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Michael J. Fox

Canadian-American actor and activist (born 1961)

Michael J. Fox

Canadian-American actor and activist (born 1961)

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imageMichael J Fox 2020.jpg
captionFox in 2020
birth_nameMichael Andrew Fox
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birth_placeEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
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years_active
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children4
awardsFull list
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signatureMichael J. Fox official signature (2021).svg
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the Canadian-American actor

Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989) and Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). Fox went on to star in films such as Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991) and The Frighteners (1996). He returned to television on the ABC sitcom Spin City in the lead role of Mike Flaherty (1996–2000).

In 1998, Fox disclosed his 1991 diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He became an advocate for finding a cure and founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to help fund research. Worsening symptoms forced him to reduce his acting work.

Fox voiced the lead roles in the Stuart Little films (1999–2005) and the animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). He continued to make guest appearances on television, including comedy-drama Rescue Me (2009), the legal drama The Good Wife (2010–2016) and spin-off The Good Fight (2020) and the comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2011, 2017). Fox's last major role was the lead on the short-lived sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show (2013–2014). He officially retired in 2020 due to his declining health, though he has made periodic acting appearances since then.

Fox has won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2010 and was inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. For his advocacy of a cure for Parkinson's disease, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2022 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.

Early life

Fox was born on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His mother, Phyllis Evelyn (; 1929–2022), was a payroll clerk and actress, while his father, William Nelson "Bill" Fox (1928–1990), served as a regular soldier in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. When they met in Ladner, a village in the then-district municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Phyllis was working for The Ladner Optimist, a local newspaper, and Bill was serving at the nearby Vancouver Wireless Station. The couple married in 1950. Fox is the fifth of six children, with three sisters and two brothers. Phyllis's father was an English emigrant, and her mother was an emigrant from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Bill's mother was born in Alberta to American parents, and his father was an English emigrant.

The Fox family lived in various cities and towns across Canada due to Bill's career. Bill served in the army for 25 years, retiring in 1971. The family moved to Burnaby, British Columbia, the same year. Bill worked as a dispatcher for the Delta Police Department from the following year to 1985. Fox attended Burnaby Central Secondary School and has a theatre named for him at Burnaby South Secondary School. At the age of 16, he starred in the Canadian television series Leo and Me, produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Fox moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1979 to further his acting career.

Fox was discovered by producer Ronald Shedlo and made his American debut in the television film Letters from Frank, credited under the name "Michael Fox". However, when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, he discovered that Michael Fox, a veteran actor, was already registered under that name. Fox explained in his memoir Lucky Man:

Acting career

1980–1984: Early roles and television

Fox in 1985

Fox's first feature film roles were Midnight Madness (1980) and Class of 1984 (1982), credited in both as Michael Fox. Shortly afterward, he began playing "Young Republican" Alex P. Keaton in the show Family Ties, which aired on NBC for seven seasons from 1982 to 1989. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon in April 2014, Fox stated he negotiated the role at a payphone at Pioneer Chicken. He received the role only after Matthew Broderick was unavailable. Family Ties had been sold to the television network using the pitch "Hip parents, square kids", with the parents originally intended to be the main characters. However, the positive reaction to Fox's performance led to his character becoming the focus of the show following the fourth episode.

Brandon Tartikoff, one of the show's producers, felt that Fox was too short in relation 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." Tartikoff kept the lunchbox in his office for the rest of his NBC career.

1985–1990: ''Back to the Future'' and stardom

In January 1985, Fox was cast to replace Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly, a teenager who is accidentally sent back in time from 1985 to 1955 in Back to the Future. Director Robert Zemeckis originally wanted Fox to play Marty, but Gary David Goldberg, the creator of Family Ties, on which Fox was working at the time, refused to allow Zemeckis even to approach Fox. Goldberg felt that, as Meredith Baxter was on maternity leave at the time, Fox's character Alex Keaton was needed to carry the show in her absence. Stoltz was cast and was already filming Back to the Future, but Zemeckis felt that Stoltz was not giving the right type of performance for the humour involved.

Zemeckis quickly replaced Stoltz with Fox, whose schedule was now more open with the return of Baxter. During filming, Fox rehearsed for Family Ties from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; he then 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. Back to the Future was both a critical and commercial success. The film spent eight consecutive weekends as the number-one movie at the US box office in 1985, and it eventually earned a worldwide total of $381.11 million. Variety applauded the performances, opining that Fox and his co-star Christopher Lloyd imbued Marty and Doc Brown's friendship with a quality reminiscent of King Arthur and Merlin. Fox's performance in particular was praised, earning him a nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 43rd Golden Globe Awards. The film was followed by two successful sequels, Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990), which were produced at the same time but released separately. While filming the scene where Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen tries to hang Marty in Part III, Fox was allowed to perform the stunt himself as long as he knew where to put his hand on the noose to keep himself from choking; however, on the third take, Fox accidentally placed his hand in the wrong spot, which resulted in him choking, passing out, and nearly dying until Zemeckis noticed him in peril and had him cut down.

