History of Michael J. Fox in Timeline
Michael J. Fox is a Canadian-American actor and activist who began his career in the 1970s. He gained significant recognition for his role as Alex P. Keaton in the sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989) and as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). Fox also starred in films like Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987) and Casualties of War (1989). He returned to television in the sitcom Spin City (1996–2000), playing the lead role of Mike Flaherty.
July 16, 1988: Marriage to Tracy Pollan
On July 16, 1988, Michael J. Fox married Tracy Pollan at West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont. They met while she played his girlfriend on "Family Ties".
1991: Diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease
In 1991, Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Following his diagnosis, he became an activist and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation to support Parkinson's research.
1991: Early Parkinson's Symptoms and Diagnosis
In early 1991, Michael J. Fox started displaying symptoms of early-onset Parkinson's disease while shooting the film "Doc Hollywood" and was diagnosed shortly thereafter.
1992: Sought help and stopped drinking
In 1992, Michael J. Fox sought help and stopped drinking alcohol.
1997: Purchase of Fifth Avenue Apartment
In 1997, Michael J. Fox purchased an apartment on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, where he and his family lived primarily until 2020.
1998: Thalamotomy
In 1998, Michael J. Fox had a thalamotomy to manage the symptoms of his Parkinson's disease.
1998: Public Announcement of Parkinson's Disease
In 1998, Michael J. Fox publicly announced that he had Parkinson's disease. He has since become a strong advocate for Parkinson's disease research and founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
1999: Senate Testimony
In Lucky Man, Fox wrote that he did not take his medication prior to his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 1999.
1999: Life between 1999 and 2009
The book Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, describes his life between 1999 and 2009, with much of the book centered on how Fox got into campaigning for stem cell research.
2000: Became a US Citizen
In 2000, Michael J. Fox became a US citizen but retained his Canadian citizenship.
2000: Induction to Canada's Walk of Fame
In 2000, Michael J. Fox was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
April 2002: NPR Interview on Managing Symptoms
In an interview with NPR in April 2002, Michael J. Fox explained what he does when he becomes symptomatic.
2002: Induction to the Hollywood Walk of Fame
In 2002, Michael J. Fox was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2006: Campaign Ad for Claire McCaskill
In 2006, Michael J. Fox starred in a campaign ad for Claire McCaskill, who was running for Senate against Jim Talent. In the ad, Fox expressed support for embryonic stem cell research and visibly showed the effects of his Parkinson's disease.
2007: Purchase of House in Quogue, New York
In 2007, Michael J. Fox purchased a house in Quogue, New York, where he and his family lived part-time and spent the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2007: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2007, Michael J. Fox was named one of the 100 people "whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world" by Time magazine.
March 31, 2009: Appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
On March 31, 2009, Michael J. Fox appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Mehmet Oz to discuss his condition, his book, his family, and his primetime special.
May 7, 2009: Airing of Primetime Special
On May 7, 2009, Michael J. Fox's primetime special, Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, aired.
February 28, 2010: Appearance at the 2010 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony
On February 28, 2010, Michael J. Fox provided a light-hearted segment during the 2010 Winter Olympics' closing ceremony in Vancouver, expressing his pride in being Canadian.
March 5, 2010: Honorary Doctorate in Medicine
On March 5, 2010, Michael J. Fox received an honorary doctorate in medicine from Karolinska Institute for his contributions to Parkinson's disease research.
June 4, 2010: Granted Freedom of the City by Burnaby
On June 4, 2010, the city of Burnaby granted Michael J. Fox the Freedom of the City.
2010: Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada
In 2010, Michael J. Fox was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
2010: Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI)
Since 2010, Michael J. Fox has led a $100-million effort, which is the Foundation's landmark observational study, to discover the biological markers of Parkinson's disease with the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI).
May 31, 2012: Honorary Degree from Justice Institute of British Columbia
On May 31, 2012, Michael J. Fox received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the Justice Institute of British Columbia. This recognized his achievements as a performer and his commitment to raising research funding and awareness for Parkinson's disease.
2016: Listing of Sharon, Connecticut Estate
In 2016, Michael J. Fox listed the estate he and Tracy Pollan built in Sharon, Connecticut in 2020.
2016: Fundraising Raffle for Parkinson's Disease Awareness
In 2016, Michael J. Fox's organization created a raffle to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease. With the help of Nike, Inc., they raised $6.75 million through two auctions.
2020: Comments on Possible Causes of Parkinson's
In 2020, Michael J. Fox discussed potential environmental factors that might have contributed to his Parkinson's disease in an interview with Hadley Freeman of The Guardian.
2020: Endorsement of Pete Buttigieg
In 2020, Michael J. Fox endorsed Pete Buttigieg prior to the United States presidential election.
2020: Retirement from Acting and Memoir Release
In 2020, Michael J. Fox retired from acting due to unreliable speech. Also in 2020, his memoir, "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality", was released, where he discussed his memory loss and decision to retire.
2020: Release of 'No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality'
In 2020, Michael J. Fox's fourth book, "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality", was released.
2020: Primary Residence on Fifth Avenue Until 2020
Michael J. Fox and his family lived primarily in an apartment on Fifth Avenue until 2020. In 2020, they built an estate in Sharon, Connecticut
2021: Television and Film Appearances
In 2021, Michael J. Fox appeared in an episode of the television series Expedition: Back to the Future and in the animated film Back Home Again.
2021: Move to Santa Barbara, California
In 2021, Michael J. Fox sold his house in Quogue and moved to Santa Barbara, California, with his family, taking up residence in Malibu several months later.
2022: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
At the 2022 Governors Awards, Michael J. Fox was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his efforts in fighting Parkinson's, having raised over $1 billion for research. The award was presented by Woody Harrelson.
May 12, 2023: Release of 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie'
On May 12, 2023, 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie', a documentary about Michael J. Fox's career and Parkinson's diagnosis, was released on Apple TV+. The film, directed by Davis Guggenheim, received positive reviews and won several awards.
June 29, 2024: Glastonbury Festival Performance with Coldplay
On June 29, 2024, Michael J. Fox joined British rock band Coldplay as a guest at the Glastonbury Festival. He played guitar on the songs "Humankind" and "Fix You" during their performance.
2024: Named in Time Magazine's List of Influential People in Health
Michael J. Fox was named in Time Magazine's 2024 list of influential people in health.
May 15, 2025: Casting in 'Shrinking' Season 3
On May 15, 2025, it was announced that Michael J. Fox would be joining the cast of the third season of the TV show Shrinking, marking a return to acting.
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