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Michael J. Fox (born Michael Andrew Fox; June 9, 1961) is a Canadian American actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
. His roles include Marty McFly
Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future trilogy motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J....
 from the Back to the Future
Back to the Future trilogy

Back to the Future is a comedy science fiction film trilogy written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, and distributed by Universal Pictures....
 trilogy
Trilogy

A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature, film, or video games, that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or three individual works....
 (1985–1990); Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
 from Family Ties
Family Ties

Family Ties is a television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s....
 (1982–1989), for which he won four Emmy Award
Emmy Award

The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
s and a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award

The Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in film and television program....
; and Mike Flaherty from Spin City
Spin City

Spin City is an United States sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on American Broadcasting Corporation. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence , the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J....
 (1996–2000), for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by members.SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events in Hollywood since 1995....
.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions....
 in 1991, and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998.






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Encyclopedia


Michael J. Fox (born Michael Andrew Fox; June 9, 1961) is a Canadian American actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
. His roles include Marty McFly
Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future trilogy motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J....
 from the Back to the Future
Back to the Future trilogy

Back to the Future is a comedy science fiction film trilogy written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, and distributed by Universal Pictures....
 trilogy
Trilogy

A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature, film, or video games, that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or three individual works....
 (1985–1990); Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
 from Family Ties
Family Ties

Family Ties is a television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s....
 (1982–1989), for which he won four Emmy Award
Emmy Award

The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
s and a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award

The Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in film and television program....
; and Mike Flaherty from Spin City
Spin City

Spin City is an United States sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on American Broadcasting Corporation. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence , the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J....
 (1996–2000), for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by members.SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events in Hollywood since 1995....
.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions....
 in 1991, and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998. As the symptoms of his disease worsened he semi-retired from acting in 2000.

Early life

Fox was born in Edmonton
Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies....
, Alberta
Alberta

Alberta is one of Canada Canadian Prairies Provinces and territories of Canada. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S....
, Canada, the son of Phyllis, an actress and payroll clerk, and William Fox, a police officer and member of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces." This singular institution consists of thre...
. Fox's family lived in various cities and towns across Canada because of his father's career. The family finally settled in Burnaby, British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, a suburb of Vancouver
Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region....
 when his father retired in 1971. Fox attended Burnaby Central Senior Secondary, and currently has a theatre named after him in Burnaby South Secondary.

Fox co-starred in the Canadian television series Leo and Me
Leo and Me

Leo and Me was a Canadian television sitcom that was originally produced in 1976 in television but did not air until 1981 in television.It starred a 15 year old Michael J....
 at age fifteen, and in 1979, at eighteen, moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
 to pursue an acting career. He was "discovered" by producer Ronald Shedlo and made his American television debut in the television movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
 Letters from Frank, credited under the name "Michael Fox". He intended to continue to use the name, but when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild

The Screen Actors Guild is an American trade union representing over 120,000 film and television actor and extra worldwide. According to SAG's Mission Statement, the Guild seeks to: negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, and working conditions for its performers; col...
, which does not allow duplicate registration names to avoid credit ambiguities, he discovered that Michael Fox
Michael Fox (American actor)

Michael Fox was an American character actor....
, a veteran character actor
Character actor

A character actor is one who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading actor ones. Character actor roles can range from bit parts to leading actor....
, was already registered under the name. As he explained in his autobiography
Autobiography

An autobiography is a biography written by its subject . The term was first used by the poet Robert Southey in 1809 in the English language Periodical publication Quarterly Review, but the form goes back to antiquity....
, Lucky Man, and in interviews, he needed to come up with a different name. He did not like the sound of "Andrew" or "Andy" Fox. He decided against using his middle initial because he didn't want to fit into a Canadian stereotype
Stereotype

A stereotype is a preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics to all the members of class or set. The term is often used with a negative connotation when referring to an oversimplified, exaggerated, or demeaning assumption that a particular individual possesses the characteristics associated with the class due to his or her me...
, as in Michael "Eh?" Fox, and because he did not want teen fan magazines referring to him as "Michael, A Fox!". He decided to adopt a new middle initial and settled on "J" in reference to actor Michael J. Pollard
Michael J. Pollard

Michael J. Pollard is an American actor....
. Sometimes he jokes that the J stands for "Jenius" or "Jenuine".

Acting career


Family Ties


Fox's first important role was as "Young Republican" Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
 in the show Family Ties
Family Ties

Family Ties is a television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s....
  which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. It had been sold to the network using the pitch "hip
Hip (slang)

Hip is a slang term meaning fashionably current and in the now. Hip is the opposite of square or prude.Hip, like Cool , does not refer to one specific quality....
 parents, square
Square (slang)

Square used as slang may mean many things when referring to a person, or it may refer to a cigarette.The term "square", in referring to a person, originally meant someone who was honest, traditional, and loyal....
 kids," and the parents were originally intended to be the main characters. However, the audience reacted so positively to Fox's character Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
 during the taping of the fourth episode that he became the focus on the show. This happened despite the fact that Fox only received the role after Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick

Matthew Broderick is an United States award-winning film and stage actor who is best known for his roles as the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Nick in Godzilla and David Lightman in WarGames....
 turned it down.

Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff

'Brandon Tartikoff' was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as Hill Street Blues, L.A....
, one of the show's producers, felt that Fox was too short relative to the actors playing his parents, and tried to have him replaced. Tartikoff reportedly said that "this is not the kind of face you'll ever find on a lunchbox." After his later successes, Fox presented Tartikoff with a custom-made lunchbox with the inscription "To Brandon, this is for you to put your crow in. Love and Kisses, Michael J.Fox." Tartikoff kept the lunchbox in his office for the rest of his NBC career.

Although Michael played a younger role, he was 21-29 years old during the show's run. Fox met Tracy Pollan
Tracy Pollan

Tracy Jo Pollan is an United States actress. She is perhaps best-known for her recurring role as Ellen Reed on the sitcom Family Ties in the mid-1980s....
 on the show when she portrayed his girlfriend, Ellen. They later married. When Fox left his next series Spin City
Spin City

Spin City is an United States sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on American Broadcasting Corporation. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence , the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J....
 his final episodes (Goodbye: Part 1 & 2, Season 4, Episodes 25 and 26) made numerous allusions to Family Ties. Michael Gross
Michael Gross (actor)

Michael Gross is an American television, movie, and stage actor who plays both comedy and dramatic roles. His most notable roles are fatherly figure Steven Keaton from Family Ties and graboid hunter Burt Gummer from the Tremors film and Tremors series....
 (Alex's father Steven) portrays Michael Patrick Flaherty
Michael Patrick Flaherty

Michael Patrick Flaherty is a fictional character played by Michael J. Fox on the American sitcom Spin City. He was the Deputy Mayor of New York for Mayor Randall Winston....
's (Fox) therapist and there is a reference to an off-screen character named "Mallory." After Flaherty becomes an environmental lobbyist in Washington D.C., he meets a "conservative congressman named Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
."

Post-Family Ties

A few years into Family Ties
Family Ties

Family Ties is a television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s....
, Gary David Goldberg was approached and asked to let Fox star in a Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg

Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. Forbes magazine places Spielberg's net worth at $3.1 billion....
 produced film about a time-travelling teenager. At first, Goldberg did not inform Michael about the offer, not wanting to lose Michael to film stardom. Months later, Goldberg was again asked about Michael because Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz

Eric Hamilton Stoltz is a Golden Globe-nominated United States actor. He is known for playing either sensitive misfits or antisocial personality disorderic criminals ....
, who had been chosen for the part after Goldberg stated that Fox wasn't available, was reportedly not giving the energetic performance that Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis

Robert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning American film director, Film producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future trilogy films as well as the live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit , though in t...
, the director, was looking for. Goldberg finally told Michael about the offer and he quickly agreed to play the role of Marty McFly
Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future trilogy motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J....
 in the film Back to the Future
Back to the Future

Back to the Future is a 1985 science fiction film adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg....
. Fox would rehearse for Family Ties from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. After he was done, he would be rushed to the Back to the Future set where he would rehearse and shoot until 2:30 A.M. This schedule lasted for two full months. On July 4, 1985 Back to the Future was number one at the box office. The film was number one for 11 consecutive weeks and eventually earned a worldwide total of $381.11 million.

During the year of 1985, Fox was filming teen
Teen film

The teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the Plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst and alienation....
 comedy film
Comedy film

Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on Humour. Also, films in this style typically have a happy ending . One of the oldest genres in film, some of the very first silent movies were comedies....
, Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf is an United States film released in August 23, 1985 by Atlantic Releasing starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual heritage when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf....
, before filming Back to the Future
Back to the Future

Back to the Future is a 1985 science fiction film adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg....
, but Back to the Future eventually was released a month before. The film Teen Wolf was blessed with the success of Back to the Future and its young star, causing it to become the second highest grossing film of the year.

He then starred in The Secret of My Succe$s
The Secret of My Succe$s

The Secret of My Succe$s is a 1987 in film comedy film starring Michael J. Fox, produced and directed by the late Herbert Ross . The screenplay is written by Jim Cash, who previously co-scripted Top Gun ....
 (1987), Bright Lights, Big City
Bright Lights, Big City (film)

Bright Lights, Big City is a 1988 in film drama film staring Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland and Phoebe Cates, based on the Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney....
 (1988) and Casualties of War
Casualties of War

Casualties of War is a 1989 war movie drama movie about the Vietnam War, starring Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. It was directed by Brian De Palma, with a screenplay by David Rabe based on actual events that took place in 1966....
, (1989). In The Secret of My Succe$s, Fox played a graduate student from Kansas State University
Kansas State University

Kansas State University, officially named Kansas State University of Agriculture and Applied Science but commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, Kansas, in the United States....
 who moves to New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 where he has landed a job as a financier. During the shooting of Bright Lights, Big City, Michael was reunited with one time on screen girlfriend Tracy Pollan
Tracy Pollan

Tracy Jo Pollan is an United States actress. She is perhaps best-known for her recurring role as Ellen Reed on the sitcom Family Ties in the mid-1980s....
. Pollan had played Ellen Reed on Family Ties, a dance major at Leland college with whom Alex became involved. Pollan had played Ellen Reed for only one year on the show. Fox then starred in Casualties of War, a war drama about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....
, starring Fox along with Sean Penn
Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn is an United States film actor. He is also a filmmaker and political activist. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama for his role in Mystic River and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and Academy Awa...
.