As a result of working on Family Ties, and his back-to-back hit performances in Back to the Future and Teen Wolf (1985), Fox became a teen idol. The VH1 television series The Greatest later named him among their "50 Greatest Teen Idols".

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), and Bright Lights, Big City (1988). In The Secret of My Success, Fox played a recent graduate from Kansas State University who moves to New York City, where he deals with the ups and downs of the business world. The film was successful at the box office, grossing $110 million worldwide. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "Fox provides a fairly desperate center for the film. It could not have been much fun for him to follow the movie's arbitrary shifts of mood, from sitcom to slapstick, from sex farce to boardroom brawls."

In Bright Lights, Big City, Fox played a fact-checker for a New York magazine who spends his nights partying with alcohol and drugs. The film received mixed reviews, with Hal Hinson in The Washington Post criticizing Fox by claiming that "he was the wrong actor for the job". Meanwhile, Roger Ebert praised the actor's performance: "Fox is very good in the central role (he has a long drunken monologue that is the best thing he has ever done in a movie)". During the shooting of Bright Lights, Big City, Fox co-starred again with Tracy Pollan, his on-screen girlfriend from Family Ties.

Fox won three Emmy Awards for Family Ties in 1986, 1987, and 1988. He won a Golden Globe Award in 1989, the year the show ended. When Fox left the television series Spin City in 2000, his final episodes made numerous allusions to Family Ties: Michael Gross (who played Alex's father Steven) portrays Mike Flaherty's (Fox's character's) therapist, and there is a reference to an off-screen character named "Mallory". Also, when Flaherty becomes an environmental lobbyist in Washington, D.C., he meets a conservative senator from Ohio named Alex P. Keaton, and in one episode Meredith Baxter played Mike's mother.

Fox then starred in Casualties of War (1989), a dark and violent war drama about the Vietnam War, alongside Sean Penn. Casualties of War was not a major box office hit, but Fox was praised for his performance. Don Willmott wrote: "Fox, only one year beyond his Family Ties sitcom silliness, rises to the challenges of acting as the film's moral voice and sharing scenes with the always intimidating Penn." While Family Ties was ending, his production company Snowback Productions set up a two-year production pact at Paramount Pictures to develop film and television projects.

1991–2001: Further films and acclaim

In 1991, he starred in Doc Hollywood, a romantic comedy about a talented medical doctor who decides to become a plastic surgeon. While moving from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, he winds up as a doctor in a small southern town in South Carolina. Michael Caton-Jones, of Time Out, described Fox in the film as "at his frenetic best". The Hard Way was also released in 1991, with Fox playing an undercover actor learning from police officer James Woods. After being privately diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 and being cautioned he had "ten good working years left", Fox hastily signed a three-film contract, appearing in For Love or Money (1993), Life with Mikey (1993), and Greedy (1994). In the mid-1990s Fox played smaller supporting roles in The American President (1995) and Mars Attacks! (1996).

His last major film role was in The Frighteners (1996), directed by Peter Jackson. Fox's performance received critical praise, Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times wrote; "The film's actors are equally pleasing. Both Fox, in his most successful starring role in some time, and [Trini] Alvarado, who looks rather like Andie MacDowell here, have no difficulty getting into the manic spirit of things."

In the 1990s and 2000s, Fox took on multiple voice acting roles. He voiced the American Bulldog Chance in Disney's live-action film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and its sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, the titular character in Stuart Little and its two sequels Stuart Little 2 and Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild, and Milo James Thatch in Disney's animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

1996–2020: Later career and retirement

Spin City ran from 1996 to 2002 on American television network ABC. The show depicts a fictional New York City government, originally starring Fox as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty. Fox served as an executive producer of Spin City alongside co-creators Bill Lawrence and Gary David Goldberg. He won an Emmy Award for Spin City in 2000, three Golden Globe Awards in 1998, 1999, and 2000, A character played by Charlie Sheen replaced his, and he made three more appearances during the final season. In 2002, his Lottery Hill Entertainment production company attempted to set up a pilot for ABC with DreamWorks Television and Touchstone Television company via first-look agreements, but it never went to series.

