HEALTHMichael J. Fox Says He Still Has 'a Lot Left to Do' More Than 30 Years After Parkinson's Diagnosis
Actor Michael J. Fox has 'a lot left to do' before slowing down more than 30 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991.
Oct. 8 2025, Published 6:13 p.m. ET
Michael J. Fox refuses to slow down more than 30 years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“I see other people’s work, and it makes me think that I might be able to find something that’s for me as an actor and as a writer,” Fox, 64, explained in an interview published by a news outlet on Wednesday, October 8. “And as a parent, husband and friend, I have a lot left to do.”
Michael J. Fox Has 'a Lot Left to Do'
Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991.
Fox was 29 years old when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. The disorder primarily affects movement, and symptoms include tremors, balance issues, muscle stiffness, slowed movement and cognitive issues.
Although there are no known cures, treatment and therapies can help manage a patient’s symptoms.
Michael J. Fox Opened Up About Day-to-Day Struggles
Michael J. Fox opened up about living with Parkinson's disease.
“I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it,” the movie star shared of his daily struggles of living with the neurodegenerative disorder.
“I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to,” he continued. “You take the good, and you seize it.”
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Michael J. Fox Credits His Wife Tracy Pollan
Michael J. Fox finds strength from his wife, Tracy Pollan.
Fox often credits his wife, Tracy Pollan, for his strength as he battles the disease. The pair has been together since 1988, just three years before the actor received his Parkinson’s diagnosis. He spoke about his relationship with Pollan – with whom he shares four children, Sam Michael, Aquinnah, Schuyler and Esme – in his 2023 documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.
Michael J. Fox Acknowledged Tracy Pollan's 'Burden'
Michael J. Fox acknowledged the struggles his wife, Tracy Pollan, faces amid his Parkinson's battle.
"When I'm with my family there's no… 'Oh baby. I feel your pain. I feel so bad for you. You're a saint among men,'" the actor said. "That would be the worst thing they could do to me."
He also acknowledged the obstacles Pollan, 65, faces on a daily basis. "How frustrating it must be to bear a burden that isn't her burden. It's my burden, but she shares it with me," Fox noted. "She not only shares it with me; she takes it on more than I take it on. Anything I go through, she's gone through and then has to figure out how to make it work. I just have to feel it and live it."
