Michael J. Fox Wants Back In The Acting Game Amid Parkinson's Battle

Michael J. Fox is determined to get his acting career back on track despite his health challenges.

As age creeps up on the iconic actor and his condition worsens, he tends to keep his head held high, maintaining a cheerful spirit, pursuing his goals, and taking each challenge one day at a time.

Michael J. Fox has struggled with Parkinson's disease since he was 29 years old. His condition led him to explore other paths, including serving as a strong advocate for the ailment through his foundation. While he remains in the industry, he is more involved in off-screen roles.

In his new book, "Future Boy", Fox recalls a lucid memory of events that occurred forty years ago. On a cold winter evening, while he was backstage waiting for his cue to go out in front of a live audience at Paramount Studios, he panics, thinking that his prop, a camcorder, was not placed on set.

His character for that set was Alex P. Keaton for "Family Ties", but he had it mixed up in his mind for Marty McFly, another character he simultaneously played during the same period on "Back to the Future."

It took him a few seconds still; he snapped out of it and performed, and then hurried to the next set to play his other role. He discloses that he felt the strain, but it was his business.

Fox has proven over the years that he has a talent for working gracefully under pressure, as he firmly believes that "If you put your mind to it, you can do anything." He constantly sets high standards for himself and approaches challenges that might seem impossible head-on.

As reported by PEOPLE, Fox wants to find something unique to him in acting and writing, a standpoint he gathered from viewing other people's work during his hiatus. Putting it in straightforward terms, the iconic actor said, "I have a lot left to do."

Life is not a bed of roses for Fox, but he stays positive even as Parkinson's leaves marks on his speech and motor skills. He says he tries to adjust to every day as it comes. 

In a documentary, he reveals that every day he faces new physical challenges, but he tries to look on the bright side by seizing the good from each trial.

Fox is seen attending many movie conventions, maintaining an enthusiastic spirit. Over the summer, he immersed himself in his arc on "Shrinking" and, although he would not disclose full details about his character, he notes that it comes naturally to him, as he plays someone with Parkinson's.

Fox opens up about his new assignment and describes how easily he was able to get into character, as he didn't have to worry about coughing or any other issues on set.

He adds that as he sees more of people's work, he feels that he has more to contribute to the industry, both on-screen as an actor and off-screen as a writer, and even in his personal life as a father and husband.

Last year, Fox openly talked about the struggles of living with the disease, but disclosed that maintaining a sense of humor goes a long way in his approach to life.

The actor first noticed symptoms of the disease, a tremor in his pinky finger, in 1991 while filming "Doc Hollywood." Upon visiting a neurologist, the diagnosis was confirmed.

The Blast reports that the actor disclosed that when his NBC sitcom, "The Michael J. Fox Show," aired for a single season from 2013 to 2014, he relied on humor as a coping mechanism.

He also disclosed this in an interview covering the Michael J. Fox Foundation's annual "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's" gala, where he says he has to keep his sense of dark humor intact, as it makes challenging conversations about his condition more approachable.

Back in 2023, during a "Back To The Future" panel in Philly, fans and cast members came together as part of the annual Fan Expo.

As the actor took to the stage, he suffered a moment of brief imbalance, causing him to fall. Immediately, fellow cast members and event staff rushed to help him to his feet. The incident was quite scary, as members of the audience gasped in fear and uttered words of concern.

There were no gruesome effects of the fall, as reported by The Blast, as the actor fell onto a couch in front of him. However, he quickly regained his composure and went on with the show, reassuring the crowd that he was alright.

In 2000, Fox announced his early retirement from full-time acting to focus on advocacy work, during which he established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The Foundation has notably become the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research.

Fox received several donations towards his work, including one from the late actor Matthew Perry, who had disclosed a year before his death that he looked up to Fox during his own years as a young actor.

Fox recounted that, while talking about Perry, they bonded over their shared love for acting, hockey, and other similar interests.

He also noted his involvement in the Foundation, stating that Perry's generous donation had significantly impacted the Foundation, adding that it was entirely selfless with no strings attached.

It is always good to have Michael J. Fox back!