In 2004, Fox guest-starred in two episodes of the comedy-drama Scrubs – created by Spin City creator Bill Lawrence – as Dr. Kevin Casey, a surgeon with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. In 2006, he appeared in four episodes of Boston Legal as a lung cancer patient. The producers brought him back in a recurring role for season three, beginning with the season premiere. Fox was nominated for an Emmy Award for best guest appearance.

In 2009, Fox appeared in five episodes of the television series Rescue Me which earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Starting in 2010, Fox played a recurring role in the American drama The Good Wife as crafty attorney Louis Canning and earned Emmy nominations for three consecutive years. In 2011, Fox portrayed himself in the eighth season of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which David's fictionalized self becomes Fox's neighbour and accuses him of using his Parkinson's disease as a manipulative tool. Fox returned in 2017 for a brief appearance, referencing his prior time on the show.

In August 2012, NBC announced that Fox would star in The Michael J. Fox Show, loosely based on his life. It was granted a 22-episode commitment from the network and premiered in September 2013, but was taken off the air after 15 episodes and later cancelled.

Fox has made several appearances in other media. At the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he delivered comedy monologues, along with William Shatner and Catherine O'Hara, in the "I am Canadian" part of the show.

Despite sound-alike A.J. LoCascio voicing Marty McFly in the 2011 Back to the Future episodic adventure game, Fox lent his likeness to the in-game version of Marty alongside Christopher Lloyd. Fox made a special guest appearance in the final episode of the series as an elder version of Marty, as well as his great-grandfather Willie McFly.

Fox appeared in five episodes of the second season of the ABC political drama Designated Survivor, in the recurring role of Ethan West, investigating whether the president was fit to continue in the job.

In 2020, Fox retired from acting due to the increasing unreliability of his speech. Fox's memoir, No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, was released that November. In the book, Fox explained that, "not being able to speak reliably is a game-breaker for an actor" and that he was experiencing memory loss. Fox wrote, "There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a 12-hour workday, and memorizing seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me...I enter a second retirement. That could change, because everything changes. But if this is the end of my acting career, so be it."

2021–present: ''Still'', and return to acting

In 2021, Fox appeared in one episode of the television series Expedition: Back to the Future, as well as in the animated film Back Home Again. On May 12, 2023, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, a documentary which follows his career and Parkinson's disease diagnosis, was released. The film was directed by Davis Guggenheim and made for Apple TV+. It was positively received, winning four of the seven awards it was nominated for at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Stephanie Zacharek on behalf of Time wrote, "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie reminds us that a person stricken with a disease doesn't become that disease... What's striking about Still is how celebratory it is. This isn't the story of a wonderful actor felled by an illness; it's the story of a wonderful actor," while Mark Kermode of The Guardian called it "An intimate, uplifting star portrait."

On June 29, 2024, he was featured on the Glastonbury Festival as a guest of British rock band Coldplay, playing the guitar with them on the songs "Humankind" and "Fix You". Lead singer and pianist Chris Martin mentioned during the show that "Back to the Future is the main reason we became a band".

On May 15, 2025, it was revealed that Fox had been cast in the third season of the comedy drama Shrinking, making a return to acting. In June 2025, Fox acted for the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins, playing himself in a video parodying Back to the Future to promote new uniforms for the team. Fox is a close friend of Bruins president Cam Neely, who also appeared in the video.

On October 14, 2025, his fifth book, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, co-written with Nelle Fortenberry, was published by Flatiron Books. The memoir covers his time on set while filming Back to the Future.

He had a voice cameo in the 2025 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Zootopia 2 as an incarcerated fox, whose name—“Michael J. the fox”—is a play on Fox’s own name.

Activism

While shooting the film Doc Hollywood in early 1991, Fox developed a sore shoulder and a twitch in his little finger; he was subsequently diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease later that year at the age of 30, but did not make his condition known to the public until 1998. He became an activist and began The Michael J. Fox Foundation to increase research efforts for a cure.

Fox has written several memoirs on his experiences. His first book, Lucky Man, focused on how, after seven years of denial of the disease, he set up the Michael J. Fox Foundation, stopped drinking and became an advocate for people living with Parkinson's disease. In 2006, Fox starred in a campaign ad for then-State Auditor of Missouri Claire McCaskill in her successful 2006 Senate campaign against incumbent Jim Talent, expressing her support for embryonic stem cell research. In the ad, he visibly showed the effects of his Parkinson's disease:

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 measurable impact on the way voters voted, in an election that McCaskill won. His second book, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, describes his life between 1999 and 2009, with much of the book centered on how Fox got into campaigning for stem cell research. On March 31, 2009, Fox appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Mehmet Oz to discuss his condition as well as his book, his family and his primetime special, which aired May 7, 2009, (Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist).

