Michael J. Fox

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Biography

Michael J. Fox is a Canadian-American activist and retired actor. His is most famous for his roles as Alex P. Keaton on the television show Family Ties (1982–1989) and Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990).

Michael Andrew Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta on June 9, 1961, the son of William Fox and Phyllis Piper. Their family lived in a number of communities across Canada before settling in Burnaby, British Columbia in 1971.

Michael began his acting career on the Canadian television series Leo and Me, produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He moved to Los Angeles to further his career.

He intended to use the name Michael Fox professionally. However, when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, he discovered there was already an actor registered with that name. He choose the stage name Michael J. Fox.

Michael had roles on a couple of feature films before landing the role of Alex P. Keaton on the television show Family Ties. He won three Emmy Awards for Family Ties in 1986, 1987, and 1988 and a Golden Globe Award in 1989.

Michael married his "Family Ties" co-star, actress Tracy Pollan, in 1988.

Along with his role in the Back to the Future film trilogy, he starred in a number of other feature films and returned to the small screen to star in Spin City (1996 to 2002). He won an Emmy Award for Spin City in 2000, three Golden Globe Awards in 1998, 1999, and 2000, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards in 1999 and 2000.

In 1998, Michael publicly revealed his 1991 diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He became an advocate for finding a cure for this disease and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to help fund research.

Michael has written four books: Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002), Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned (2010), and No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality (2020).

Michael retired from acting in 2020.

Michael has been awarded numerous honours including: being inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, receiving the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, being appointed Officer of the Order of Canada, and being awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from 95th Academy Awards. Michael has been the recipient of honorary degrees from the following academic institutions: The Karolinska Institute in Sweden; New York University; the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; the University of British Columbia; and Stony Brook University. A documentary film about his life will be released in the spring of 2023.

Sources

• Wikipedia:Michael J. Fox
• Michael's Story, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
• Michael J. Fox imdb.com

See Also:

• Alberta Performing Artists