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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
Michael J. Fox has given his fans an update as he continues to live with Parkinson’s disease.
The Back to the Future star, 65, was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease in 1991 when he was 29 years old. He recently spoke to People in an interview published Wednesday about how he is navigating his health.
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“I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it,” he told the publication of the neurological condition.
With Parkinson’s, the brain becomes progressively damaged over many years. Physical symptoms include involuntary shaking of body parts, otherwise known as a tremor, as well as a slowness of movement and other mobility issues.
“I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it,” he continued. “I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.”
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‘I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to,’ Fox said (Getty)
While Fox initially announced his retirement from acting in 2020, he has since appeared in the third season of the Apple TV+ comedy drama, Shrinking, which stars Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades, who is living with Parkinson’s.
Ford called Fox’s presence on the show “essential,” telling Variety: “He gives me both a physical representation of the disease to inform myself with, but more than that, he allows me to believe that Paul could believe that he could be adequate to the challenge.”
On top of his television return, Fox has also maintained an active public presence, including appearances at Glastonbury and awards shows.
He last spoke about his experience with Parkinson’s in November 2024 at the annual gathering of his Parkinson’s research foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation. At the time, he spoke about how he strives to keep his sense of humor alive, saying that it’s “hard” but “I gotta keep it intact.”
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Michael J. Fox continues his work speaking out about Parkinson’s disease (Getty Images for The Michael J.)
The Teen Wolf star said that by embracing a darker but amusing outlook on life, he can bypass awkward situations that might occur during difficult conversations, as reported by People.
“That’s true. And it’s OK,” he said at the event. “Let’s embrace that and make a difference.”
Speaking last year to Entertainment Tonight, the Spin City star revealed how his outlook on the disease has changed over the years, noting that he doesn’t view his condition in a negative way.
“After 35 years or something since I’ve been diagnosed, this is just my life, and I don’t think about it much,” he said about his Parkinson’s.
He did, however, admit to thinking a lot about the condition as a whole, specifically the goal of finding a cure.
“I’m thinking about what we’re going to do as a community to figure this out and find a cure – and short of a cure, [create] treatment centers that are really groundbreaking,” he said.
He then emphasized that Parkinson’s has simply become a part of his everyday life, adding: “Me personally, it’s just who I am, and the way I was built. And I’m necessarily trying to figure it out for me, I’m figuring it out for everybody. But it just is what it is.”
