Michael J. Fox has spoken about the significant personal impact that going public with his Parkinson's disease diagnosis had on his wife, Tracy Pollan, describing the experience as "hell on Tracy." Fox, who was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 1991 at age 29, kept his condition private for seven years before revealing it in 1998.
Speaking at the third annual Social Impact Summit, hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and Social Impact Fund, the 65-year-old actor explained his reasoning for choosing openness. "I said to her, ‘I have to go all the way here. No half measures,’" Fox recalled, referring to his wife. "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.’"
Following his public announcement, Fox retired from acting after one more season of his show "Spin City" to dedicate himself to advocacy and fundraising for Parkinson's disease. He founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 with the mission to find a cure.
Foundation's Research Progress
Deborah W. Brooks, Co-Founder and CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, stated that the organization has committed over $3 billion to research worldwide. She expressed optimism about the advancements being made in Parkinson's research, much of which has occurred since the foundation's inception. Brooks credited Fox's courage for his willingness to share his Parkinson's experience publicly, which she believes has been empowering for other patients and has helped reduce stigma.
Brooks highlighted the foundation's work in activating scientists globally and their goal of translating research breakthroughs into tangible treatments available at the drugstore. She noted recent progress in detecting Parkinson's before symptoms manifest as a significant development.
Fox's Continued Acting Career
Despite his initial retirement from acting in 1998, Fox has since returned to the screen. He has appeared in shows such as "Scrubs," "The Good Wife," "Boston Legal," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He recently received an Emmy nomination for his guest role on the Apple TV+ show "Shrinking," where he portrayed a character dealing with Parkinson's disease and interacted with Harrison Ford's character, who also has the condition.
Fox and Brooks were honored with the Philanthropic Organization of the Year award at this year's Social Impact Summit.
