Biography

Michael J. Fox

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Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox on June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to Phyllis Fox (née Piper), a payroll clerk, and William Fox. His parents moved their 10-year-old son, his three sisters, Kelli Fox, Karen, and Jacki, and his brother Steven, to Vancouver, British Columbia, after his father, a sergeant in the Canadian Army Signal Corps, retired. During these years Michael developed his desire to act. At 15 he successfully auditioned for the role of a 10-year-old in a series called Leo and Me (1978). Gaining attention as a bright new star in Canadian television and movies, Michael realized his love for acting when he appeared on stage in "The Shadow Box." At 18 he moved to Los Angeles and was offered a few television-series roles, but soon they stopped coming and he was surviving on boxes of macaroni and cheese. Then his agent called to tell him that he got the part of Alex P. Keaton on the situation comedy Family Ties (1982). He starred in the feature films Teen Wolf (1985), High School U.S.A. (1983), Poison Ivy (1985) and Back to the Future (1985).
- IMDb mini biography by: A. Nonymous

Negotiated the deal for Family Ties (1982) from a phone booth outside a now defunct Pioneer Chicken restaurant in Hollywood because he had no phone at home. He was told the network would need to call, and he said he was only home between the hours of four and five. He waited for the call, and fortunately he was there to answer it and secure the sitcom role.
Has forbidden any of his children to quit high school for Hollywood, demanding that they at least finish high school and maybe attend 1-2 years of college.
On account of his suffering from Parkinson's disease, during his run on Spin City (1996), he often hid his left hand in his pocket.
Fox has often recounted that when he went to tell one of his teachers that he was about to drop out of high school to pursue an acting career, the teacher told him, "Fox, you're not going to be cute forever", to which Fox responded, "Maybe just long enough, sir". When he retold the story on David Letterman's show in 2011, Fox added, "it turns out we were both right".
When filming Doc Hollywood (1991), he noticed his finger twitching. He was unable to control it. He then saw a doctor and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Pain is temporary, film is forever.
I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business.
(on his future wife Tracy Pollan) One day, she came back from lunch with bad breath and I said "Whoa, scampi for lunch?", and she said "You are the rudest son of a bitch I have ever met in my life" and I was immediately attracted to her like "Who is this woman?!".
[on being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease] People always ask me if I say to myself "Why me?" and I tell them, "Why not me?".
If 2 + 2 = 4 every time, what good is it? That's no fun.