His work led him to be named one of the 100 people "whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world" in 2007 by Time magazine. On March 5, 2010, Fox received an honorary doctorate in medicine from Karolinska Institute for his contributions to research in Parkinson's disease. He received an honorary doctorate of laws from the University of British Columbia. His third book, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned, was released in 2010.

On May 31, 2012, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the Justice Institute of British Columbia to recognize his accomplishments as a performer as well as his commitment to raising research funding and awareness for Parkinson's disease. Fox recalled performing in role-playing simulations as part of police recruit training exercises at the Institute early in his career.

In 2016, his organization created a raffle to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease and raised $6.75 million, with the help of Nike, Inc. via two auctions, one in Hong Kong and the other in London.

In 2020, his fourth book, No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, was released.

At the 2022 Governors Awards, Fox was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his efforts in fighting Parkinson's, having raised over $1 billion for research. The award was presented by friend Woody Harrelson.

In a 2023 interview with Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning, Fox said, "I'm not gonna lie. It's getting harder. Every day it's tougher." He said he has had spinal surgery for a benign tumour and has broken bones in several falls.

He was named in ''Time Magazine'''s 2024 list of influential people in health.

Personal life

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Marriage and family

Fox met his wife, Tracy Pollan, when she played the role of his girlfriend, Ellen, on Family Ties. They have four children: one son and three daughters. Shortly before the couple's marriage, Fox purchased a 121 acre estate named Lottery Hill Farm in South Woodstock, Vermont, which he listed in 2012. In 1997, Fox purchased an apartment on Fifth Avenue within the Upper East Side, Manhattan, where he and his family lived primarily until 2020. The same year, Fox and Pollan built an estate on 80 acre of farmland in Sharon, Connecticut, which he listed in 2016. In 2007, Fox purchased a 7000 sqft house in Quogue, New York, where he and his family lived part-time and spent the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Fox sold the house and moved to Santa Barbara, California, with his family; they took up residence in Malibu several months later.

Citizenship and politics

Fox acquired US citizenship in 2000 but remains a Canadian citizen as well. He provided a light-hearted segment during the 2010 Winter Olympics' closing ceremony in Vancouver on February 28, 2010, when he expressed how proud he is to be Canadian. On June 4, 2010, the city of Burnaby granted him the Freedom of the City. Fox endorsed Pete Buttigieg prior to the 2020 United States presidential election.

Parkinson's disease

Fox started displaying symptoms of early-onset Parkinson's disease in early 1991 while shooting the film Doc Hollywood and was diagnosed shortly thereafter. Though his initial symptoms were only a twitching little finger and a sore shoulder, he was told that within a few years he would not be able to work. The causes of Parkinson's disease are not well understood, and may include genetic and environmental factors. Fox is one of at least four members of the cast and crew of Leo and Me who developed early-onset Parkinson's. According to Fox, this is not enough people to be defined as a cluster so it has not been well researched. In 2020, he told Hadley Freeman of The Guardian: "I can think of a thousand possible scenarios: I used to go fishing in a river near paper mills and eat the salmon I caught; I've been to a lot of farms; I smoked a lot of pot in high school when the government was poisoning the crops. But you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out."

After his diagnosis, Fox began drinking heavily and grew depressed. In 1992, he eventually sought help and stopped drinking altogether. Fox went public with his Parkinson's disease in 1998 and has become a strong advocate for Parkinson's disease research. His foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, was created to help advance every promising research path to curing Parkinson's disease.

Fox manages the symptoms of his Parkinson's disease with the drug carbidopa/levodopa. He had a thalamotomy in 1998.

In Lucky Man, Fox wrote that he did not take his medication prior to his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 1999.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef(s).
1980Midnight MadnessScott Larson
1982Class of 1984Arthur Summers
1985Back to the FutureMarty McFly
Teen WolfScott Howard
1987Light of DayJoe Rasnick
The Secret of My SuccessBrantley Foster/Carlton Whitfield
1988Bright Lights, Big CityJamie Conway
1989Casualties of WarPFC. Max Eriksson
Back to the Future Part IIMarty McFly / Marty McFly Jr. / Marlene McFly
1990Back to the Future Part IIIMarty McFly / Seamus McFly
1991The Hard WayNick "Nicky" Lang
Doc HollywoodDr. Benjamin "Ben" Stone
1993Homeward Bound: The Incredible JourneyChance/NarratorVoice
Life with MikeyMichael "Mikey" Chapman
For Love or MoneyDoug Ireland
1994Where the Rivers Flow NorthClayton Farnsworth
GreedyDaniel "Danny" McTeague Jr.
1995ColdbloodedTim AlexanderAlso producer
Blue in the FacePete Maloney
The American PresidentLewis Rothschild
1996Homeward Bound II: Lost in San FranciscoChanceVoice
The FrightenersFrank Bannister
Mars Attacks!Jason Stone
1999Stuart LittleStuart LittleVoice
2001Atlantis: The Lost EmpireMilo James Thatch
2002Interstate 60Mr BakerCameo
Stuart Little 2Stuart LittleVoice
2006Stuart Little 3: Call of the WildVoice, direct to video
2013Drew: The Man Behind the PosterHimselfDocumentary
2014AnnieCameo
2015Being CanadianDocumentary
Back in Time
Mr. Calzaghe
2016A.R.C.H.I.E.A.R.C.H.I.E.Voice
2018A.R.C.H.I.E. 2: Mission Impawsible
2019See You YesterdayMr LockhartCameo
2021Back Home AgainMichael J. BirdVoice
2023Still: A Michael J. Fox MovieHimselfDocumentary
2025Zootopia 2Michael J. The FoxVoice

