Michael J. Fox announced his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 1998, seven years after he learned he had the disease. He was only 29 when he was diagnosed and didn’t want to publicly disclose his illness, fearing it might hinder his career. As the disease progressed, Michael and his wife, Tracy Pollan, were raising their four children, and he decided to step away from acting in the early 2000s. In 2020, he officially retired but recently made his way back for the AppleTV show Shrinking. In the show, Harrison Ford plays Dr. Paul Rhoades, a therapist living with Parkinson’s disease. Michael J. Fox joined the cast in 2025. A move that he told The Hollywood Reporter changed his life.
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Michael J. Fox Believes Acting Has Improved His Quality of Life
Michael J. Fox, 65, told the news outlet that returning to acting has helped him in many ways.
“It’s really prolonged my life and made my life interesting in a way that I didn’t think it would be to this point,” he said.
He added that things are on his terms, not his disease’s.
“I’m not retired from acting,” Michael J. Fox said. “But if I didn’t act again, it would be for a very good reason. I let Parkinson’s make decisions for me.”
Michael J. Fox’s role in Shirking earned him an Emmy nomination. He’s proud of that work and looks forward to seeing where the role takes him.
“This was the first time I played someone interacting with someone else who had Parkinson’s,” he explained. “He [Ford] was happy that I was sharing my experience with him as a character and helping him do what he needed to do.”
This story’s featured image is by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
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