View gallery
Image Credit: Getty Images
The star of Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox, has been a prominent personality for years. The celebrated actor has received countless honors for his work on screen and his commitment to bringing attention to Parkinson’s disease. Michael received his diagnosis over thirty years ago and established The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000. As he persists in championing those affected by the condition, Michael has frequently discussed his personal struggles.
In May of 2023, the devoted father-of-four presented his film, Still, a documentary exploring his life and experiences with the illness. He remembered the initial instance he became aware of his symptoms in 1990. “I came to with a splitting headache,” Michael recounted. “I brought my left hand up to my nose to shield my eyes from the brightness. It felt like a moth’s wing was tapping my right cheek. I raised my hand in front of my face so I could flick the bug away. That’s when I observed my pinky, moving involuntarily. I thought, for goodness sake, it’s just your dumb finger. But it wasn’t my own. It belonged to somebody else.” He concluded, “The shaking was a sign of things to come.”
Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis
Michael was originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, as noted on his foundation’s site. “I was not yet 30 — how could I possibly have this ailment that usually affects older people?” Michael questioned in his 2023 documentary. “Without any warning, my left hand would commence to tremble without control. My physician prescribed medication. I wasn’t taking these pills for their medicinal qualities or for comfort. There was only one reason: to conceal the shaking.”
It wasn’t until 1998 that the award-winning actor felt ready to share his diagnosis with the world. “For days on end, for hours at a time, I didn’t give any thought to telling anyone about my condition,” he confessed. “I had things to do.” He was just 29 when he finally revealed the information, meaning he has lived with Parkinson’s for more than half his life. “The pressure of doing a weekly show [Spin City] before a live audience was making my symptoms more pronounced,” Michael revealed in his Still documentary. “My whole left arm would tremble with so much force that it shook my entire body. Still, no one besides my family knew.”
However, once he could no longer keep his trembling hand hidden, he had to come clean, and the response was better than he thought. “I had to hope that they could accept me,” he stated. “The reaction was enormous. After all those years of keeping my symptoms secret, I could let it go. I understood that to accomplish anything, I just have to be myself. I was still myself. Some might see the news about my ailment as an ending, but I began to suspect that it was actually a new beginning.” Since he told the world about his condition, he has been quite vocal about his advocacy for the fight against the disease, including the launch of The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000.
During an interview with CBS Sunday Mornings in 2022, Michael discussed the moment he informed his wife, Tracy Pollan, of his diagnosis. “We had just gotten married when I was diagnosed,” he explained at the time. “We’ve been married for 32 years, and I’ve had this diagnosis for 30 years. Early on in our marriage, she had this unloaded on her.” He mentioned that the “last instance” they cried regarding his diagnosis was the first time he informed her more than three decades ago. Since then, they have had four children: Sam Michael, Schuyler Frances, Aquinnah Kathleen, and Esmé Annabelle.
What Is Parkinson’s Disease?
According to the National Institute on Aging, Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that can trigger “unintentional or uncontrollable movements, like trembling, rigidity, and trouble with balance and coordination.” The disorder advances gradually and often makes it difficult for an individual to speak and move around. The same institution indicates that, while the reason is unknown, Parkinson’s often impacts men more than women. Other symptoms of the condition include “behavioral changes, sleep disruptions, depression, memory problems, and exhaustion.”
Typically, a diagnosis is reached through a neurological assessment, since there are no blood or laboratory tests that can detect non-genetic instances of Parkinson’s. While there are drugs used to manage the disorder, there is no known remedy. Additional treatments other than medication involve surgery and various therapies.
How Long Has Michael J. Fox Had Parkinson’s?
As noted earlier, Michael has been coping with Parkinson’s since the age of 29. He was recently honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the 2023 13th Governors Awards. During his acceptance speech (watch here), Michael highlighted his condition and expressed appreciation for others battling the same illness.
“I’m deeply thankful to all these individuals and countless more who will turn this world without Parkinson’s into a reality. I’m not sure I express it adequately, but it is profoundly humbling to stand here and receive your kindness and admiration, when in reality, the initiative is propelled by others who are more worthy of this recognition,” he said at that time. “I’m indebted to them and to you, because my hopefulness is sustained by my thankfulness. And when combined with thankfulness, optimism can be maintained.”
Even though he received his diagnosis in 1991, Michael did not publicly address the illness until seven years later. During a May 18, 2023, interview on The View, he spoke about how he initially concealed his Parkinson’s. “It took some time for me to come to terms with it, and it was quite a bit to handle. My left hand was extremely dominant early on. [It] trembled quite a bit. Thus, if you observe anything I did from 1991 onwards, I had something in my left hand. I decided that was it. Therefore, I confided in Barbara Walters and People Magazine,” he recounted.
How Is Michael J. Fox Doing Right Now?
Michael has appeared publicly numerous times in recent years, including a pre-recorded interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2025. Though he refrained from discussing his present health, he had previously told Stat News on April 12, 2023, “It’s been a dreadful year,” before adding that he was “feeling improved,” following encouraging news from new research funded by his foundation. According to People, the news that could potentially revolutionize treatment for many was featured in The Lancet Neurology, which stated that “examining spinal fluid from living patients” has allowed for earlier intervention in cases of Parkinson’s.
Michael stated to Stat News, “This is the thing. This is the major reward. This is the greatest prize.” Thanks to the new findings, the condition could possibly be detected years earlier. “It’s all changed. It can be identified and addressed in the early stages. It’s monumental,” he remarked. Moreover, in October of 2022, Michael informed People that he had also suffered numerous bone fractures as a result of his illness. “I’m just now recovering from my most recent injuries; my arm feels fine. Life is intriguing. It throws these things your way,” he remembered. “It grew worse,” he went on. “I fractured my cheek, then my hand, then my shoulder, had a shoulder replacement, and then fractured my [right] arm, then my elbow. At 61, I’m feeling it a little more.”
Michael also spoke about how he’s currently feeling during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, which was broadcast on April 30, 2023. “You don’t die of Parkinson’s. You live with Parkinson’s. Thus, I’ve been pondering my own mortality,” he shared. “I’m not going to reach 80. I’m not going to reach 80.”
While talking about the condition, Michael mentioned to CBS that “it gets harder every day,” while explaining the progression of his illness. He revealed that the disease has led him to break different bones and experience other health issues. “I underwent spinal surgery. I had a spinal tumor. It was non-cancerous, but it hindered my ability to walk,” he stated. “I broke this arm. I broke this arm. I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand from falling, which is a major cause of death for people with Parkinson’s.”
In the Still documentary, Michael expressed a positive yet realistic perspective about his situation. “The [way I walk] really startles people,” he shared. “Do as you wish with it. If you feel sorry for me, it will never affect me. I’m pitiful, and I have issues. However, I’m a resilient person. I’m like a cockroach. You cannot kill a cockroach.”
Michael has referred to his journey with Parkinson’s as a “gift,” but he clarified his comments at his A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s Gala on November 11, 2023. During his conversation with ET, he mentioned that his diagnosis altered his perception. “It truly eliminates the trivial aspects of your life, and you start to see the important things, such as your family, health, career, obligations, and the chance to serve,” he mentioned to the outlet. “It’s an incredible gift in that regard.”