Television

YearTitleFunctioned asRoleNotesRef(s).ActorDirectorExecutive
Producer
1978The Magic Lierowspan=27rowspan=19rowspan=30NickyEpisode: "The Master"
Leo and MeJamie Romano12 episodes
Witch of Westminster CrossingHarleyTelevision short film
1979Letters from FrankRickyTelevision film
Lou GrantPaul StoneEpisode: "Kids"
1980FamilyRichard TopolEpisode: "Such a Fine Line"
Here's BoomerJackieEpisode: "Tell 'Em Boomer Sent You"
Trapper John, M.D.Elliot SchweitzerEpisode: "Brain Child"
1980–1981Palmerstown, USAWilly-Joe Hall11 episodes
1982Teachers OnlyJeffEpisode: "The Make Up Test"
1982–1989Family TiesAlex P. Keaton176 episodes
1983The Love BoatJimmyEpisode: "He Ain't Heavy"
High School USAJay-Jay MannersTelevision film
1983–1984The $25,000 PyramidHimself30 episodes
1984Night CourtEddie SimmsEpisode: "Santa Goes Downtown"
The Homemade Comedy SpecialHostTelevision special
Don't Ask Me, Ask GodFuture Son
1985Family Ties VacationAlex P. KeatonTelevision film
Poison IvyDennis Baxter
1986David Letterman's 2nd Annual Holiday Film FestivalHimselfShort film; segment: "The Iceman Hummeth"; also writer
1987Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnamrowspan=6Pfc. Raymond GriffithsVoice, documentary
The Return of BrunoHimselfTelevision documentary film
Muppet BabiesAlex P. KeatonVoice, episode: "This Little Piggy Went to Hollywood"
1988Mickey's 60th BirthdayTelevision special
1990Sex, Buys & AdvertisingHimself
1991Saturday Night LiveHostEpisode: "Michael J. Fox/The Black Crowes"
Tales from the Cryptrowspan=2ProsecutorEpisode: "The Trap"
1992Brooklyn Bridgen/aEpisode: "Rainy Day"
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Storiesrowspan=4rowspan=24NarratorEpisode: "There's a Nightmare in My Closet"
1994Don't Drink the WaterAxel MageeTelevision film
1996–2001Spin CityMike Flaherty103 episodes
1997The Chris Rock ShowHimselfEpisode: "Jesse Jackson/Rakim"; Uncredited
1999Anna Saysrowspan=2rowspan=2n/a
2002Otherwise EngagedPilot episode
Clone HighGandhi's Remaining KidneyVoice, episode: "Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand"
2003Hench at Homen/aAlso writer
2004Scrubsrowspan=16rowspan=8Dr. Kevin Casey2 episodes
2005Saving MillyHimselfTelevision film; Uncredited
2006Boston LegalDaniel Post6 episodes
2009Rescue MeDwight5 episodes
The Magic 7Marcel MaggotVoice, television film
2010–2016The Good WifeLouis Canning26 episodes
2011Phineas and FerbMichael / WerewolfVoice, episode: "The Curse of Candace"
2011, 2017Curb Your EnthusiasmHimself2 episodes
2013–2014The Michael J. Fox ShowMike Henry22 episodes
2015Jimmy Kimmel Live!rowspan=7Marty McFlySkit celebrating Back to the Future
2016NightcapHimselfEpisode: "The Cannon"
2018Designated SurvivorEthan West5 episodes
2019Corner Gas AnimatedHimselfVoice, episode: "Dream Waiver"
2020The Good FightLouis Canning2 episodes
2021Expedition: Back to the FutureHimselfEpisode: "Great Josh!"
2026ShrinkingGerryEpisode: "My Bad"

Video games

YearTitleVoice roleNotes
2011Back to the Future: The GameWilliam McFly / Future Marty McFlyEpisode: "Outatime"
2015Lego DimensionsMarty McFly

Web

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020"The Origins of Holiday" (Lil Nas X song trailer)Marty McFly

Awards and honours

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Michael J. Fox

Over his career Fox won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award. He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2010, along with being inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. For his advocacy of a cure for Parkinson's disease he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2022.

