Michael J. Fox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael J. Fox
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Fox in 2020
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Michael Andrew Fox
June 9, 1961 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American activist and actor. He started acting as a child in the 1970s. He became very famous for playing Alex P. Keaton in the TV show Family Ties (1982–1989). He also starred as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies (1985–1990).
Fox also appeared in films like Teen Wolf (1985) and The Secret of My Success (1987). He returned to TV in the show Spin City (1996–2000).
In 1998, Fox shared that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991. He then became a strong supporter of finding a cure. In 2000, he started The Michael J. Fox Foundation to help fund research. As his symptoms got worse, he had to act less.
Fox lent his voice to lead characters in the Stuart Little films (1999–2005). He also voiced Milo in Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). He made guest appearances on TV shows like Rescue Me (2009) and The Good Wife (2010–2016). His last main acting role was in The Michael J. Fox Show (2013–2014). He officially stopped acting in 2020 due to his health.
Michael J. Fox has won many awards. These include five Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. He also received two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award. In 2010, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He has stars on Canada's Walk of Fame (2000) and the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2002). For his work helping Parkinson's research, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2022. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.
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Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Michael Andrew Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His birthday is June 9, 1961. His father, William, was in the Canadian military for 25 years. His mother, Phyllis, worked as a payroll clerk and was also an actress. Michael's family moved often because of his father's job. They finally settled in Burnaby, near Vancouver, in 1971.
Fox went to Burnaby Central Secondary School. There is now a theater named after him at Burnaby South Secondary. When he was 15, Fox starred in the Canadian TV show Leo and Me. In 1979, at age 18, he moved to Los Angeles to become a bigger actor.
He was discovered by a producer named Ronald Shedlo. His first American TV role was in Letters from Frank. He was credited as "Michael Fox". However, when he joined the Screen Actors Guild, he found another actor named Michael Fox. To avoid confusion, he had to pick a new name. He chose "J" as a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard.
Michael J. Fox's Acting Career
Becoming a Star on TV
Fox's first movie roles were in Midnight Madness (1980) and Class of 1984 (1982). Soon after, he began playing Alex P. Keaton in the TV show Family Ties. This show was on NBC from 1982 to 1989.
The show was originally about the parents. But Michael's acting was so good that his character, Alex, became the main focus. Family Ties was very popular. At its best, one-third of American homes watched it every week. Fox won three Emmy Awards for Family Ties. He won in 1986, 1987, and 1988. He also won a Golden Globe Award in 1989.
One of the show's producers, Brandon Tartikoff, thought Fox was too short. He tried to replace him. Tartikoff once said Fox's face was "not the kind of face you'll ever find on a lunchbox." After Fox became famous, he gave Tartikoff a special lunchbox. It said, "To Brandon: This is for you to put your crow in. Love and Kisses, Michael J." Tartikoff kept it in his office.
When Fox left the TV show Spin City in 2000, his last episodes had many nods to Family Ties. Actors who played his parents in Family Ties appeared in Spin City. This made fans of both shows happy.
Because of his roles in Family Ties, Teen Wolf, and Back to the Future, Fox became a teen idol. He was named one of the "50 Greatest Teen Idols" by VH1.
Big Screen Success
In 1985, Fox was chosen to play Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Marty is a teenager who accidentally travels back in time. The director, Robert Zemeckis, really wanted Fox for the role. But Fox was busy with Family Ties. Another actor was cast and started filming.
However, Zemeckis felt the other actor wasn't right for the funny parts. So, he quickly replaced him with Fox. Fox's schedule was now more open. During filming, Fox worked on Family Ties during the day. Then he rushed to the Back to the Future set and filmed until late at night. This busy schedule lasted for two months.
Back to the Future was a huge hit. It was the number-one movie in the US for eight weekends in 1985. It earned over $381 million worldwide. Critics loved the movie. Fox's acting was especially praised. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
The film had two successful sequels: Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990). These were filmed at the same time. In Part III, during a hanging scene, Fox almost choked for real. The director noticed and had him cut down just in time.
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During and after the Back to the Future movies, Fox starred in other films. These included Teen Wolf (1985) and The Secret of My Success (1987). In The Secret of My Success, he played a young graduate in New York City. The movie made $110 million worldwide.
He also starred in Bright Lights, Big City (1988). In this movie, he played a fact-checker for a magazine. He worked again with Tracy Pollan, who played his girlfriend in Family Ties. Then came Casualties of War (1989), a serious war drama. Fox was praised for his role in this film.
In 1991, Fox starred in Doc Hollywood. He played a talented doctor who ends up in a small town. He also appeared in The Hard Way. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he made several more films. These included For Love or Money (1993) and Greedy (1994). In the mid-1990s, he had smaller roles in The American President (1995) and Mars Attacks! (1996).
His last big movie role was in The Frighteners (1996), directed by Peter Jackson. Critics liked his performance. He also voiced characters in animated films. He was Chance the dog in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and its sequel. He was the main character in Stuart Little and its sequels. He also voiced Milo in Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Later Career and Retirement
Spin City was a TV show about a fictional local government in New York City. It ran from 1996 to 2002. Fox starred as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor. He won an Emmy Award for Spin City in 2000. He also won three Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
During the third season of Spin City, Fox told the cast and crew about his Parkinson's disease. In the fourth season, he announced he would retire from the show. He said he would still make guest appearances. After he left, Charlie Sheen took over the lead role.
In 2004, Fox guest starred in two episodes of Scrubs. In 2006, he appeared in six episodes of Boston Legal. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role.
