Michael J. Fox has revealed doctors told him he had just 10 years left to work when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
In a new interview with Haute Living, the actor opened up about finding out he had Parkinson’s when he was 29 years old, in 1991.
“I was diagnosed 25 years ago, and I was only supposed to work for another 10 years,” he told the magazine.
Michael with his wife Tracy Pollan at an anniversary screening of Back to the Future. Photo: Getty
The decision led him to pack in as many projects as he could during that time, fearing that the end of his career was approaching.
“I was supposed to be pretty much disabled by now. I’m far from it. This is as bad as I get, and I can still go to the store and go marketing.”
Eventually, the actor decided to speak out about his condition and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to help in the search for a cure.
“I realised it was a real awakening to me because I had been kind of keeping this secret,” he said of his decision to go public.
Michael and Tracy with their children Sam and Esme. Photo: Getty
Since then, the star has continued to enjoy a busy career, nabbing three Emmy nominations for his work on The Good Wife and debuting The Michael J. Fox Show in 2013.
He is also a proud parent to four children with wife Tracy Pollan – eldest son Sam and daughters Schuyler, Esme and Aquinnah.
“They grew up with this. It’s all they know, and I think if you asked them to describe me, the ninth thing they would say would be that I had Parkinson’s,” he said.