  • 2000: Honoured by the Family Television Awards for Acting.
  • 2000: Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, located in Toronto, Ontario, which acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians.
  • December 16, 2002: Received the 2209th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the motion picture industry, presented to him by the Chamber of Commerce.
  • 2005: Received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
  • 2011: Honoured with the Golden Camera Award for Lifetime Achievement – International.
  • 2010: Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada – The Officer O.C. recognizes national service or achievement.
  • 2010: Received the National Association of Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award.
  • 2010: He received an honorary doctorate from the Karolinska Institute
  • 2013: Honoured with the Golden Apple Award by the Casting Society of America.
  • 2021: Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, from Simon Fraser University.
  • 2022: Received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from 95th Academy Awards
  • 2025: Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden

Books

Explanatory notes

References

References

  1. Perez, Lexy. (November 17, 2020). "Michael J. Fox Details Entering a 'Second Retirement,' Health Struggles in New Memoir".
  2. (November 20, 2022). "Actor Michael J. Fox accepts honorary Oscar for Parkinson's advocacy". Reuters.
  3. The White House. (January 4, 2025). "President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom".
  4. Garrison, Joey. "Biden awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton, George Soros, 17 others".
  5. Wise, Wyndham. (October 19, 2011). "Michael J. Fox".
  6. Tikkanen, Amy. (June 5, 2021). "Michael J. Fox: Canadian actor".
  7. (October 21, 2015). "Back to the Future: a timeline of Michael J Fox's career". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
  8. (November 30, 2021). "Unbreakable: After a tough, drak spell, Michael J. Fox has emerged steelier, more realistic – and ready to tackle whatever comes next".
  9. "Michael's Story". The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
  10. "Phyllis Piper Census Canada Census, 1931". [[FamilySearch]].
  11. (March 29, 2012). "Michael J. Fox on 'Back to the Future': 'I Truly Thought I Was Terrible{{'-}}".
  12. (October 9, 2022). "Obituary for Phyllis Evelyn Fox (née Piper)". [[The Province]].
  13. (June 1, 1931). "Federal Census". [[Dominion Bureau of Statistics]].
  14. (January 11, 1990). "Obituary for William Nelson Fox". [[The Province]].
  15. "Michael J. Fox Biography". The Michael J Fox Foundation.
  16. Haglund, David. (March 2, 2007). "Reagan's Favorite Sitcom: How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero".
  17. Rose, Lacey. (October 17, 2012). "The Private Files of Brandon Tartikoff Revealed".
  18. "Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy: Chapter 1 (DVD Documentary)"
  19. "Back to the Future". [[Box Office Mojo]].
  20. (July 1, 1985). "Back to the Future".
  21. "Michael J. Fox".
  22. (2002). "''Back to the Future Part III''. Special Features: Making the Trilogy: Chapter Three". Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
  23. Stolworthy, Jacob. (May 27, 2024). "37 actors who almost died on set".
  24. Van Horn, Shawn. (August 31, 2023). "This Back to the Future Stunt Almost Killed Michael J. Fox".
  25. "Episode 080: 50 Greatest Teen Idols". [[VH1]].
  26. "The Secret of My Success". Box Office Mojo.
  27. Ebert, Roger. (April 10, 1987). "The Secret of My Success Review". Chicago Sun- Times.
  28. Hinson, Hal. (April 1, 1988). "'City' Blight". The Washington Post.
  29. Ebert, Roger. (April 1, 1988). "Bright Lights, Big City".
  30. Benson, Sheila. (April 1, 1988). "Movie Review: Passions Dim in 'Bright Lights, Big City{{'-}}". Los Angeles Times.
  31. "Emmy Award History".
  32. "Golden Globe Awards for Michael J. Fox".
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  34. [[Tom Shales. Shales, Tom]] (May 24, 2000). "Michael J. Fox, Playing 'Spin City' to a Fare-Thee-Well". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. C1.
  35. Abilock, Genni. (June 14, 2022). "{{-'}}Family Ties': The Hit American Sitcom that Defined the 80's".