After Family Ties ended, he continued with the Back to the Future trilogy
Trilogy

A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature, film, or video games, that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or three individual works....
 with part II and III. Casualties of War was not a box office hit, but Fox, playing a Private serving in Vietnam, received good reviews for his performance. In 1991, he starred in two films, Doc Hollywood
Doc Hollywood

Doc Hollywood is a 1991 in film comedy film based on the book, What? Dead again?, by Dr. Neil Shulman. The film starred Michael J. Fox, Woody Harrelson and Julie Warner....
, a romantic comedy about a talented medical doctor who decides to become a plastic surgeon, relocating from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles

Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 and The Hard Way
The Hard Way (1991 film)

The Hard Way is a 1991 in film action film-comedy film film starring James Woods and Michael J. Fox and directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang , Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzm?n, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself....
, playing a famous actor, who is known for his action film. Between 1992 and 1996, he continued making several films, such as For Love or Money
For Love or Money (film)

For Love or Money is a 1993 in film romantic comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Michael J. Fox and Gabrielle Anwar. The movie was rated Motion Picture Association of America film rating system by the Motion Picture Association of America....
 (1993) or The Concierge in some countries , Life With Mikey
Life with Mikey

Life with Mikey is a 1993 in film comedy film starring Michael J. Fox.Tagline: He's a talent agent. She's a thief. Looks like they've already got something in common....
 (1993), Greedy
Greedy (film)

Greedy is a 1994 in film comedy film starring Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas and Nancy Travis, directed by Jonathan Lynn. It was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel....
 (1994), The American President
The American President (film)

The American President is a 1995 in film romantic comedy film film director by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin. It stars Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Richard Dreyfuss and Michael J....
 (1995), and Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks! is a 1996 comedy science fiction movie by Tim Burton based on the popular card series Mars Attacks. It was released in 1996 by Warner Bros....
 (1996). His last major film role was in The Frighteners
The Frighteners

The Frighteners is a 1996 comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with his wife, Fran Walsh. The film's cast includesMichael J....
 (1996).

He has also done voice work providing the voice of Stuart Little
Stuart Little

Published in 1945, Stuart Little was E. B. White's first children's story. It is the tale of a young New Yorker named Stuart Little who had the "shy, pleasant manner of a mouse" and in Garth Williams's illustrations does look like a mouse....
 in the movie of the same name
Stuart Little (film)

Stuart Little is a 1999 in film Academy Award nominated live-action film, based on the Stuart Little by E.B. White. It combines live-action and computer animation....
 and its sequel
Stuart Little 2

Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 in film film, Film director by Rob Minkoff. It is a sequel to the 1999 film Stuart Little , and includes characters from the Stuart Little by E....
, both of which were based on the popular book by E. B. White
E. B. White

Elwyn Brooks "E. B." White was an United States writer, best known as the author of children's literature Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, and as the co-author of the widely used language guide The Elements of Style....
. He also voiced the bulldog
Bulldog

A Bulldog, colloquially known as the British Bulldog, is a type of dog which traces its ancestry to England....
 Chance in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a 1993 in film remake of the 1963 film The Incredible Journey based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Sheila Burnford....
 and its sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is the 1996 in film sequel to the 1993 in film film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. The film is directed by David R....
 as well as Milo Thatch in Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is the 41st animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 15, 2001....
.

Fox had decided to return to television during his shoot for The Frighteners which was filmed in New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
. His twin daughters had just been born and he was halfway across the world. While filming the movie in New Zealand, he would watch videotapes of American television shows, such as Seinfeld
Seinfeld

Seinfeld is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning Television in the United States Situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in Broadcast syndication....
, Friends
Friends

Friends is an American situation comedy created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1994. The series revolves around a group of friends in the area of Manhattan, New York City, who occasionally live together and share living expenses....
, Ellen
Ellen (TV series)

Ellen is a United States television Situation comedy which ran on the American Broadcasting Company television network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes....
 and more. He saw what good things were going on in television and wanted to return. Also, television meant a more regular schedule and it would allow much more time to spend with his family.

Spin City
Spin City

Spin City is an United States sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on American Broadcasting Corporation. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence , the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J....
 aired to critical acclaim and high ratings. The show ran from 1996 to 2002 on ABC, based on a fictional local government running New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, originally starring Fox as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York. 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 of Spin City, Fox decided to retire from the show and focus on spending more time with his family. He announced that he planned to continue to act and would make guest appearances on Spin City. After leaving the show, he was replaced by Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen

Carlos Irwin Est?vez , better known as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. His character roles in films have included Chris Taylor in the 1986 Vietnam War drama Platoon and Bud Fox in 1987 film Wall Street ....
, who portrayed the character Charlie Crawford. Altogether 145 episodes were made (see list of episodes
List of Spin City episodes

The following is an episode list for the American Broadcasting Company series Spin City.In total, there are 145 episodes, with Michael J. Fox starring in the first 100 episodes....
). Fox also served as executive producer
Executive producer

The title of executive producer , or executive in charge of production, typically describes a film producer, television producer, radio producer, record producer, or similar Stakeholder who doesn't participate in the technical operations of the production process, but who is still responsible for the success of a project....
 during his time on the show, alongside co-creators Bill Lawrence and Gary David Goldberg
Gary David Goldberg

'Gary David Goldberg' is an United States writer and producer for television and film, best known for his work on Family Ties, Spin City, and his acclaimed semi-autobiographical Brooklyn Bridge ....
, and continued to be credited as executive consultant after he left.

