Michael J. Fox Biography

Born Michael Andrew Fox in Canada, he moved, along with parents Bill and Phyllis, sisters Kelli, Karen and Jacki, and brother Stephen, several times during childhood, before settling in Vancouver.

This is where he started to act, adding 'J' as his middle initial, in homage to actor Michael J. Pollard.

He made his professional debut in the sitcom 'Leo and Me' in 1976, aged 15, and appeared in a few films before achieving success on TV, first in 'Midnight Madness' and subsequently as the bullied high-school student, in 'Class of 1984'.

The TV sitcom 'Family Ties' shot him to immediate stardom, with his portrayal of the money-obsessed Alex P. Keaton winning him three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.

Michael married actress Tracey Pollan, who played his girlfriend on 'Family Ties', in 1988, and they have four children together.

His starring role, as Marty McFly, in 'Back to the Future' in 1985 and its two sequels, brought him even more recognition. The trilogy has since achieved cult status. Fox and fellow actor Christopher Lloyd were praised by Variety for their on-screen relationship – reminiscent of Arthur and Merlin.

Fox went on to star in 'Teen Wolf' in 1985, 'Light of Day' (1987), 'The Secret of My Success, (1987), 'Bright Lights, Big City' (1988), and 'Casualties of War' in 1989.

In 1991 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but nevertheless continued working. He only publicly announced his condition in 1998. He appeared in 'The Hard Way' and 'Doc Hollywood' in the same year, before going on to star in 1993 releases 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey', 'Life with Mikey' and 'For Love or Money'. His projects included television work such as ‘Don't Drink the Water’ (1994) and the hit series 'Spin City', which he started appearing in from 1996.

Before joining the series, Fox collaborated with Michael Douglas, Annette Bening and Martin Sheen in 1995 romantic comedy 'The American President', in which he played the assistant to the leader of the free world. The same year saw him star in 'The Frighteners' and the comic science fiction movie 'Mars Attacks'.

Although Fox continued appearing in live action television roles, his appearances on the silver screen changed to largely voice representations. In 1999, he was involved in 'Stuart Little' and appeared in 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire' in 2001. He left 'Spin City' the same year due to the advancing effects of Parkinson's disease, but went on to have further involvements with 'Stuart Little 2' (2002).

Since his diagnosis, he has been a strong advocate of Parkinson's disease research, especially embryonic stem cell research, which many in the scientific community believe may one day help sufferers of Parkinson's and other debilitating illnesses. His organisation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, was created in 2000 to help advance this research.

In 2004, Fox guest starred in the medical comedy ‘Scrubs’ as Dr Kevin Casey, who suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and went on to reprise his voice role for the title character of the mouse in 'Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild' in 2005.

Fox later appeared in four episodes of ‘Boston Legal’ (2009) as a lung cancer patient who used his influence in an experimental drug test to ensure he received the real drug instead of a placebo.

The producers brought him back in a recurring role for season three, beginning with the series premiere. Though his character did not survive the season, Fox was nominated for an Emmy Award for best guest appearance.

A winner of four Golden Globes, Fox received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2002.

Since 2000, Fox has released three memoirs including 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned' in 2010.

The same year, he returned to TV as a guest star in the legal drama 'The Good Wife'. He continues to make appearances in the show as a rival lawyer to the main character.

In 2011, Fox appeared in an episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. On 21 November the actor will be a guest speaker at the Robart's Research Institute's 25th anniversary dinner in London.

Fox will discuss his battle with Parkinson's and how his family and music keep him going.