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In 2009, Fox appeared in five episodes of Rescue Me. This earned him another Emmy. From 2010 to 2016, he had a recurring role in The Good Wife. He played a clever lawyer named Louis Canning. He received Emmy nominations for this role too. In 2011 and 2017, Fox appeared as himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In 2012, NBC announced The Michael J. Fox Show. It was loosely based on his life. Fox starred in the show, which premiered in 2013. However, it was canceled after 15 episodes.
Fox also appeared at the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Vancouver. He performed comedy monologues. In 2018, Fox was cast in Designated Survivor. He played Ethan West, a lawyer investigating the president.
In 2020, Fox officially retired from acting. This was because his speech became unreliable due to Parkinson's. His memoir, No Time Like the Future, was released that November. He wrote that "not being able to speak reliably is a game-breaker for an actor." He also mentioned memory loss. He felt it was time for a "second retirement."
In 2021, Fox appeared in one episode of Expedition: Back to the Future. He also voiced a character in the animated film Back Home Again.
Other Important Work
Michael J. Fox was an executive producer for the TV show Spin City. This means he helped manage the show's production.
He has also written four books:
- Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002)
- Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned (2010)
- No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality (2020)
Personal Life
Fox met his wife, Tracy Pollan, when she played his girlfriend on Family Ties. They got married on July 16, 1988. They have four children: one son and three daughters. The family has lived in different places, including Vermont, New York City, and California.
Fox became a US citizen in 2000. But he is still a Canadian citizen too. At the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, he spoke about how proud he is to be Canadian. In 2010, the city of Burnaby gave him the Freedom of the City.
Living with Parkinson's Disease
Fox started showing symptoms of early-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991. He was diagnosed shortly after. His first symptoms were a twitching little finger and a sore shoulder. Doctors told him he might not be able to work in a few years. The causes of Parkinson's are not fully known. They might include genes and environmental factors. Fox is one of at least four people from the show Leo and Me who developed early-onset Parkinson's.
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After his diagnosis, Fox felt sad. He went public with his Parkinson's disease in 1998. Since then, he has become a strong supporter of Parkinson's research. His foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, helps find a cure. Since 2010, he has led a $100-million study. This study aims to find biological markers of Parkinson's disease.
In 1998, Fox had a brain surgery called a thalamotomy.
His first book, Lucky Man, talks about his journey. After denying the disease for seven years, he started his foundation. He became an advocate for people with Parkinson's. In his book, he wrote that he chose not to take his medication before speaking to a Senate committee in 1999. He wanted people to see the effects of the disease.
I had made a deliberate choice to appear before the subcommittee without medication. It seemed to me that this occasion demanded that my testimony about the effects of the disease, and the urgency we as a community were feeling, be seen as well as heard. For people who had never observed me in this kind of shape, the transformation must have been startling.
In 2002, Fox explained what he does when he has symptoms. He said he sometimes takes more medication than needed. This causes movements called dyskinesia. He prefers these movements to the pure Parkinson's symptoms. He said, "I'd rather kind of suffer the symptoms of dyskinesia... this kind of weaving and this kind of continuous thing is much preferable, actually, than pure Parkinson's symptoms."
In 2006, Fox appeared in a campaign ad for Claire McCaskill. She was running for Senate in Missouri. In the ad, he showed the effects of his Parkinson's disease. He supported her because she backed stem cell research.
As you might know, I care deeply about stem cell research. In Missouri, you can elect Claire McCaskill, who shares my hope for cures. Unfortunately, Senator Jim Talent opposes expanding stem cell research. Senator Talent even wanted to criminalize the science that gives us the chance for hope. They say all politics is local, but that's not always the case. What you do in Missouri matters to millions of Americans, Americans like me.
The New York Times called it a very powerful ad. It helped McCaskill win the election. Fox's second book, Always Looking Up, talks about his work for stem cell research.
His work led Time magazine to name him one of the "100 people whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world" in 2007. In 2010, he received an honorary doctorate in medicine. This was from the Karolinska Institute for his work in Parkinson's research. He also received an honorary law degree from the University of British Columbia.
In 2016, his organization held a raffle. It raised $6.75 million for Parkinson's awareness. This was with help from Nike, Inc..
At the 2022 Governors Awards, Fox received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. This was for his efforts in fighting Parkinson's. He has raised over $1 billion for research. His friend Woody Harrelson presented the award.
In a 2023 interview, Fox shared that his condition is getting harder. He has had spinal surgery for a tumor. He has also broken bones from falls.
His life is the subject of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. This is a 2023 documentary film by Davis Guggenheim. He was also named in Time Magazine's 2024 list of influential people in health.
Awards and Honors
Michael J. Fox has won many awards throughout his career. These include five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award.
He has also received special honors:
- 2000: Honored by the Family Television Awards for Acting.
- 2000: Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. This recognizes successful Canadians.
- December 16, 2002: Received the 2209th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was for his contributions to movies.
- 2005: Received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
- 2010: Honored with the Golden Camera Award for Lifetime Achievement.
- 2010: Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. This recognizes national service.
- 2010: Received the National Association of Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award.
- 2010: Received an honorary doctorate from the Karolinska Institute.
- 2013: Honored with the Golden Apple Award by the Casting Society of America.
- 2021: Received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Simon Fraser University.
- 2022: Received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 95th Academy Awards.
- 2025: Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden.
Images for kids
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The Michael J. Fox Theatre at Burnaby South Secondary School
See Also
In Spanish: Michael J. Fox para niños