In 2004, Fox guest starred in the comedy-drama
Comedy-drama

Comedy-drama, also called dramedy, dramatic comedy, or seriocomedy, is a style of television and film in which there is an equal or nearly equal balance of humor and serious content....
 Scrubs as Dr. Kevin Casey, who suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental disorder most commonly characterized by Intrusive thoughts, repetitive thoughts resulting in compulsive behaviors and mental acts that the person feels driven to perform, according to rules that must be applied rigidly, aimed at reducing anxiety by preventing some dreaded event or by resolving a more...
. In 2006, he appeared in four episodes of Boston Legal
Boston Legal

Boston Legal is an American legal drama-comedy created by David E. Kelley, which originally ran on American Broadcasting Company from October 3, 2004 to December 8, 2008....
 as a lung cancer
Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissue of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs....
 patient who used his influence in an experimental drug test to ensure he received the real drug instead of a placebo
Placebo

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in medicine where the results of a medical treatment are affected by their symbolism, and not just their medical value....
. The producers brought him back in a recurring role for Season 3, beginning with the season premiere. Though his character did not survive the season, Fox was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award

The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
 for best guest appearance. He will also be appearing in an episode of Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)

Rescue Me is an United States television drama series created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan. It premiered on the FX Networks in 2004. It is produced by the Cloudland Company, Apostle , DreamWorks Television and Sony Pictures Television....
.

Personal life, illness and advocacy

Fox married actress Tracy Pollan
Tracy Pollan

Tracy Jo Pollan is an United States actress. She is perhaps best-known for her recurring role as Ellen Reed on the sitcom Family Ties in the mid-1980s....
 on July 16, 1988, at West Mountain Inn in Arlington, VT. The couple have four children: Sam Michael (born May 30, 1989), twins Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances (born February 15, 1995), and Esmé Annabelle (born November 3, 2001). Fox holds dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship.

Fox started displaying symptoms of early-onset Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions....
 in 1990 while shooting the movie Doc Hollywood
Doc Hollywood

Doc Hollywood is a 1991 in film comedy film based on the book, What? Dead again?, by Dr. Neil Shulman. The film starred Michael J. Fox, Woody Harrelson and Julie Warner....
, though he wasn't properly diagnosed until the next year. In 1998, he decided to go public with his condition, and since then he has been a strong advocate of Parkinson's disease research. His foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
The Michael J. Fox Foundation

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is the largest private funder in the U.S. of medical research into Parkinson's disease....
, was created to help advance Parkinson's Disease research through embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cell

Embryonic stem cells are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo known as a blastocyst. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4?5 days post Human fertilization, at which time they consist of 50?150 cells....
 studies.

One of the few people to know that Fox had Parkinson's Disease before 1998 was one of Michael's best friends, his stunt double Charles Croughwell on Doc Hollywood
Doc Hollywood

Doc Hollywood is a 1991 in film comedy film based on the book, What? Dead again?, by Dr. Neil Shulman. The film starred Michael J. Fox, Woody Harrelson and Julie Warner....
. In later years, he and Fox developed a system of hiding Michael's symptoms.

Fox, in a 2006 interview with Katie Couric, explained his political advocacy, "I'm in this situation with millions of other Americans... and we have a right, if there’s answers out there, to pursue those answers with the full support of our politicians".

Two years earlier, Fox had appeared in a television commercial for Republican Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter

Arlen Specter is the senior senator United States Senate from Pennsylvania and a member of the United States Republican Party. Elected in 1980, he is currently the Seniority in the United States Senate as well as 5th most senior Republican in this body....
's 2004 Senate campaign. In the commercial, sponsored by Specter's re-election campaign, Fox comments that Specter "gets it" and Specter's voice is heard saying, "There is hope."

On July 18, 2006, Fox appeared in a taped interview on ABC's Good Morning America
Good Morning America

Good Morning America is an Daytime Emmy Awards breakfast television talk show that is broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company television network, debuting on November 3, 1975....
, defending a Senate bill (Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act was the name of two similar bills that both passed through the United States United States House of Representatives and United States Senate, but were both vetoed by President George W....
) that would have expanded federal funding for stem cell research. The bill was not enacted, however, being vetoed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush

George Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He was the 46th List of Governors of Texas from 1995 to 2000 before being United States presidential inauguration as President on January 20, 2001....
.

For the November 2006 U.S. midterm elections
United States general elections, 2006

The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7 2006. All United States House of Representatives seats and one third of the United States Senate seats were contested in this election, as well as 36 state Governor#United States, many State legislature , four territorial legislatures and many state and local races....
, Fox endorsed candidates on the basis of their support of embryonic stem cell research, as different from adult stem cell research. He appeared at events for several candidates including New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, Iowa Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver
Chet Culver

Chester John "Chet" Culver is the current Governor of the U.S. state of Iowa, having won the Iowa gubernatorial election, 2006. His assumption of office marks the first time that Democrats have simultaneously controlled both the executive and legislative branches of Iowa's state government since the 1965?1967 session of the Iowa General Asse...
, Illinois congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth
Tammy Duckworth

Ladda Tammy Duckworth is the the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She has been nominated by President of the United States Barack Obama to become the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs....
, Virginia senatorial candidate James Webb
Jim Webb

James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy under President of the United States Ronald Reagan....
 and Ohio senatorial candidate Congressman Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Brown

Sherrod Campbell Brown is the Senate seniority United States Senate from the U.S. state of Ohio, and a member of the Democratic Party . Before his election to the Senate in United States Senate election in Ohio, 2006, Brown served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's Ohio's 13th congressional district and as...
.

