Michael J. Fox Recalls 'Dumpster Diving For Food' As A Teen Before Attaining Fame

Michael J. Fox reminisced on his life before attaining fame at a young age. Fox recalled struggling to make ends meet as his parents lived paycheck to paycheck. He had to go "dumpster diving for food" to cushion the effect of hunger on him.

Things quickly changed when he started participating in school plays and realized he was talented at it, making him decide to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

Read on for more details.

Fox, 61, is a well-known actor who has starred in numerous movies and television shows. However, before he became a successful actor, he faced a difficult childhood that involved poverty and struggle.

In a recent interview with Variety, the "Family Ties" alum spoke candidly about his experiences growing up in a low-income family and how he had to resort to "dumpster diving for food" to make ends meet at the age of 18.

He was raised in Vancouver, Canada, by his father, William Fox, who worked as a military officer, and his mother, Phyllis Fox, a payroll clerk. However, their salaries were insufficient to support their family as they struggled to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck.

Despite his difficult upbringing, the actor found solace in acting and started performing in school plays at a young age. He later dropped out of school to pursue a career in acting full-time, which led him to move to Los Angeles.

It was in Hollywood where Fox's career began to take off, and he landed his breakthrough role in the hit television show "Family Ties" in 1982. He went on to star in the hugely successful "Back to the Future" film franchise in 1985.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at 29. He kept his diagnosis a secret for several years before publicly announcing it in 1998. The news shocked his fans and colleagues, who were unaware of the extent of his struggles.

"It's such a shitty disease. I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to deal with it. It didn't fit my story. I just shut down," he said about his Parkinson's diagnosis.

In the years following his diagnosis, the actor went through a gruesome time with his health challenges.

"I broke this shoulder — had it replaced. I broke this elbow. I broke this hand. I had an infection that almost cost me this finger. I broke my face. I broke this humerus," he said, pointing to each part of his fractured body. "And that sucked."

According to Variety, he also underwent spinal surgery in 2018 to remove a tumor.

Despite being told by medical doctors that he would only have ten years left to live, Fox defied the odds and enjoyed a sterling career before retiring in 2020.

In the interview with Variety, the "Spin City" star was asked how he could go past his challenges. The actor attributed it all to his family: "My family pulled me out."

Fox became an advocate for Parkinson's disease research and has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funding for the disease.

He shared that instead of focusing on the downside of life's complex problems, he'd instead focus on the reasons to be grateful for what life offers.

"I've won more awards and had more nominations since I announced my diagnosis," he said. "People may feel bad for me, but I prefer to look at it as an acknowledgment for continuing to have a legitimate career."

The actor recently made headlines with news of a breakthrough in Parkinson's disease research. Fox has advocated for research and funding for the disease through his Michael J. Fox Foundation.

The announcement was made during a recent interview with the Stat News, in which he revealed that his foundation had made a "big reward" in Parkinson's research but refused to go into details. The breakthrough involves the identification of a biomarker for Parkinson's disease, which could lead to earlier detection by examining spinal fluid from living patients, and more targeted treatments for the disease.

"It's all changed. It can be known and treated early on. It's huge," Fox shared. "This is the thing. This is the big reward. This is the big trophy."

Fox's new documentary, "STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie," was released on Friday, May 12th. The documentary shows never-before-seen footage of him as he recounts the years following his Parkinson's diagnosis.