinence would bring me lower. I could no longer escape myself," (via USA Today). The actor further elaborated that sobriety left him with no choice but to ponder his diagnosis when he was at home. However, he stuck to it and has been clean ever since.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Michael J. Fox has been open about the health struggles he has endured due to Parkinson's disease. While speaking to the Sunday Times in May 2023, the activist acknowledged that the condition caused him a lot of physical pain, particularly in the moments when he was unable to move and felt a burning sensation in his body. Then, in an October 2025 chat with the Sunday Times, Fox shared that he had broken numerous bones and even had to have some surgically removed due to infections. Subsequently, he decided not to walk around as much as he used to. 

Additionally, in "No Time Like The Future," the "Teen Wolf" star disclosed that the "darkest moment" of his diagnosis came when he broke his arm following a fall. The Canadian-American star candidly confessed that even his unyielding optimism faltered in those moments, writing, "I felt like, 'This is as low as it gets for me.' It was when I questioned everything. Like, 'I can't put a shiny face on this. There's no bright side to this, no upside. This is just all regret and pain.'" However, Fox managed to refuel his positive outlook by telling himself that his pain paled in comparison to what others had experienced. 

With time, though, the eighties icon learned that he could be optimistic while still also acknowledging his own struggles. In his May 2023 interview with the Sunday Times, the beloved star confirmed that being open about the trials and tribulations of Parkinson's had only made his life better. Notably, some have even speculated that the hopeful meaning behind the turtle tattoo that Fox got in January 2019 revolves around his health issues.

Michael J. Fox put his acting career on the backburner in 2000 to devote more time to his activism and philanthropic efforts surrounding Parkinson's disease. Although Fox undoubtedly succeeded in his charitable endeavors, raising an incredible $2 billion in aid of Parkinson's disease, he still continued acting, and even received several Emmy award nominations for his various guest appearances. However, in "No Time Like The Future," Fox revealed that he was entering a second retirement because his condition was making it increasingly difficult for him to continue performing. The eighties icon disclosed that both aging and Parkinson's disease had affected his ability to process words and memorize them, as well as his speech in general too. 

In addition to stating that he believed he would be doing any potential future collaborator a favor with his retirement, Fox wrote, "There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a twelve-hour workday, and memorizing seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me. At least for now." In a May 2023 interview with CNN, he detailed how the exact moment he knew he wanted to retire came when he couldn't recall his lines on the set of hit show "The Good Fight." When Fox acknowledged the lapse in memory to himself, he came to the calm realization that he needed to walk away from acting. 

Notably, in a November 2020 People interview, the "Family Ties" star revealed that he was still fighting against the speech issues by loudly saying tongue twisters. However, he had also lost many creative avenues, including drawing, sketching, and playing the guitar, and could only artistically express himself through his books.

While speaking to People in November 2020, Michael J. Fox announced that doctors had discovered a benign tumor on his spinal cord that was swiftly increasing in size back in 2018. The growth had not only caused him tremendous physical pain but also increased his risk of paralysis. Additionally, during a March 2019 interview with the New York Times, the "Frighteners" star shared that the tumor was also affecting his balance and causing him to constantly fall over. So, Fox underwent a procedure to remove the tumor, which required surgeons to be extremely precise to ensure that he wouldn't suffer any additional issues. 

Although it was successful, the surgery brought about a whole new set of challenges for the beloved actor as he had to regain his ability to walk afterward. The activist admitted in "No Time Like The Future" that being pushed around in a wheelchair made him feel like he was "luggage." While describing how a stranger would be in control of a wheelchair most of the time, Fox wrote, "I'm sure that if we could look each other in the eye, we'd recognize our mutual humanity. But often in the wheelchair, I'm luggage. I'm not expected to say much."

As he sadly proclaimed, "No one listens to luggage." Despite everything, the eighties star told a Tribeca Film Festival crowd that he was determined to master walking without a cane. In a November 2023 chat with People, Fox admitted that he went through a "tsunami of misfortunes" after he learned to walk again as he broke several bones through falls. However, the actor still rightfully referred to himself as a "tough son of a b***h."