Michael J. Fox, ever since he revealed that he has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease, has been quite vocal about raising awareness about it. While he has been quite candid about his journey, the actor recently touched on how this affected his wife, Tracy Pollan. During one of his latest interviews, the actor revealed that his going public about his disease brought a lot of repercussions for his wife. Read ahead to know more about the matter.
Michael J. Fox talks about going public about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran actor opened up about what it was like to go public with his diagnosis. However, he specifically touched on how everything affects life going forward and that she went through hell for him. He shared, “It was hell on Tracy, it was really hard on her — and it still is because it’s always changing, but I said to her, ‘I have to go all the way here. No half measures.’”He further commented that he wanted to be out and proud with his diagnosis and tread lightly around other people. “I started to understand what it was like for these people who didn’t have the options or the choices I had, didn’t have the connections and the reason to be optimistic. I needed to normalize it and just be that all the time. I said, ‘I have to not hide this. F*** vanity,’” the actor added.The actor also revealed that he was surprised by the kind of reception he had when he went public with his diagnosis, sharing that people who were suffering from the disease openly reacted to his statement. “I thought, ‘Well, f— you! I have Parkinson’s, and you’re celebrating,’ I got it. People back then would never in a million years tell you they had Parkinson’s”, he shared.
Michael J. Fox talks about his return to acting
The veteran star had announced that he was taking a step back from acting during the Covid 19 pandemic. However, this year he made his return to the screen with ‘Shrinking’, in which he played a patient with Parkinson’s disease opposite Harrison Ford, who was dealing with Parkinson’s. Talking about his return to acting, Fox shared, “[Ford] was happy that I was sharing my experience with him as a character and helping him do what he needed to do. He was so loving. I didn’t know what to expect with Harrison because he’s famously a stoic, curmudgeonly guy — and he’s really a sweetheart.”
What is Parkinson’s disease?
According to online reports from HHH, Parkinson’s disease is “a progressive condition that affects movement. It often starts with tremors, stiffness or slowness. It happens when brain cells that make dopamine stop working over time. There’s no cure, but medications and therapies may help manage symptoms to improve daily life.” Calling the disease common, the report also added that, “The disease is common. About 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with it each year. And an estimated 1 to 1.5 million people live with the condition.”
When did Michael J. Fox get diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease?
The beloved actor was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991, when he was only 29 years old. Years later, in 1998, he went public with his diagnosis and revealed that he had also founded a Research Foundation to raise awareness about the disease and find a cure. According to the report to date, he has raised around USD 3 billion for the foundation for Parkinson’s research.