2006 political advertisement controversy

In late October 2006, Fox appeared in a , endorsing Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill

Claire Conner McCaskill is an United States Democratic Party politician, currently the junior United States Senator from the state of Missouri and former State Auditors of Missouri of Missouri....
, the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
 candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri
Missouri United States Senate election, 2006

The Missouri Senate election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006 to decide who would serve as senator for Missouri between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013....
 and opposing incumbent senator Jim Talent
Jim Talent

James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an United States politician and former United States Senate from Missouri. He is a United States Republican Party and resided in the St....
 for his specific opposition to federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Fox also made similar ads in Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....
 (supporting Governor Jim Doyle
Jim Doyle

James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party . He took office in January 2003 as the 44th List of Governors of Wisconsin of Wisconsin....
) and in Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
, endorsing senatorial candidate Congressman Ben Cardin
Ben Cardin

Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the Seniority in the United States Senate United States Senate from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party ....
. All three of the endorsed politicians won their respective elections.

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an United States radio personality and Conservatism in the United States political commentator. His radio syndication talk radio, The Rush Limbaugh Show, airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks....
 caused controversy by claiming Fox was "either off his medication or he's acting." Limbaugh later said he would apologize to Fox "if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act. . ." Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist in Baltimore who co-wrote Parkinson's Disease and the Family offered the opinion that "Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease. Any other interpretation is misinformed."

Fox responded to Limbaugh's comments, "... it's difficult for people who don't have Parkinson's, or don't know about Parkinson's, to understand the symptoms and the way they work and the way medication works. You get what you get on any given day".

Fox on living with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions....
 (PD) is a chronic neurological disorder which can be characterized by four cardinal symptoms: rigidity (specifically "leadpipe" and "cogwheeling" rigidity), resting tremor, postural instability, and bradykinesia (slow movement). At present, there is no cure, but medications provide some relief from the symptoms. Fox manages his symptoms using Sinemet, a commercial form of Levodopa (L-DOPA) and carbidopa
Carbidopa

Carbidopa is a medication given to people with Parkinson's disease in order to inhibit peripheral metabolism of levodopa....
. L-DOPA treatment
Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions....
 decreases in effectiveness as it is used over a long period of time, so Fox, like many PD sufferers, extends the life of its effectiveness by using it as little as possible.

In his memoir, Lucky Man, Fox wrote that he did not take his medication prior to his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 1998. "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."

After years of L-DOPA treatment, new symptoms may develop called dyskinesia
Dyskinesia

Dyskinesia refers to involuntary movements, similar to a tic or chorea. Dyskinesia is a symptom of several medical disorders and is distinguished by the underlying cause....
, which are different than that of PD. In an April 2002 NPR interview, Fox explained what he does when he becomes symptomatic during an interview:

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Other notes
1980
1980 in film

The year 1980 in film involved some significant events....
 Midnight Madness Scott 
1982
1982 in film

for use in movie theaters.* Hugh Grant makes his film debut.*October 8th = Angelina Jolie makes her film debut as a child actress appearing with her father Jon Voight, in Lookin' to Get Out....
 Class of 1984
Class of 1984

Class of 1984 is a 1982 in film film about a new musical teacher at a troubled inner city school, where students have to pass through a metal detector due to problems with gangs, drugs, and violence....
 Arthur 
1985
1985 in film

Events* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton....
 Back to the Future
Back to the Future

Back to the Future is a 1985 science fiction film adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, co-written by Bob Gale and produced by Steven Spielberg....
 Marty McFly
Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future trilogy motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J....
 
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf is an United States film released in August 23, 1985 by Atlantic Releasing starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual heritage when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf....
 Scott Howard 
1987
1987 in film

Events*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
 Light of Day
Light of Day

Light of Day is a 1987 in film drama film starring Michael J. Fox, Gena Rowlands, Joan Jett and Michael McKean. It was screenplay and film director by Paul Schrader....
 Joe Rasnick 
The Secret of My Succe$s
The Secret of My Succe$s

The Secret of My Succe$s is a 1987 in film comedy film starring Michael J. Fox, produced and directed by the late Herbert Ross . The screenplay is written by Jim Cash, who previously co-scripted Top Gun ....
 Brantley Foster/Carlton Whitfield 
1988
1988 in film

Events* Michael Jackson's first film was MoonwalkerTop grossing films source: http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm...
 Bright Lights, Big City
Bright Lights, Big City (film)

Bright Lights, Big City is a 1988 in film drama film staring Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland and Phoebe Cates, based on the Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney....
 Jamie Conway 
1989
1989 in film

Events* "Batman " is released on June 23rd, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office....
Casualties of War
Casualties of War

