Michael J Fox

Having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991,he went public with his condition in 1998. He then semi-retired from acting in 2000, and has since become an activist for research toward finding a cure.

He established the Michael J Fox Foundation in order to pursue a cure for Parkinson's disease. He has released three books, Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002), Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned (2010).

Background

He was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the son of Phyllis Piper, an actress and payroll clerk, and William Fox, a police officer and member of the Canadian Forces. The family settled in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia, when his father retired in 1971.

He moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career at the age of eighteen. He was discovered by producer Ronald Shedlo. During the filming of Family Ties he met his wife, Tracy Pollan, and they were married in 1988.

During and immediately after the Back to the Future trilogy, Fox starred in Teen Wolf (1985), Light of Day (1987), The Secret of My Success (1987), Bright Lights, Big City (1988) and Casualties of War (1989). His last major film role was in The Frighteners (1996).

During the third season of Spin City, Fox made the announcement to the cast and crew of the show that he had Parkinson's Disease. During the fourth season, he announced his retirement from the show to focus on spending more time with his family.

Personal Life

Fox married actress Tracy Pollan on July 16, 1988, at West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont. The couple have four children. Fox holds dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship. During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Fox expressed, during the closing ceremony in Vancouver, how proud he is to be Canadian.

Fox is a strong advocate for Parkinson's disease research. His foundation, The Michael J Fox Foundation, was created to help advance research and provide the necessary medhelp to cure Parkinson's Disease through embryonic stem cell studies.

Activism

Parkinson's disease is a chronic neurological disorder. Although there is no apparent cure at this time, neuroscience is making great strides in this area. Fox manages his symptoms using the drug Sinemet, and he has also had a thalamotomy.

He did not take his medication prior to his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 1998 stating: "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 2006, Michael J Fox starred in a campaign ad for Claire McCaskill expressing her support for stem cell research. In the ad, he visibly showed the effects of his Parkinson's medication.

"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 "one of the most powerful and talked about political advertisements in years" and polls indicated that the commercial had a statistical impact on the way voters voted.

Michael J Fox has made a major contribution in the areas of Parkinson’s Disease and stem cell research. Despite his severe symptoms he continues to advocate for all sufferers and is devoted to help find a cure.

Fox appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Dr. Oz to publicly discuss his condition as well as his book, his family and his prime time special which aired May 7, 2009 (Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.)

Michael J Fox was named one of the 100 people "whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world" in 2007 by Time magazine. Because of his impact in the research of Parkinson’s disease, on March 5, 2010 he received an honorary doctorate in medicine from Karolinska Institutet. Click here for the Transforming Child Behavior Home Page.

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