Why Michael J. Fox Says Going Public with His Parkinson's Diagnosis Was 'Hell' for His Wife Tracy Pollan

Michael J. Fox says that being the public face of Parkinson's can be a challenge for his family. In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday, July 22, the 65-year-old actor reflected on the difficult decision to go public with his diagnosis and the impact it had on his wife, Tracy Pollan.

"It was hell on Tracy, it was really hard on her, and it still is because it's always changing," Fox told the outlet. "But I said to her, 'I have to go all the way here. No half measures.'"

The Back to the Future star was just 29 when he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991. Parkinson's is a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system, according to the Mayo Clinic. He publicly disclosed his diagnosis in 1998 and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which has since funded more than $3 billion in research.

Rejecting Vanity and Embracing Transparency

Fox explained that his decision to go public was driven by a desire to normalize the condition and offer hope to others facing similar challenges.

"I started to understand what it was like for these people who didn't have the options or the choices I had, didn't have the connections and the reason to be optimistic," he said. "I needed to normalize it and just be that all the time. I said, 'I have to not hide this. F--- vanity.'"

When he first went public, Fox was taken aback by how the news was enthusiastically received by those with the disease. He recalled thinking, "Well, f--- you! I have Parkinson's, and you're celebrating." But he soon understood the significance of his decision.

"I got it. People back then would never in a million years tell you they had Parkinson's," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

A Foundation That Transformed Research

Deborah W. Brooks, Fox's longtime business partner and CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, praised the actor's willingness to be transparent about his journey. "There isn't any other Parkinson's patient who's letting people see their lives 35 years into a Parkinson's diagnosis," she told the outlet. "That is such an active choice of generosity. It's not an ego thing. It is a willingness to just be."

Brooks also highlighted the foundation's transformative impact on Parkinson's research. "It's a hard disease the care is hard to get, it's not easy at all. The scientific landscape globally is also transformed, and that's a direct byproduct of all the research we have funded in the last 20-plus years," she said. "When we started, almost nothing had made it all the way into human testing of any kind. Today, there are 180-ish active Parkinson's drug programs in human testing."

Return to Acting on 'Shrinking'

After announcing his retirement during the COVID pandemic, Fox returned to acting on Apple TV's Shrinking, playing a Parkinson's disease patient opposite Harrison Ford, whose character, Paul, also has Parkinson's. The role, which he said was "the first time I played someone interacting with someone else who had Parkinson's," earned Fox an Emmy nomination.

"[Ford] was happy that I was sharing my experience with him as a character and helping him do what he needed to do," Fox told The Hollywood Reporter. "He was so loving. I didn't know what to expect with Harrison because he's famously a stoic, curmudgeonly guy and he's really a sweetheart."

Returning to acting, he said, has "really prolonged my life and made my life interesting in a way that I didn't think it would be to this point."

Living with Parkinson's on His Own Terms

Fox has been open about the challenges of living with Parkinson's, including the physical and emotional toll it has taken over the decades. However, he remains determined to live life on his own terms.

"I'm not retired from acting, but if I didn't act again, it would be for a very good reason," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "I let Parkinson's make decisions for me."

The actor's willingness to share his journey, including the struggles and the triumphs has made him an enduring source of inspiration for millions around the world. His foundation continues to drive progress in Parkinson's research, offering hope to patients and families navigating the disease.

Michael J. Fox's decision to go public with his Parkinson's diagnosis was not made lightly. As he acknowledged, it took a toll on his wife and family. But his commitment to transparency, driven by a desire to help others and advance research, has had an immeasurable impact on the Parkinson's community.

With the Michael J. Fox Foundation funding billions in research and a new generation of drug programs in development, the actor's legacy extends far beyond his iconic film and television roles. As he continues to act and advocate, Fox remains a powerful voice for those living with Parkinson's and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Shrinking is now streaming on Apple TV.