Biography And Acting Career Of Michael J Fox

Michael J Fox is a respected and beloved Canadian actor, author and producer who came into the limelight with his role as Alex P. Keaton in the American sitcom Family Ties. He has earned several awards during his career including as a Grammy Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actor Guild Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.

Biography

Michael Andrew Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on the 9th of June, 1961. His mother, Phyllis, is an actress and clerk while his father, William Fox was a police officer and Canadian Forces member. The family initially could not settle down in a particular place as they shuttled through cities due to his father's job. In 1971, William Fox retired and the family moved finally to Burnaby in British Columbia where the young actor attended Burnaby Central Secondary School. When he was 15, he starred in the television series Leo and Me. At 18, he decided to move to Los Angeles to focus more on his acting.

Career

Michael, who was discovered by producer Ronald Sheldon was a part of the television film Letters From Frank. The Canadian actor obviously was not satisfied with Michael A. Fox being his professional name and so he opted for a new middle initial 'J' which served as a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard. Michael J Fox also appeared in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies in the 80s including the Back to the Future Trilogy, Teen Wolf (1985) and The Secrets of My Success (1987).

In 1990, Michael lost his father due to a heart attack. The following year, he was privately diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was told he had ten years left to work. This made him sign a three-film contract where he featured in For Love or Money (1993), Life With Mikey (1993) and Greedy (1994). His last major film appearance was The Frighteners (1996) where he played the role of an architect who communicated with ghosts.

Asides acting, Michael J Fox has lent his voice to several voice roles in movies like Homeward Bound I & II, Stuart Little and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He also featured in television shows such as Spin City, Scrubs and Rescue Me all of which earned him awards. He finally announced his ailment in the third season of Spin City and his retirement from the show.

The five-time Emmy Award winner who doubles as an author has released three books which includes his autobiography, Lucky Man: A Memoir, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned and Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.

Upon discovering he had Parkinson's disease, Michael J Fox has become an avid supporter of the disease's research. He started up a foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, to further promote better research especially with regards to finding the cure. Being diagnosed with Parkinson's is not a death sentence, as such the actor is still alive and kicking today despite being diagnosed decades ago. However, the actor has not been exempt from death hoaxes online. On the 4th of August 2018, it was reported that the Family Ties Star had died as a result of pneumonia, being a complication of the Parkinson's disease. This was proven to be an inaccurate hoax when his Foundation released a report which confirms the actor's existence.