Michael J. Fox
Born June 9, 1961 — Canada / United States
Michael J. Fox is a Canadian-American actor who became one of the most likeable stars in Hollywood during the 1980s through his role as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy. Since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 29, he has become one of the world's most prominent advocates for research into the condition.
From Canada to Hollywood
Born on June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta, Fox began acting in Canadian television as a teenager. He moved to Los Angeles at 18 with little money and found steady work before landing the role of Alex P. Keaton — a Reagan-worshipping teenager in a liberal family — in the sitcom Family Ties in 1982. The role made him a television star notable for his comedic timing and natural charisma. Simultaneously, director Robert Zemeckis cast him as Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), a role Fox had to film largely at night because of his daytime commitments to Family Ties. The film became the highest-grossing movie of 1985, and Marty McFly became one of cinema's most beloved characters.
Career Heights and Parkinson's Diagnosis
The Back to the Future sequels came in 1989 and 1990, and Fox continued a successful film and television career. In 1991 he was privately diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease; he was 29. He concealed the diagnosis for seven years while continuing to work, returning to television stardom in Spin City, for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy. He went public with his diagnosis in 1998. He subsequently co-founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which has become one of the world's largest private funders of Parkinson's research, raising over a billion dollars. His memoir Lucky Man details his journey openly.
Did You Know?
During the filming of Back to the Future, Fox was not the original casting choice. Eric Stoltz played Marty McFly for several weeks of principal photography before the filmmakers decided the performance wasn't working and recast with Fox — who had to reshoot all of Stoltz's scenes while continuing to work on Family Ties each day.
Legacy
Fox has continued to act sporadically as his health allows, including a recurring role on The Good Wife. His 2023 documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie was critically acclaimed, offering an intimate portrayal of living with Parkinson's disease. Beyond his entertainment legacy, his real-world impact through his foundation has profoundly affected the trajectory of Parkinson's research, making him a figure of admiration far beyond his film and television work.