Casualties of War is a 1989 war movie drama movie about the Vietnam War, starring Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. It was directed by Brian De Palma, with a screenplay by David Rabe based on actual events that took place in 1966....
 PFC. Eriksson 
Back to the Future II Marty McFly
Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future trilogy motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J....
, Marty McFly Sn, Marty McFly Jr, Marlene McFly		 
1990
1990 in film

The year 1990 in film involved some significant events....
 Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III

Back to the Future Part III is the third and final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. The film is a science fiction western, using the time travel premise of the series to take Marty McFly and Emmett Brown back to the American Old West of 1885....
 Marty McFly
Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Back to the Future trilogy motion picture trilogy, played by actor Michael J....
, Seamus McFly		 
1991
1991 in film

The year 1991 in film involved some significant events....
 The Hard Way
The Hard Way (1991 film)

The Hard Way is a 1991 in film action film-comedy film film starring James Woods and Michael J. Fox and directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang , Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzm?n, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself....
 Nick Lang/Ray Casanov 
Doc Hollywood
Doc Hollywood

Doc Hollywood is a 1991 in film comedy film based on the book, What? Dead again?, by Dr. Neil Shulman. The film starred Michael J. Fox, Woody Harrelson and Julie Warner....
 Dr. Benjamin Stone 
1993
1993 in film

The year 1993 in film involved many significant films. ...
 Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a 1993 in film remake of the 1963 film The Incredible Journey based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Sheila Burnford....
 Chance Voice
Life with Mikey
Life with Mikey

Life with Mikey is a 1993 in film comedy film starring Michael J. Fox.Tagline: He's a talent agent. She's a thief. Looks like they've already got something in common....
 Michael "Mikey" Chapman 
For Love or Money
For Love or Money (film)

For Love or Money is a 1993 in film romantic comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Michael J. Fox and Gabrielle Anwar. The movie was rated Motion Picture Association of America film rating system by the Motion Picture Association of America....
 Doug Ireland 
1994
1994 in film

The year 1994 in film involved some significant events....
 Where the Rivers Flow North Clayton Farnsworth 
Greedy
Greedy (film)

Greedy is a 1994 in film comedy film starring Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas and Nancy Travis, directed by Jonathan Lynn. It was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel....
 Daniel McTeague 
1995
1995 in film

The year 1995 in film involved some significant events....
 Blue in the Face
Blue in the Face

Blue in the Face is a 1995 in film comedy directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster. It stars Harvey Keitel, Madonna , Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J....
 Pete Maloney 
Coldblooded Tim AlexanderAlso Producer
The American President Lewis Rothschild 
1996
1996 in film

The year '1996 in film' involved some significant events. Major releases this year included Fargo , Trainspotting , The English Patient , Independence Day , Twister , Scream, Jerry Maguire and Madonna 's Evita ....
 Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco is the 1996 in film sequel to the 1993 in film film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. The film is directed by David R....
 Chance Voice
The Frighteners
The Frighteners

The Frighteners is a 1996 comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with his wife, Fran Walsh. The film's cast includesMichael J....
 Frank Bannister 
Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks! is a 1996 comedy science fiction movie by Tim Burton based on the popular card series Mars Attacks. It was released in 1996 by Warner Bros....
 Jason Stone
Mars Attacks!

Mars Attacks! is a 1996 comedy science fiction movie by Tim Burton based on the popular card series Mars Attacks. It was released in 1996 by Warner Bros....
 
1999
1999 in film

The year 1999 in film involved some significant events and was arguably the most successful year for films released in the 1990s. Several new feature films, including Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, The Sixth Sense, new sequel Toy Story 2, first of The Matrix, Disney's animated Tarzan , The Mummy , and the hig...
 Stuart Little
Stuart Little (film)

Stuart Little is a 1999 in film Academy Award nominated live-action film, based on the Stuart Little by E.B. White. It combines live-action and computer animation....
 Stuart Little Voice
2001
2001 in film

The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ...
 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is the 41st animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 15, 2001....
 Milo James Thatch Voice
2002
2002 in film

The year '2002 in film' involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, Stuart Litt...
 Interstate 60
Interstate 60

Interstate 60 is a 2002 in film comedy/drama film starring James Marsden, Gary Oldman, and Amy Smart, with Cameo appearance by Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Chris Cooper , and Kurt Russell....
 Mr. Baker 
Stuart Little 2
Stuart Little 2

Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 in film film, Film director by Rob Minkoff. It is a sequel to the 1999 film Stuart Little , and includes characters from the Stuart Little by E....
 Stuart Little Voice
2005
2005 in film

The year 2005 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,The Devil's Rejects, Saw II, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, ''The Ring Two, ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, ''xXx: State of the Union, ''Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous...
 Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild

Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild is a 2006 in film direct-to-video film created by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment....
 Stuart Little Voice
Direct-to-DVD
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1973 The Beachcombers
The Beachcombers

The Beachcombers is a Canada comedy-drama television series broadcast on CBC Television.The series ran from 1972 to 1990 and is the longest-running dramatic series ever made for Canadian television....
  Episode: Truck Logger
1977 The Magic Lie
The Magic Lie

The Magic Lie was a CBC television anthology from 1977 to 1979. Host W. O. Mitchell gave a strange introduction promoting automatic writing....
  Episode: The Master
1979 Letters from Frank Ricky CBS
CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American radio network and television network. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name....
 TV-Movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
Lou Grant
Lou Grant (TV series)

Lou Grant is an United States Dramatic programming starring Ed Asner as a newspaper editor. The series won 13 Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama Series"....
 Paul Stone Episode: Kids
1980 Palmerstown, U.S.A. Willy-Joe Hall 
Family
Family (TV series)

Family is a television drama series that aired on American Broadcasting Company from 1976 in television to 1980 in television. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols....
 Richard Topol Episode: Such a Fine Line
Trouble in High Timber Country Thomas Elston ABC TV-Movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
1981 Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.

