Michael J. Fox is the antithesis of the nepo baby.
Born to a blue-collar family in Canada, the award-winning actor remembers his struggle to make ends meet before coming to Hollywood.
“I was living on the borders. “I was 18, I had no money, I had no connection, I was literally diving into dumpsters for food,” he said.
Fox, 61, was raised in Vancouver by his father, William, a former Army sergeant and police officer, and his mother, Phyllis, a payroll officer.
Shortly after she started attending school plays – mostly to meet girls – she realized she was “more talented than most people”, so she dropped out of high school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
“If I wanted to be someone, I wouldn’t be able to sit on my parents’ porch and think, ‘Son, I wish I was born in America and my parents had money and I didn’t live for a paycheck. “I can do something with my life,” he said.
Despite many failed auditions and forgettable roles, Fox’s self-confidence has never been shaken.
In fact, he still remembers being with so many actors on the set of his first feature film, the 1980 teen comedy “Midnight Madness,” thinking to himself, “Why would this work for me and not them?”
“I wished them all the success in the world, not because I wished them unhappiness or bad luck,” he explained. “But I knew I would succeed. God knows why.”
Two years later, Fox landed her career-defining role in “Family Ties.” She quickly became the breakout star of the NBC sitcom, starring in the 1985 blockbuster “Back to the Future” and its two back-to-back sequels.
But in 1991, at the age of 29, he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s and was given another 10 years to study.
“This is a very bad disease,” he complained. “I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to deal with it. It didn’t fit my story. I just hung up.
Fox did her best to keep her worsening physical symptoms secret, including tremors, balance problems, and incoordination until her illness became public in 1998.
Despite her doctors’ foresight, her acting career continued to flourish until her retirement in 2020.
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“I’ve won more awards and been nominated for more since I announced my diagnosis,” he noted. “People may feel sorry for me, but I prefer to look at it as an acknowledgment that I continue to have a legitimate career.”
Additionally, the father of four, who has been married to his wife Tracy Pollan for nearly 25 years, has helped raise more than $1 billion for Parkinson’s research through his own titular foundation. He has also written four books.
When lauded as a “hero” for everything he’s accomplished, Fox said, “It’s a nice way for people to let me know they’re impressed with the way I’ve accepted things and tried to make a difference.
“But no matter how long I sit here and talk to you about how I take it philosophically and weigh it down,” he continued. “Parkinson still kicks my ass. I can’t win at this. I will lose. But there is much to be gained in the loss.”