HEALTHMichael J. Fox, 64, Admits He'd 'Like to Just Not Wake Up One Day' Amid Tough and 'Enigmatic' Parkinson's Battle
Michael J. Fox was just 29 years old when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
Oct. 13 2025, Published 12:17 p.m. ET
Michael J. Fox has been an open book about the daily struggles he endures after being diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991.
In a new interview, the actor 64, admitted the disease is a "bully."
Michael J. Fox Has Thought About Death
Michael J. Fox has thought about his mortality after battling Parkinson's for over three decades.
"There’s no timeline, there’s no series of stages that you go through — not in the same way that you would, say, with prostate cancer," he explained in a new interview of the neurologic movement disorder. "It’s much more mysterious and enigmatic.”
The dad-of-four revealed he's thought about death before, as "there are not many people who have had Parkinson’s for 35 years."
When he does go, he'd "like to just not wake up one day," the Emmy winner confessed. "That’d be really cool. I don’t want it to be dramatic. I don’t want to trip over furniture, smash my head."
The Star Has Suffered Numerous Injuries
The star admitted he doesn't want his death to be 'dramatic.'
Fox detailed how the symptoms, such as body tremors or muscle stiffness, have led to multiple painful injuries.
"In a three-year period I broke my elbow, I broke my hand, I got a big infection in my hand and I almost lost my finger. It’s terrible," the Family Ties alum recalled. "I had all these little bones broken and it got infected and they had to cut the bones out because the bones got infected. broke my other shoulder, had it replaced. I broke my cheekbone."
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The Actor Uses a Wheelchair
Fox, who shares four grown children with wife Tracy Pollan, uses a wheelchair most of the time.
The star revealed he doesn't "walk that much anymore" for the sake of his safety.
"I can walk, but it’s not pretty and it’s a bit dangerous," he noted. "So I just roll that into my life, you know — no pun intended."
In past interviews, Fox has gushed over the support and help he receives from his wife, Tracy Pollan, 65.
Fox said he uses a wheelchair most of the time instead of walking because it's the safer option.
Though he's slowed down on acting roles and public appearances, he was happy to participate in a Back to the Future reunion convention a few years ago, where he had a realization.
"I thought, well, I’ll do this for the fans. I realized — no, it wasn’t for them, it was for me. I wanted to express my gratitude to them. They’ve given me so much, my life is so amazing," he raved. "The disease sucks, but … people don’t feel sorry for me. They don’t think I’m pathetic. They see me as — well, I couldn’t tell you how they see me, but I sense that they see me as a positive force."
