LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michael J Fox is reflecting on how he had difficulties making ends meet when he initially entered the entertainment industry. Michael J Fox, 61, discussed his career and the upcoming documentary 'Still: A Michael J Fox Movie' with Variety for a cover story that was published on Thursday, May 11. Fox remembered his early years in the entertainment industry after leaving high school to relocate from Canada to Los Angeles.
The Canadian-born, award-winning actor was brought up in Vancouver by his parents, Phyllis, a payroll clerk, and William, a former Army sergeant who is now a police dispatcher. Fox began participating in school productions soon after but soon discovered he was "more talented than a lot of people," so he dropped out and traveled to Los Angeles to pursue acting, Page Six reports.
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'I was living on the margins'
The 'Back to the Future' actor revealed, in a conversation with Variety, the moment he knew he was "going to make it" in his 1980 feature picture debut, 'Midnight Madness.' Fox said, "I was sitting around with all these actors and I remember thinking, 'Why is this going to work for me and not for them?' It's not that I wished them unhappiness or bad luck — I wished them all the success in the world."
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winner went on to say, "But I knew I was going to make it. God knows why. I was living on the margins. I was 18 years old, with no money, no connections, literally dumpster diving for food."
"I knew that if I wanted to be someone, I couldn’t just sit on my parents’ porch and think, ‘Boy, if I was only born in the States and my parents had money and weren’t living paycheck to paycheck, I could do something with my life,' " Fox said. Fox's confidence remained unshaken despite numerous unsuccessful auditions and forgettable gigs.
Fox received his defining role for his career two years later on 'Family Ties.' He received a role in the 1985 smash hit 'Back to the Future' and its two back-to-back sequels after immediately breaking out as the star of the NBC sitcom. However, he received a Parkinson's disease early onset diagnosis in 1991 at the age of 29 and was granted an additional 10 years to work.
Prior to revealing his disease to the public in 1998, Fox did his utmost to conceal the developing physical symptoms, which included tremors, balance problems, and diminished coordination. Despite what his doctors had predicted, he was able to continue performing until he retired in 2020.
'Still: A Michael J Fox Movie'
Fox's new documentary, 'Still: A Michael J Fox Movie,' which has garnered a lot of support from pals like Meg Ryan, Bill Murray, and Katie Couric ahead of its streaming release on Friday, May 12, covers his incredible career and three decades of living with Parkinson's disease. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, 'Still' explores Fox's childhood in Canada, the ascent to fame on 'Family Ties,' his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease, and present-day life with his wife of 35 years, Tracy Pollan, 62, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 28, and Esme, 21.
"It's really an unusual film. It really brings people together in a way that I feel good about given how hard we're pushing against each other and how furiously we're pulling apart as a society," Fox told People.'Still: A Michael J Fox Movie' will be available on Apple TV+ May 12.
The father of four has also contributed more than $1 billion to Parkinson's research through his own organization. He has authored four books as well. "It’s just a nice way of people letting me know they are moved by my acceptance of things and by the way that I’ve tried to make a difference," Fox said in response to being hailed as a "hero" for all he has accomplished. "Parkinson’s is still kicking my a**. I won’t win at this. I will lose. But there’s plenty to be gained in the loss," the veteran actor added.
