Michael J. Fox is speaking about the challenges of Parkinson’s disease. The 61-year-old Canadian-American activist has been living with the disease since the time he was 29 years old.
As per various media outlets, in the year 2020, Fox who shot to fame after playing the role of Alex P. Keaton in the sitcom Family Ties announced that he was retiring from acting due to the complications caused by the disease.
Throughout his acting career, Michael has spilled the magic on the big screen as well as the small screen by being a part of great movies and television shows. Read on to find out the net worth of Michael J. Fox.
Exploring Michael J. Fox’s net worth in 2023
The retired actor, author, advocate, and founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation has a staggering net worth of $65 million, Celebrity Net Worth reveals. His net worth has been accumulated through his acting career and other works.
Fox is well-known for playing the role of Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy. Apart from this, he has also starred in movies including Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991), and The Frighteners (1996).
In addition to this, Michael has been a part of several TV shows like Spin City, Rescue Me, The Good Wife, Family, Here’s Boomer, Teachers Only, The Love Boat, The $25,000 Pyramid, Boston Legal, Scrubs, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Michael J. Fox Show amongst many others.
Fox is the recipient of five Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award. In the year 2002, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Michael J. Fox has been battling Parkinson’s disease since the year 1991
While having a chat with CBS Sunday Morning’s Jane Pauley, the beloved actor recently shed some light on the increasing obstacles that come with the disease as he gets older. He said, “Yeah, I mean, I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher. But, but that’s — that’s the way it is.”
Michael told Pauley that he underwent spinal surgery for a benign tumor, which affected his walking and resulted in a couple of other problems like two broken arms, a broken hand, and broken bones in his face.
The Family Ties actor went on to say, “[Falling] is a big killer with Parkinson’s. And aspirating food and getting pneumonia. All these subtle ways that get ya… You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s. I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it… I’m not gonna be 80.”
Fox kept the news of his diagnosis a secret in the early days. Then, he was at the peak of his acting career. Over the years, he has openly talked about living with Parkinson’s. In his upcoming documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which is set to release on Apple TV+ on May 12, he shares the story of his life.
In the interview and his documentary Still, the actor stated that the one thing no disease can diminish is his optimism. He added, “I can be optimistic as long as I’m grateful. And I can be grateful if I really think about it because I wouldn’t have had the rest of my life if it weren’t for so many things that Tracy [Pollan, his wife], chief among them, came in and intervened in.”
The founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation continued, “And it sounds hokey, but to this day, if I can find one little thing to be grateful for, I can be optimistic about it.”
When did Michael J. Fox quit acting?
Michael had to give up his acting career due to his declining health. In the year 2020, he announced that he was cutting his ties with the entertainment world. In his book and fourth memoir, No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, he talked about his decision to bid adieu to showbiz.
In his book, the Canadian-American actor disclosed, “There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a 12-hour workday, and memorizing seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me.”
The Expedition: Back to the Future star went on to say, “At least for now … I enter a second retirement. That could change, because everything changes. But if this is the end of my acting career, so be it.”
Keeping aside his acting career, he also discussed his health and family life. He had nothing but good things to say about his wife of 35 years, Tracy Pollan. He said, “She’s not always a rock, but that’s okay. Rocks are solid, stubborn, and immovable. That’s me. Tracy, on the other hand, has learned to keep the rock rolling.”
Michael and Tracy tied the knot in the year 1988. The two of them said their vows on July 16, 1988, at West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont. The pair shares four kids: a son and three daughters.
In the last couple of years, Fox has had a different approach towards his work due to his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. In a media interaction, he revealed that he has become more picky in selecting roles after having difficulties while filming two different projects.
While making an appearance on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast in 2022, Michael said, “When I did the spinoff from [The] Good Wife, which is [The] Good Fight, I couldn’t remember the lines. I just had this blank, I couldn’t remember the lines.”
He continued, “I don’t take on something with a lot of lines, because I can’t do it. And for whatever reason, it just is what it is. I can’t remember five pages of dialogue. I can’t do it. It can’t be done. So I go to the beach.”
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