Michael J. Fox has opened up about his struggles over the past year, during which he suffered multiple painful injuries and mourned the loss of his mother Phyllis, who died in September at age 92.
The 61-year-old actor, who has battled Parkinson’s disease for more than 30 years, told People magazine that his health issues have worsened with age.
The ‘Back to the Future’ star underwent risky spine surgery to remove a tumor on his back and then broke his left arm in 2018, which he previously described as the worst year of his life.
“It got worse,” Fox said. “I broke my cheek, then my hand, then my shoulder, I had a replacement shoulder and I broke my [right] arm, then I broke my elbow. I’m 61 and I feel it a little more.”
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Michael J. Fox spoke about his struggles over the past year.
(Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for the Tribeca Film Festival)
While the spate of injuries isn’t necessarily a sign that his condition has deteriorated, Fox said the incidents have affected his generally upbeat attitude.
“I was never really a grumpy guy, but I got really grumpy and short with people,” he said. “I’m trying to nip it in the bud. I always think about those helpers working with me.”
“And I often say to them, ‘Whatever I say, just imagine that I said ‘please’ at the beginning and ‘thank you’ at the end. Just take a second and absorb that I could have said that if I was more myself, but I didn’t, then I apologize.'”
However, Fox said his morale improved as he progressed through his recovery.
“I’m going through the moment when the last of my wounds are healing; my arm feels great,” he said. “Life is interesting. It gives you these things.”
Fox told the outlet that now “the whole mission is: Do not fall. So anything that works so I don’t fall, whether it’s a walker or a wheelchair, a cane, a guy with a belt around my waist holding it, I use all those tools.”
As he continues to recover, Fox has had less need for these tools. Earlier this month, he was able to walk on his own while reuniting with “Back to the Future” co-star Christopher Lloyd on stage at New York Comic-Con.
The actor recovered from his injuries and was able to walk on his own when he joined Christopher Lloyd on stage at the ‘Back to the Future’ reunion.
(Bryan Bedder)
“I just got to where I walk regularly again,” the Canada native said. “I think it’s cool to walk alone. It is. It’s fantastic.”
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive central nervous system disorder that affects movement, in 1991 but went public with his diagnosis in 1998.
PD causes tremors, balance problems, and limb stiffness, among other side effects. Symptoms can be controlled with medication, but the condition cannot be cured.
After revealing his diagnosis, Fox continued acting until his retirement was announced in 2020. Parkinson’s disease can affect cognitive abilities, and Fox told People magazine he decided to retire when he discovered that he had trouble remembering his lines.
“I couldn’t focus on one line,” he said. “I didn’t fight. I couldn’t do it, so I didn’t do it anymore.”
After retiring from acting, Fox devoted himself to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a nonprofit organization he co-founded in 2000 to help find a cure. He also told People magazine that he was working on a new documentary project that is set to debut on Apple in 2023.
The ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ alum thanked his wife Tracy Pollan for supporting him through his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Fox and actress Tracy Pollan have been married since 1988.
(Noam Galai/Getty Images Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Fox and the 62-year-old actress have been married since 1988. They share son Sam, 33, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 27, and daughter Esmé, 21.
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“It took me a while to realize that it wasn’t just about me,” Fox said. “If I break my arm, I take care of my broken arm. But if you are the person who lives with, loves and supports the person with the broken arm, you have to do everything.”
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He also reflected on watching his children grow into adulthood. “My youngest [children] never knew me without Parkinson’s,” he said. “Sam was 2 or 3 years old when I was diagnosed. So they never knew anything else. And there’s a certain latitude that you have to give someone who has Parkinson’s disease. You can choose how nice it is to be and how much to do – and how much to know not TO DO. It’s a matter of empathy.”
Despite the difficulty of the past year, Fox told People that he remains optimistic about the future. “It’s been a struggle, but I’m happy,” he said.
“I say this because I hope that on some level people can find happiness despite what they’re going through,” Fox concluded.
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