Michael J. Fox
My older sister Lori loved Michael J. Fox. I wasn’t into him at all. She watched Teen Wolf and Back to the Future over and over. Sister Lori loved the scene in Back to the Future where he’s in his little purple Calvin Klein underwear. She took me to my first of many viewings of Back to the Future. I love that movie! It’s my favorite movie ever (Home Alone is a close second) and I’ve seen it hundreds of times. I can recite all the dialogue from the first movie. I know. I’m a dork. Anyway…..
Michael J. Fox was born on June 9, 1961 in Canada and became known to millions as Alex P. Keaton on the TV show Family Ties. He then went on to star as Marty McFly in the Back To The Future trilogy. He did a number of movies in the 80’s and then went back to TV with Spin City in the 90’s. It was on the set of the movie Doc Hollywood in 1990 that he noticed a twitching in his finger that wouldn’t stop. He was diagnosed in 1991 with Parkinson’s Disease and has since done a whole lot of good stuff for the disease.
I remember seeing Michael on David Letterman and thinking he was extra twitchy. He kept reaching for his coffee cup and seemed all jittery. It wasn’t long after that when he announced to the world that he had Parkinson’s. This was in 1998, so he kept the disease to himself for eight years. I wonder how you do that when in Hollywood.
Trivia
- Used to date Nancy McKeon.
- Matthew Broderick was the first actor to be offered the part of Alex P. Keaton.
- Eric Stoltz was the first Marty McFly. Fox was hired after Stoltz was fired.
- Corey Hart and C. Thomas Howell were considered for the part of Marty McFly.
- Ralph Macchio turned down the role of Marty McFly.
- Michael quit high school in his senior year.
- He got his G.E.D. in 1995.
- Taught himself how to play guitar.
- Had to learn to skateboard for his role in Back to the Future.
- Left Spin City because of his Parkinson’s.
- Has four children with wife Tracy Pollan, who used to date Kevin Bacon.
- Couldn’t use the name Michael Fox when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild because one already existed. That guy was on my soap opera (The Bold and the Beautiful) but he’s dead now. Michael added the initial J even though his middle name is Andrew because he supposedly didn’t want the teen mags calling him Michael, A Fox.
Michael J. Fox continues to act and do voiceover work. He has done several shows since Spin City including Boston Legal, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Good Wife, Designated Survivor, and more. He also spends a lot of time being an advocate for Parkinson’s disease research. Fox appears to have such a positive attitude which I feel can make a huge difference in everything, especially with his prognosis. He was never my teen idol but will always hold a special place in my heart as Marty McFly. He should go far with that positive attitude of his. “Time circuits on. Flux Capacitor……fluxxing. Engine running. All right!”
Check out my Michael J. Fox items available in my eBay store.