Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox, actor, producer, author (b Michael Andrew Fox at Edmonton 9 June 1961). Michael Fox, the son of an army dispatcher, moved among various towns until his father retired and the family settled in Burnaby, BC, in the early 1970s. At age 12 he appeared in an episode of The Beachcombers and at 15 he starred alongside Brent CARVER in the short-lived CBC sitcom Leo and Me, shot in Vancouver. In 1979 he landed a role in Letters from Frank, his first movie made for American television, and in 1980 he had a leading role in the Disney-produced Midnight Madness.

An in-depth interview with actor Michael J. Fox from the "Archive of American Television" on YouTube.

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Fox moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television, and added the letter J as his middle initial when it became necessary to distinguish himself from another Michael Fox listed in the American Screen Actors directory. He was days away from returning to Vancouver when he landed the part of Alex P. Keaton in what turned out to be the popular and long-running TV series Family Ties (1982-89). Keaton's cute, preppy Republicanism contrasted sharply with the values of his hippy parents but was in tune with then-president Ronald Reagan's vision of American youth. The part made Michael J. Fox a major television star, with 3 consecutive (1986, 1987, 1988) Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series and nominations in 1985 and 1989. Fox also won the Golden Globe Award in 1989 for best performance by an actor in a comedy/musical TV series.

While still making Family Ties, Fox attained movie-star status in 1985 with 2 films, Teen Wolf and, especially, Back to the Future, a huge theatrical hit worldwide that was followed by sequels in 1989 and 1990. Due to the actor's commitment to Family Ties, Fox's agent initially turned down the role of Back to the Future's Marty McFly. The part went to Eric Stoltz, but director Robert Zemeckis was unhappy with Stoltz's performance and the part was again offered to Fox. This time the agent relented and Fox shot his scenes in Back to the Future after full days of work on the set of the TV series.

A succession of films followed in the late 1980s, and the diminutive actor bursting with friendly charm became one of the most popular screen personalities in the US. He also demonstrated an ability to deal with serious roles, as in Light of Day (1986) and, perhaps most famously, Brian DePalma's Vietnam film, Casualties of War (1989). However, the critics were not as pleased with Fox's dramatic prowess and he wisely stayed within his light comedic range in the 1990s with The Hard Way (1991), Doc Hollywood (1991), Life with Mikey (1993), The American President (1995), The Frighteners (1996) and Mars Attacks! (1996).

With the onset of Parkinson's disease - a fact publicly revealed in 1998 - and a film career that had peaked 10 years earlier, Michael J. Fox returned to television in the comedy series Spin City (1996-2002). He played Mike Flaherty, a wily political handler and deputy mayor of New York City. Once again Fox was in a hit, and this time he was one of the show's producers. In 1997 he won the People's Choice Award for favourite male performer in a new TV series, and he received 4 Emmy Award nominations for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, winning in 2000. The Golden Globe Awards named him best performer in a comedy/musical TV series in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and the American Screen Actors Guild awarded him outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series in 1999 and 2000.

When symptoms of his Parkinson's disease became noticeably worse, Fox retired from Spin City after its fourth season. He voiced the character of Stuart Little in the animated/live-action films Stuart Little (1999) and Stuart Little 2 (2002). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his guest role on Boston Legal in 2006 and won an Emmy for his guest role on Rescue Me in 2009. He appears in a recurring role in The Good Wife (2010-11).

Michael J. Fox has authored 3 books - Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002), Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2008), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned (2010). He has been a vocal advocate for stem-cell research through his US-based Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and has received honorary degrees from New York University, the University of British Columbia, and Karolinska Institute in Sweden. He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000 and named to the ORDER OF CANADA in 2010. He was awarded Germany's Golden Camera Award for on- and off-screen lifetime achievement in 2011.

Author WYNDHAM WISE

Suggested Reading
Michael J. Fox, Lucky Man (2002).

Links to Other Sites
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
This website describes the nature of Parkinson's disease and current research initiatives. Also provides a bio of Michael J. Fox.

Parkinson Society Canada
The website for the Parkinson Society Canada. Focuses on the nature of Parkinson's disease, treatment, care, and related research projects.

Michael J. Fox Voted Most Influential Canadian Living Abroad
A press release about Edmonton native Michael J. Fox being named the most influential expat by the Canadian Expat Association. A PDF file.

Michael J. Fox's Life Lessons
Actor, author, and activist Michael J. Fox talks about "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future." From ABC news.

Michael J. Fox - Archive Interview
An in-depth interview with actor Michael J. Fox from the "Archive of American Television."

Governor General's appointments to the Order of Canada
Scroll down the page and click on the links to brief biographical notes of recent appointees to the Order of Canada. Click on "Find a Recipient" on the left side of the page to find previous recipients. From the website for the Governor General of Canada.