Michael J. FOX: The actor stepped back and thought about that scene with Leonardo DiCaprio

Michael J. Fox recalls a particular scene in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…” when he decided it was time to retire. After debuting in the TV series Family Ties, the actor became famous for his role as Marty McFly in Robert Zemeckis’ saga Back to the Future. However, in 1991, at the age of 29, he learned that he had Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological condition that eventually led to his retirement in 2020 at the age of 58.

In a recent interview with Empire Magazine (via Screenrant and Variety ), on the heels of the release of his biographical documentary Still: The Life of Michael J. Fox , the comedian recalls the moment he knew it was time for him to call it quits. He was on the set of The Good Fight, a spinoff of The Good Wife, and despite his ability to quickly memorize his scripts in the past, he kept forgetting his lines.

I was thinking once upon a time… in Hollywood. There’s a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character can’t remember his lyrics. He returns to his dressing room and shouts at himself in the mirror. It’s just crazy. I had this moment where I looked in the mirror and thought, “I don’t remember this. OK, let’s move on. It was quiet.

The scene that Michael J. Fox performs is one of the most memorable scenes from Tarantino’s film. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, actor Rick Darlton, actually forgets his lines and storms through his dressing room in a rage. Tarantino previously revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio himself improvised the torment, which was not in the script.

Philosophy of life, including Parkinson’s

Recently, on the cover of Variety magazine, Michael J. Fox confided in his life about Parkinson’s disease. “After the diagnosis, I won more awards and had more nominations. People may feel bad for me, but I’d rather have that recognition to pursue a legitimate career.“

And when told that he is a hero, that he lives openly with this disease and talks about it without a filter, the actor replies:It’s just a nice way for people to let me know they’re excited about getting my stuff and how I’m trying to make a difference. But it doesn’t matter if I sit here and talk to you about how I took it philosophically and carried the weight of it, Parkinson’s continues to kick my ass. I won’t win. I’m going to lose. But there is much to be gained in defeat.“

Still: The Life of Michael J. Fox is available to stream on May 12 on Apple TV+.