Trapper John, M.D. is an United States television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH , about a lovable doctor who became a mentor, father figure, who also runs a teaching hospital in San Francisco, California....
 Elliot Schweitzer Episode: Brain Child
Leo and Me
Leo and Me

Leo and Me was a Canadian television sitcom that was originally produced in 1976 in television but did not air until 1981 in television.It starred a 15 year old Michael J....
 Jamie 
1982–1989 Family Ties
Family Ties

Family Ties is a television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s....
 Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
 
1983 The Love Boat
The Love Boat

The Love Boat is an United States television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the American Broadcasting Company from 1977 in television until 1986 in television....
  Episode: I Like to Be in America...
High School U.S.A.
High School U.S.A.

High School U.S.A. is a 1983 in film television movie directed by Rodney Amateau. The film originally aired on NBC on October 16, 1983 and features an ensemble cast including Michael J....
 Jay-Jay Manners NBC TV-Movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
/TV-Pilot
Television pilot

A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes....
1984 Night Court
Night Court

Night Court was an United States television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 1984 until May 1992. The setting was the graveyard shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T....
 Eddie Simms Episode: Santa Goes Downtown
The Homemade Comedy Special Host NBC TV-Special
Television special

A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a special TV telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments , as opposed to the telecasting of a film on a continuing mo...
1985 Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy (1985 film)

Poison Ivy is a 1985 Comedy film television movie starring Michael J. Fox. Directed by Larry Elikann, the screenplay was written by Bennett Tramer....
 Dennis Baxter NBC TV-Movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
1986 David Letterman's 2nd Annual Holiday Film Festival  NBC TV-Special
Television special

A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a special TV telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments , as opposed to the telecasting of a film on a continuing mo...

Segment: The Iceman Hummeth
1988 Mickey's 60th Birthday
Mickey's 60th Birthday

Mickey's 60th Birthday is the 1988 television special broadcast on The Magical World of Disney on November 13, 1988 on NBC. As the title suggests, it was produced for the 60th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse character....
 Alex P. Keaton
Alex P. Keaton

Alex P. Keaton is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom, Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989....
 TV-Special
Television special

A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a special TV telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments , as opposed to the telecasting of a film on a continuing mo...
1990 Sex, Buys & Advertising  TV-Special
Television special

A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a special TV telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments , as opposed to the telecasting of a film on a continuing mo...
1991 Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night 90-minute American sketch comedy/variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975....
 Host Episode: Michael J. Fox/The Black Crowes
List of Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests

There have been many people who have been invited to host SNL. The hosts have ranged from comedians, like Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Eric Idle, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore and George Carlin, to serious character actors, like Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Charlize Theron and Charlton Heston; from pop culture and music icons, like Christi...
Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)

Tales from the Crypt is a Horror film anthology series United States TV series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable television Television channel Home Box Office....
 Prosecutor Episode: The Trap
List of Tales from the Crypt episodes

The following is a list of episodes for the HBO television series, Tales from the Crypt which aired from 1989-1996. During the series' run there was a total of 93 episodes and two feature length films....
1994 Don't Drink the Water Axel Magee ABC TV-Movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
1996–2001 Spin City
Spin City

Spin City is an United States sitcom television series that ran from 1996 to 2002 on American Broadcasting Corporation. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence , the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J....
 Mike Flaherty 
2002 Clone High
Clone High

| show_name = Clone High | image = The main characters of Clone High: Mr. Lynn Butlertron, JFK , Cleopatra , Abe , Joan , Gandhi , and Cinnamon J. Scudworth ...
 Gandhi's Remaining Kidney Voice Role
Episode: Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand
2004 Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)

Scrubs is an Emmy Award and Peabody Award-winning American comedy-drama that premiered on October 2, 2001, on NBC. It was created by Bill Lawrence and is produced by ABC Studios ....
 Dr. Kevin Casey
List of minor characters of Scrubs

The following are a list of minor characters from the NBC/American Broadcasting Company United States comedy-drama Scrubs .=Main characters...
 Episode: My Catalyst
List of Scrubs episodes

The following is a complete episode list for the television show Scrubs , which began being broadcast on October 2, 2001.NBC had announced that Scrubs would end after its seventh season, containing a reduced 18 episodes....
 