  36. Fretts, Bruce. (November 21, 1997). "''Family Ties'' lives on with ''Spin City''".
  37. (January 4, 2006). "Casualties of War Review".
  38. (January 18, 1989). "Michael J. Fox's Snowback in Par pact".
  39. "Doc Hollywood Review".
  40. Turan, Kenneth. (July 19, 1996). "The Frighteners Review". Los Angeles Times.
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  42. (2016). "Politics and Politicians in Contemporary US Television: Washington as Fiction". [[Routledge]].
  43. (January 19, 2000). "Fox quits Spin City".
  44. Weinraub, Bernard. (May 7, 2001). "Charlie Sheen Delivers A New Spin To 'Spin City'". [[The New York Times]].
  45. Schneider, Michael. (August 15, 2002). "Fox spins ABC tale".
  46. (March 16, 2003). "Bierko ices ABC role".
  47. (April 1, 2004). "Michael J. Fox to scrub up twice for 'Scrubs'". [[USA Today]].
  48. McNutt, Myles. (July 8, 2013). "Scrubs: 'My Clean Break'/'My Catalyst'".
  49. (July 27, 2013). "'The Good Wife' Season 5: Emmy nominee Michael J. Fox 'open' to returning". [[Zap2it]].
  50. Blake, Meredith. (September 12, 2011). "Curb Your Enthusiasm".
  51. TheGuysTravel. (September 12, 2011). "Curb Your Enthusiasm – Larry confronts Michael J. Fox – Season 8 Ep. 10".
  52. Moore, Frazier. "NBC: Michel J. Fox Will Return To Series TV". [[Associated Press]].
  53. (May 11, 2014). "Michael J. Fox Show: NBC Sitcom Now Officially Cancelled".
  54. (January 7, 2013). "2010: Michael J. Fox speaks during the closing ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics at B.C. Place on Feb. 28". [[Montreal Gazette]].
  55. "Back To The Future Episode 5: OUTATIME Video Game, E3 2011: Exclusive Developer Diary HD".
  56. Hipes, Patrick. (January 10, 2018). "Michael J. Fox Joining 'Designated Survivor' For Arc".
  57. (November 2, 2019). "Designated Survivor: Michael J Fox Was A Perfect Season 2 Villain".
  58. "Expedition: Back To The Future".
  59. (April 6, 2023). "Coming May 12: Apple TV+'s Feature Film, 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie{{'-}}".
  60. Carey, Matthew. (August 12, 2023). "'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' Editor Michael Harte Says One Scene Set The Tone For The Whole Film – Contenders TV: The Nominees".
  61. Carey, Matthew. (January 8, 2024). "'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' Claims Big Emmy Wins; Will That Threaten Its Oscar Chances?".
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  63. Zacharek, Stephanie. (May 12, 2023). "'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' Is Unsparing and Darkly Funny".
  64. Kermode, Mark. (May 14, 2023). "Still: A Michael J Fox Movie review – an intimate, uplifting star portrait". [[The Guardian]].
  65. Legaspi, Althea. (June 30, 2024). "Watch Michael J. Fox Join Coldplay on Guitar at Glastonbury".
  66. Savage, Mark. (July 1, 2024). "Glastonbury 2024: 15 magical and memorable moments".
  67. Andreeva, Nellie. (May 15, 2025). "Michael J. Fox Joins Apple TV+'s 'Shrinking' Season 3 In Acting Return & Bill Lawrence Reunion".
  68. Wells, Adam. "Bruins Unveil New Uniforms in Video With Michael J. Fox, Photos After Logo Reveal".
  69. (June 25, 2025). "Bruins reveal new jerseys with video featuring Michael J. Fox {{!}} NHL.com".
  70. (14 October 2025). "Michael J. Fox Looks Back on His Wild 1985 in This Excerpt From His New Memoir, 'Future Boy'". Gizmodo.
  71. Stevens, Abigail. (2025-11-14). "Michael J. Fox's Zootopia 2 Role Revealed & The Animal Couldn't Be More Perfect".
  72. Brockes, Emma. (April 11, 2009). "{{-'}}It's the gift that keeps on taking{{'-}}". The Guardian.
  73. (October 25, 2006). "Michael J Fox makes stem cell ads".
  74. (October 26, 2006). "Michael J. Fox In Campaign Ad".
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  76. (March 19, 2009). "Michael J. Fox Speaks Out About Parkinson's".
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  78. (March 5, 2010). "Michael J Fox hedersdoktor på KI".
  79. (March 5, 2010). "Michael J. Fox Gets Doctored".
  80. (May 23, 2008). "Michael J. Fox 'deeply moved' by honorary degree from UBC". [[The Vancouver Sun]].
  81. Khakpour, Porochista. "Review | Michael J. Fox mixes candor, humor and hope in his heartfelt new memoir". The Washington Post.
  82. (May 31, 2012). "Celebrating Convocation".
