Michael J. Fox shares thoughts on acting amid Parkinson’s battle

Last Updated on November 25, 2024

As much as we still see Michael J. Fox at various events – whether to bring awareness to Parkinson’s or partake in Back to the Future reunions – we still miss him. That is, we miss seeing him perform. While Fox hasn’t had a substantial role on the big screen since 1996’s The Frighteners – made a few years after his Parkinson’s diagnosis and two years before he even announced it – he has leaned into television with recurring roles on shows like Boston Legal, Rescue Me and The Good Wife, all of which earned him acclaim. And just like we miss seeing him on screens both big and small, Fox himself misses certain aspects of the art.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Michael J. Fox said what really misses about acting is the collaborative process that a set brings, saying, “You go into something and you say, ‘I know what to do here, I know what to bring to it.’ And then sharing your talent, your energy…That’s the great thing about acting, is it’s collaborative.”

Of course, now Michael J. Fox is collaborating heavily with his namesake foundation, which has raised over $2 billion in research programs for Parkinson’s. His commitment – and that which he has drawn out of people all over – has made him one of the most inspiring figures in pop culture.

Fox even hinted at a possible return to acting, something he has spoken about before. “I would do acting if someone came up that I could put my realities into and my challenges into…” As you might remember, Michael J. Fox did just this in season eight of Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he made light and use of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, much to Larry David’s skepticism. (He would even receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.) Fox added, “I could see that…I was good at it…It’s fun to be good at things, it’s really nice.”

Actually getting Michael J. Fox back on the screen doesn’t seem too optimistic, all things considered, but we’ll always have the likes of Marty McFly, Max Eriksson, Alex P. Keaton, Mike Flaherty, and so many more.

What stands as your favorite Michael J. Fox performance? Share your pick with us in the comments section below.