Episode: My Porcelain God
List of Scrubs episodes

The following is a complete episode list for the television show Scrubs , which began being broadcast on October 2, 2001.NBC had announced that Scrubs would end after its seventh season, containing a reduced 18 episodes....
2006 Boston Legal
Boston Legal

Boston Legal is an American legal drama-comedy created by David E. Kelley, which originally ran on American Broadcasting Company from October 3, 2004 to December 8, 2008....
 Daniel Post
2007 The Magic 7
The Magic 7

The Magic 7 is an animation Television film written and directed by Roger Holzberg. It centers on the adventures of two children and a dragon as they fight the arch-enemies of Earth....
 Marcel Maggot Voice Role
TV-Movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
2009 Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)

Rescue Me is an United States television drama series created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan. It premiered on the FX Networks in 2004. It is produced by the Cloudland Company, Apostle , DreamWorks Television and Sony Pictures Television....
 paralyzed man in a wheelchair (name of character played unknown at this time) upcoming early in the year


Awards and nominations

Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame

Canada's Walk of Fame, located in Toronto, Ontario, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians....
  • 2000: Inducted, "Canada's Walk of Fame"


Saturn Awards
  • 1986: Won, "Best Actor" - Back to the Future
  • 1997: Nominated, "Best Actor" - The Frighteners


Aftonbladet TV Prize, Sweden
  • 2001: Won, "Best Foreign TV Personality"


American Comedy Awards
American Comedy Awards

The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films....
  • 1996: Nominated, "Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture" - The American President
  • 1999: Nominated, "Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication" - Spin City
  • 2000: Nominated, "Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication" - Spin City


Emmy Awards
  • 1985: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" - Family Ties
  • 1986: Won, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Family Ties
  • 1987: Won, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Family Ties
  • 1988: Won, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Family Ties
  • 1989: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Family Ties
  • 1997: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Spin City
  • 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Spin City
  • 1999: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Spin City
  • 2000: Won, "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" - Spin City
  • 2006: Nominated, "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" - Boston Legal


Family Television Awards
  • 2000: Won


Golden Globe Awards
  • 1986: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Family Ties
  • 1986: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical" - Back to the Future
  • 1987: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Family Ties
  • 1988: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Family Ties
  • 1989: Won, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Family Ties
  • 1997: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Spin City
  • 1998: Won, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Spin City
  • 1999: Won, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Spin City
  • 2000: Won, "Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" - Spin City


Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs, is an annual awards show, which always aired live and usually is held in late March or early April, that honors the year's biggest television, movie and music acts, as voted by the people who watch the Nickelodeon cable television channel....
  • 1988: Won, "Favorite TV Actor" - Family Ties
  • 1990: Won, "Favorite Movie Actor" - Back to the Future Part II
  • 2000: Nominated, "Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie" - Stuart Little
  • 2000: Nominated, "Favorite Television Actor" - Spin City


People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards

The People's Choice Awards is an awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is claimed to be based on the opinions of the general public....
  • 1997: Won, "Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series"


Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards

The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards....
  • 1997: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical" - Spin City
  • 1998: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical" - Spin City
  • 1999: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical" - Spin City


Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by members.SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events in Hollywood since 1995....
  • 1999: Won, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series" - Spin City
  • 2000: Won, "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series" - Spin City


TV Guide Awards
  • 1999: Nominated, "Favorite Actor in a Comedy" - Spin City
  • 2000: Nominated, "Favorite Actor in a Comedy" - Spin City


TV Land Awards
TV Land Awards

A TV Land Award is an Television in the United States award that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with awards such as the Emmy Award....
  • 2007: Nominated, "Break Up That Was So Bad It Was Good" - Family Ties (shared w/Courtney Cox)


Viewers For Quality Television Awards
Viewers For Quality Television

Viewers for Quality Television was an United States nonprofit organization founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that members of the organization voted to be of the "highest quality." The group's goal was to rescue "...critically acclaimed programs from cancellation despite their Nielsen rating program rating." It was a pa...
  • 1986: Won, "Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series" - Family Ties
  • 1987: Won, "Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Comedy Series" - Family Ties


Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment hall of fame....
  • 2002: "Star on the Walk of Fame" - 7021 Hollywood Blvd.


Honorary Degrees
  • 2008: Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, New York University
    New York University

    New York University is a private university, nonsectarian, research university in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan....
  • 2008: Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia

    The University of British Columbia is a Canada Public university research university with campuses in Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia....
    .


Bibliography



See also

  • The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
    The Michael J. Fox Foundation

    The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is the largest private funder in the U.S. of medical research into Parkinson's disease....
  • Back to the Future trilogy
    Back to the Future trilogy

    Back to the Future is a comedy science fiction film trilogy written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, and distributed by Universal Pictures....


External links

  • Fox's perspective on living with Parkinson's. Posted Jan. 29. 2009
  • - Includes an interview with Michael J. Fox on stem cell research, from John Kerry campaign (2004 Presidential elections)
  • - Washington Post Article about his Maryland ads.
  • ABC News, ThisWeek
    This Week (ABC TV series)

    This Week with George Stephanopoulos is ABC's Sunday morning political affairs program.The Sunday-morning interview shows has aired on Sunday mornings on American Broadcasting Company since 1981; the program is initially aired at 9:00 AM ET, although many stations air the program later, especially those in other time zones....
     with George Stephanopoulos
    George Stephanopoulos

    George Robert Stephanopoulos is an United States broadcaster and former political adviser. He is currently ABC News's Chief Washington Correspondent and the host of American Broadcasting Company's Sunday morning news show This Week ....
    , video and transcript. Air date October 29, 2006, accessed on October 30, 2006.