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Michael Jay FoxAmerican actor, voice actor, writer, producer, activist, film and television director of Canadian descent
Date of Birth: 09.06.1961
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, an American actor, voice actor, writer, producer, activist, and film director, gained fame for his role as Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" trilogy from 1985 to 1990. He won three Emmys and one Golden Globe for his role as Alex P. Keaton in the series "Family Ties". For his role as Mike Flaherty in the series "Spin City", he won one Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Fox is also known for playing Private Max Eriksson in the historical action film "Casualties of War".
Early Life
Michael J. Fox, the fourth of five children, was born on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His mother, Phyllis Piper, was an actress, and his father, William Fox, was a police officer and military member. Due to the nature of his father's work, the Fox family constantly moved. They eventually settled in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver, where William retired in 1971. He passed away on January 6, 1990, from a heart attack.
During his school years, Michael developed a passion for hockey but had to give up his sports career due to his small stature (5'4"). Instead, he decided to pursue acting. At the age of 15, Fox appeared in the Canadian comedy series "Leo and Me". Later, it was discovered that three other cast members from the show also developed Parkinson's disease. There were even discussions about whether an environmental factor could have triggered the disease.
In 1979, at the age of 18, Fox surprised his parents by deciding to move to Los Angeles. He dropped out of school and, with the support of his grandmother, embarked on a journey to America. He later returned to Canada after getting married.
When Fox was registering with the Screen Actors Guild, he discovered that there was already another actor named Michael Fox. In several interviews, Fox explained that he didn't like his middle name, Andrew, so he decided to use his middle initial "J" as a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard.
Career
Hollywood did not immediately embrace the newcomer from Canada. Insecure about his small stature, Fox began gaining weight, but it got out of control, leading him to go on a strict diet. After a series of failures, Fox found success with the television series "Family Ties", which became wildly popular in many countries. It was during the filming of this series that he met his future wife, Tracy Pollan.
In 1985, Fox landed the lead role in the science fiction film "Back to the Future". Initially, Eric Stoltz was cast as Marty McFly, but director Robert Zemeckis felt that Stoltz lacked the necessary charisma for the role. When the producer of "Family Ties" allowed Fox to work on the film without leaving the series, Zemeckis seized the opportunity and replaced Stoltz with Fox. The filming schedule was grueling, with Fox working from 10 am to 6 pm on the series and then playing Marty McFly until 2:30 am. All his hard work paid off as "Back to the Future" became a box office hit, beloved by both audiences and critics. The film received two sequels in 1989 and 1990.
During the filming of "Back to the Future 2", Fox celebrated the birth of his first child, Sam. In the third installment, Fox had a close call when the hanging scene with Marty McFly went awry. The rope tightened around his neck, causing him to lose consciousness. Despite this incident, Fox continued to work on the film series.
Michael J. Fox married Tracy Pollan on July 16, 1988, and they have four children together. In 1990, while filming the comedy-drama "Doc Hollywood", Fox started experiencing symptoms of Parkinson's disease. When the disease was diagnosed, Fox turned to alcohol but later sought help and stopped drinking altogether. In 1998, he publicly announced his condition and became actively involved in Parkinson's disease research.
On May 31, 2012, Michael J. Fox was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the Justice Institute of British Columbia in recognition of his acting work and his significant contributions to Parkinson's disease research and awareness. In 2013, Fox starred in the comedy series "The Michael J. Fox Show", which revolved around his character's experience with Parkinson's disease. In late 2017, he was invited to the Oscars ceremony, where he appeared on stage with fellow Canadian actor Seth Rogen.
Since his diagnosis, Michael J. Fox has focused his efforts on fighting the disease and helping those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's. He established a foundation and actively engages in charitable work, raising funds for research on Parkinson's disease.
