Actor and philanthropist Michael J. Fox has reaffirmed his determination to keep pursuing both professional and personal ambitions, declaring that he still has “a lot left to do,” despite his decades-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The Back to the Future icon, 64, was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder in 1991 at the age of 29 and publicly disclosed his condition seven years later. Since then, he has become one of the world’s most prominent advocates for Parkinson’s research through his Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has raised more than $2 billion to fund scientific research and treatment advancements.
Although Fox announced his retirement from acting in 2020 due to the physical challenges associated with the disease, he has recently made a celebrated return to the screen, appearing in a guest role on Apple TV+’s Emmy-nominated series Shrinking. He is also promoting his fifth book, Future Boy.
“I see other people’s work, and it makes me think that I might be able to find something that’s for me—as an actor and as a writer,” Fox told People. “And as a parent, husband, and friend, I have a lot left to do.”
In Shrinking, which stars Harrison Ford, Fox portrays a character living with Parkinson’s—a first for him onscreen.
“It was the first time I got to show up on set and not worry about being too tired or coughing or anything. I just did it,” he said.
Despite ongoing physical difficulties affecting his movement, speech, and coordination, Fox remains optimistic and grounded in his outlook.
“I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it,” he explained. “I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through them. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot—it took some getting used to—but I try to take the good and seize it whenever I can.”
Reflecting on a year marked by professional resurgence and public recognition—including receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January for his decades of advocacy—Fox said life has felt “really positive, really energizing.”
“If you put your mind to it, you can do anything,” he added—a nod to his famous line from Back to the Future.
Fox shares four children—Sam, 36, twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 30, and Esmé, 23—with his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, whom he married in 1988.
The actor first collaborated with Shrinking co-creator Bill Lawrence on Spin City, which Fox left after its fourth season in 2000 as his Parkinson’s symptoms worsened. He later guest-starred on Lawrence’s series Scrubs, playing a physician with severe OCD.
Fox’s performance on Shrinking has been praised by co-star Harrison Ford, who also portrays a character with Parkinson’s.
“Michael’s willingness to be part of our show is a great source of inspiration,” Ford said. “It’s not just us coming together as two actors—there’s a story to tell, and our commitment to it joins us together. His humor and courage are evident in everything he does.”
Fox’s return has been met with widespread admiration, reinforcing his enduring legacy as both an artist and an advocate—someone who continues to inspire millions while living with, and defying, Parkinson’s disease.#newsafro_