  83. Rooney, Kyle. (October 21, 2016). "The Michael J. Fox Foundation does raffle with Nike to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease".
  84. Buchanan, Kyle. (November 20, 2022). "Michael J. Fox, Diane Warren and Cher at the Raucous Governors Awards". The New York Times.
  85. (November 20, 2022). "Michael J. Fox receives honorary Oscar at emotional ceremony in Los Angeles".
  86. Richwine, Lisa. (November 20, 2022). "Actor Michael J. Fox accepts honorary Oscar for Parkinson's advocacy".
  87. Heching, Dan. (April 30, 2023). "Michael J. Fox calls Parkinson's disease 'the gift that keeps on taking' in candid new interview". [[CNN]].
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  91. Alexander, Michael. (December 4, 1989). "Getting Back to His Future".
  92. (November 19, 2001). "21st Century Fox".
  93. Huzinec, Mary. (March 6, 1995). "Passages".
  94. (April 15, 2013). "Michael J. Fox's one-time Vermont farm listed at $2.75 million". [[Akron Beacon Journal]].
  95. Bear, Rob. (September 11, 2012). "Michael J. Fox's Former Vermont Farm Now Listed for $2.75M".
  96. (November 20, 2012). "Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan's Manhattan Home".
  97. Cheever, Susan. (October 1997). "Michael J. Fox's Manhattan Apartment Features Picturesque Views of Central Park".
  98. Collins, Nancy. (June 2000). "Tour Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan's Cozy Family Home in New England".
  99. Ryan, Lidia. (September 6, 2016). "Michael J. Fox's Connecticut estate is on the market". [[Connecticut Post]].
  100. Mann, Laura. (March 28, 2008). "Fox Buys in Quogue". [[Newsday]].
  101. Egan, Elisabeth. (November 13, 2020). "When It Comes to Living With Uncertainty, Michael J. Fox Is a Pro". [[The New York Times]].
  102. Lovece, Frank. (January 23, 2023). "Michael J. Fox used alcohol to hide from Parkinson's". [[Newsday]].
  103. Nahas, Aili. (October 20, 2021). "Michael J. Fox Opens Up About His Health, Life with Tracy Pollan: 'I'm in a Really Good Groove'".
  104. Serrano, Alfonso. (October 26, 2006). "Fox: I Was Over-Medicated In Stem Cell Ad".
  105. (March 9, 2017). "Michael J. Fox on his Canadian pride and why he speaks out". [[CBC News]].
  106. (June 14, 2010). "Michael J. Fox Awarded Freeman Status".
  107. [https://deadline.com/2020/02/democratic-candidates-endorsements-hollywood-celebrities-media-chart-1202869881/ Who's Backing Whom? Tracking Democratic Presidential Candidates' Celebrity Endorsements]
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  109. Chiu, Melody. (August 14, 2014). "Michael J. Fox 'Stunned' by Robin Williams's Parkinson's Diagnosis".
  110. Brockes, Emma. (April 11, 2009). "It's the gift that keeps on taking". The Guardian.
  111. Cagle, Jess. (August 15, 2018). "Michael J. Fox Reveals the Moment He Realized He Had to Stop Drinking".
  112. Ryan, Patrick. (January 22, 2023). "Michael J. Fox says he became an alcoholic, hid Parkinson's diagnosis: 'There's no way out'". USA Today.
  113. (April 30, 2002). "Actor Michael J. Fox".
  114. (January 6, 2009). "Brain implant better than meds for Parkinson's disease". [[CNN]].
  115. (September 28, 1999). "Michael J. Fox pitches for Parkinson's research".
  116. (September 28, 1999). "Michael J. Fox Testimony on Parkinson".
  117. "Back in Time Film".
  118. (October 22, 2015). "Marty McFly & Doc Brown Visit 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'". [[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]].
  119. "Michael J. Fox". [[Canada's Walk of Fame]].
  120. "Michael J. Fox". [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].
  121. "Golden Plate Awardees". [[American Academy of Achievement]].
  122. "2005 Summit Highlights Photo".
  123. (June 30, 2010). "Governor General announces 74 new appointments to the Order of Canada". [[Governor General of Canada]].
  124. "Distinguished Service Award: Award Recipients".
  125. "SFU announces 2021 Honorary Degree recipients". Simon Fraser University.
  126. (June 21, 2022). "The Academy to Honor Michael J. Fox, Euzhan Palcy, Diane Warren and Peter Weir with Oscars at Governors Awards in November". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  127. (January 4, 2025). "Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he steps forward to receive Medal of Freedom from Biden". [[The Independent]].
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