Michael J Fox has explained why he returned to acting sooner than he expected, despite Parkinson's disease making it harder for him to memorize lines. The 65-year-old actor said his new role on the Apple TV series Shrinking allowed him to "show up on set" as himself.
Fox first retired from acting in 2000, two years after publicly revealing his diagnosis, though he later made cameo appearances on Scrubs and The Good Wife before stepping away again in 2020.
Speaking to People about his decision to return, Fox said: "A new variable emerged: my ability to memorize lines." He added, "There's a time for everything, and the time for 12-hour workdays was behind me."
Joining Shrinking
Fox joined the Harrison Ford-led series Shrinking for its third season earlier this year. The show was created by his longtime friend Bill Lawrence, and Fox said he appreciated the freedom to "use how I feel on any given day and channel it into the scene."
On the series, Fox plays a character named Gerry, who becomes friends with Ford's character, Dr Paul Rhoades, a man who is also navigating a Parkinson's diagnosis.
Fox was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for the role. The late Rob Reiner was announced as the winner in that category over the weekend.
Diagnosis and first retirement
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29, while filming Doc Hollywood, after experiencing a sore shoulder. He went public with his diagnosis in 1998.
Fox had previously worked with Lawrence on ABC's Spin City, but left the show after its fourth season in 2000, when his Parkinson's symptoms worsened. He also appeared in a two-episode arc on Scrubs, another Lawrence-led series, playing a genius doctor with severe OCD.
Fox has said the disease prompted him to largely retire from acting, devoting more time to his family and to his foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which funds research into Parkinson's disease and the search for a cure.
From Marty McFly to Family Ties
Fox is best known for starring as teenager Marty McFly in the 1985 science fiction film Back to the Future, and its sequels, Back to the Future Part II in 1989 and Back to the Future Part III in 1990.
He also played Alex P Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties from 1982 until 1989.
About Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes the impairment and death of nerve cells that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate body movement. Without dopamine, patients can experience balance problems, tremors, stiff limbs and slowed movement.
According to the Parkinson's Foundation, roughly 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease every year, and 10 to 20 percent of those diagnosed are under age 50. Experts are still unsure what causes Parkinson's, though evidence suggests genetic factors and environmental triggers, such as exposure to strong chemicals and pesticides, may play a role. According to the Michael J Fox Foundation, a family history of the disease may also be a factor in younger patients.
