From Movie Star to Activist: A Look At Michael J. Fox's Hollywood Career
Actor, author and activist Michael J. Fox is perhaps best known for the classic and wildly successful 80’s film, Back to the Future, but Fox boasts a full career before and after the famous film.
In addition, his own diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease has led the actor down a different path of activism, fundraising and education regarding a cure for the illness.
Regardless of the ups and downs of Fox’s life, many would be impressed by his positivity, family values and the man he has become at 61 years old.
Check out how Michael J. Fox has grown from a Canadian-born, bullied child to an American actor with a net worth of $65 million.
Fox was the fourth of five children born to an actress and police officer in Alberta, Canada in 1961. He was short for his age and according to Biography, struggled quite a bit due to his small stature in school. In addition, he had trouble fitting in to compete in his favorite sport, hockey which led the young man to find drama class as an outlet and resource to express himself.
At age 15, Fox had already landed a television series, Leo and Me, but it wasn’t until landing the famous role of Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties that audiences began taking notice. Fox starred as a conservative young teen among a family of progressives alongside Justine Bateman, Tina Yothers and Brian Bonsall for seven years, winning a Golden Globe and three Emmys for his role in the comedy series.
As his popularity grew on Family Ties, Fox was cast as Marty McFly by director Robert Zemeckis in a story about a teen and his older, scientist friend “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in Back to the Future. An argument ensued between the creator of Family Ties and Zemeckis with the two creating a grueling schedule for the young actor. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fox would film Family Ties from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then head over to film Back to the Future until 2:30 a.m. each day for months. As it turns out, the blockbuster hit brought in $381 million worldwide and skyrocketed Fox to stardom, making the extra effort worth it. He went on to star in the two successful sequels, Back to the Future Part II in 1989 and Back to the Future Part III in 1990.
Just one year later, Fox is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 29 years old but doesn’t announce the news to the world for another decade. Unbeknownst to him, Fox was about to become the leading advocate for Parkinson’s research and fundraising in hopes of finding a cure in his lifetime. He created the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, raising over $300 million and counting to aggressively research a solution and developing improved therapies for those suffering from the disease.
Despite his diagnosis and keeping it a secret for nearly 10 years, Fox continued to land successful roles in both film and television. He starred in the films Doc Hollywood with Woody Harrelson and Bridget Fonda, For Love or Money and Life With Mikey, alongside Nathan Lane, to name a few.
In 1996, the star grabbed a role in the successful television series Spin City, with Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Barry Bostwick and others but chose to leave the show amongst increasing tremors due to his disease, his desire to spend more time with family and work toward his mission with the Foundation.
Though Fox has stepped away from on-camera work, he has found success in numerous voice work over the years. In 1993 and 1996, he lent his voice to Disney’s Homeward Bound Series, starred as the voice of Stuart Little in the trilogy from 1999 to 2005 and was the voice of Milo Thatch in Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”
In 1988, Fox married Tracy Pollan (she also had a small role in Family Ties), and the couple share four children: son Sam, twin girls Aquinnah and Schuyler and daughter Esme Annabelle. Fans admire the commitment the couple have displayed over the years, despite the frustration and lack of control as Fox faces his disease.
Since 2000, Fox has channeled some of his energy in a memoir and other uplifting novels, sharing his experience on top of the world and struggling with an incurable disease. In 2002, he released, “Lucky Man: A Memoir”. In 2009 he released “Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist” and in 2010 he released “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned.”
In each, Fox’s goal was to encourage those going through the struggle of life and change the way they look at their personal situation. Fox became known for his can’t beat me attitude and unbelievably relentless attack on the disease that can often get victims down.
Up next for the star and advocate, the documentary entitled Still, arrives on Apple TV+ in May. According to ABC News, the film takes a deep dive into Fox’s acting career and his battle with Parkinson’s disease. Under the direction of Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim, the film has already released a trailer to rave reviews. Fox walks viewers through the highs and lows of life, but brings home the importance of continued Parkinson’s research, refusing to allow the disease to take over his life.
Sources: Biography, Celebrity Net Worth, ABC News
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