Michael J Fox - The Incurable Optimist

Michael J Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Canada on 9th June 1961. However, as there was already an actor called Michael Fox, he had to change his name for professional reasons. He chose to add the initial J as he thought that Michael A Fox sounded too corney and was a fan of the actor Michael J Pollard.

Michael J Fox continued to act for some time after being diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease. He hid his condition from the world (and even his co stars) for as long as feasibly possible.

Although Michael J Fox continues to act from time to time, along with writing a sequel to his book "Lucky Man", his main focus is raising funds for research into finding a cure for Parkinsons Disease.

Born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton Canada on 9th June 1961, Michael was the son of Phyllis and Sgt William Fox of the Royal Canadian Army Signal Corps. As a child, the family (includiing a brother and two sisters) moved around a great deal, due to his father's work. They finally settled in Vancover, which is where he began his acting career.

His first professional acting role came in the TV sitcom "Leo and me" when he was just 15 years old. He also appeared in a couple of films, "Midnight Madness" and "Class of 1984".

He moved to Los Angeles in search of the Hollywood dream, although he soon found himself virtually penniless. Things got so bad at one point that he started selling his furniture piece by piece in order to buy food! Eventually though, he won the role of Alex P Keaton in what turned out to be the hit TV sitcom "Family Ties". In fact he was the second choice for this role, but was in luck as Matthew Broderick turned it down! This part shot him to fame, and during his time on the show, he won three Emmy Awards plus a Golden Globe.

At the same time as filming "Family "Ties", Michael also managed to film the movie which really made his name as a movie star "Back to the Future". He was filming "Family Ties" during the day, and "Back to the Future" at night, only managing to sleep whilst being driven from one set to the other. Suddenly he became a star, and the movie offers kept flooding in. Most noteable of this era were films such as "Teen Wolf", "The Secret of my Sucess" and "Doc Hollywood".

In 1988 Michael married actress Tracy Pollan, whom he had first met on the set of "Family Ties", and they now have four children together.

Whilst on location filming "Doc Hollywood", Michael first noticed symptoms of what has since been diagnosed as Parkinsons Disease. This was diagnosed in 1991. However, he didn't disclose this to anyone (except close family), and continued working.

Between 1996-2000, Michael starred in the hit TV sitcom "Spin City", and also took on the role of executive producer for the show. He finally had to leave the cast in 2000 when his symptoms became too problematic with his demanding schedule. His departure was highly publicised, although he continued working as a producer for the show.

These days he is semi retired from acting, although he does still take on the odd part. He has also taken up writing sucessfully, with his best selling autobiography "Lucky Man", amongst others. He has also become a strong advocate for reseach into finding a cure for Parkinsons Disease, and promoting the cause for stem cell research.

The Magic 7 (2009) (TV) (voice) .... Marcel Maggot
"Boston Legal" .... Daniel Post (6 episodes, 2006)
- Can't We All Get a Lung? (2006) TV episode .... Daniel Post
- BL: Los Angeles (2006) TV episode .... Daniel Post
- Breast in Show (2006) TV episode .... Daniel Post
- Too Much Information (2006) TV episode .... Daniel Post
- Helping Hands (2006) TV episode .... Daniel Post
(1 more)
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild (2005) (V) (voice) .... Stuart Little
"Scrubs" .... Dr. Kevin Casey (2 episodes, 2004)
- My Porcelain God (2004) TV episode .... Dr. Kevin Casey
- My Catalyst (2004) TV episode .... Dr. Kevin Casey
"Clone High" .... Gandhi's Remaining Kidney (1 episode, 2002)
... aka "Clone High U.S.A." (USA)
- Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand (2002) TV episode (voice) .... Gandhi's Remaining Kidney
Stuart Little 2 (2002) (voice) .... Stuart Little
Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road (2002) .... Mr. Baker
... aka I-60 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Interstate 60 (USA: short title)
"Spin City" .... Mike Flaherty (103 episodes, 1996-2001)
- Wife with Mikey (2001) TV episode .... Mike Flaherty
- A Tree Falls in Manhattan (2001) TV episode .... Mike Flaherty
- The Arrival (2001) TV episode .... Mike Flaherty
- Goodbye: Part 1 (2000) TV episode .... Mike Flaherty
- Goodbye: Part 2 (2000) TV episode .... Mike Flaherty
(98 more)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) (voice) .... Milo James Thatch

Stuart Little (1999) (voice) .... Stuart Little
Mars Attacks! (1996) .... Jason Stone
The Frighteners (1996) .... Frank Bannister
... aka Robert Zemeckis Presents: The Frighteners (USA: complete title)
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996) (voice) .... Chance
The American President (1995) .... Lewis Rothschild
Blue in the Face (1995) .... Pete Maloney
... aka Brooklyn Boogie (UK)
Coldblooded (1995) .... Tim Alexander
... aka The Reluctant Hitman (Australia: video title)
Don't Drink the Water (1994) (TV) .... Axel Magee
Greedy (1994) .... Daniel McTeague
Where the Rivers Flow North (1993) .... Clayton Farnsworth
For Love or Money (1993) .... Doug Ireland
... aka The Concierge (Australia) (UK) (USA: working title)
Life with Mikey (1993) .... Michael Chapman
... aka Give Me a Break
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) (voice) .... Chance
"Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories" .... Narrator (segment 'There's a Nightmare in My Closet') (1 episode, 1992)
- There's a Nightmare in My Closet/There's an Alligator Under My Bed/There's Something in My Attic (1992) TV episode (voice) .... Narrator (segment 'There's a Nightmare in My Closet')
Doc Hollywood (1991) .... Dr. Benjamin Stone
"Tales from the Crypt" .... Prosecutor (1 episode, 1991)
... aka "HBO's Tales from the Crypt"
- The Trap (1991) TV episode .... Prosecutor
"Saturday Night Live" .... Host (1 episode, 1991)
... aka "NBC's Saturday Night" (USA: complete title)
... aka "SNL 25" (USA: alternative title)
... aka "SNL" (USA: informal title)
... aka "Saturday Night Live '80" (USA: sixth season title)
... aka "Saturday Night Live" (USA: new title)
- Michael J. Fox/Black Crowes (1991) TV episode .... Host
The Hard Way (1991) .... Nick Lang / Ray Casanov
Back to the Future Part III (1990) .... Marty McFly / Seamus McFly
Sex, Buys & Advertising (1990) (TV)

Back to the Future Part II (1989) .... Marty McFly / Marty McFly Jr / Marlene McFly
Casualties of War (1989) .... PFC. Eriksson
"Family Ties" .... Alex P. Keaton (176 episodes, 1982-1989)
- Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Part 1 (1989) TV episode .... Alex P. Keaton
- Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Part 2 (1989) TV episode .... Alex P. Keaton
- Mr. Keaton Takes a Vacation (1989) TV episode .... Alex P. Keaton
- Wrap Around the Clock: Part 1 (1989) TV episode .... Alex P. Keaton
- Wrap Around the Clock: Part 2 (1989) TV episode .... Alex P. Keaton
(171 more)
Mickey's 60th Birthday (1988) (TV) .... Alex P. Keaton
... aka Mickey's 60th Birthday Anniversary Shorts Programme (USA: video title)
Bright Lights, Big City (1988) .... Jamie Conway
The Secret of My Succe$s (1987) .... Brantley Foster / Carlton Whitfield
Light of Day (1987) .... Joe Rasnick
David Letterman's 2nd Annual Holiday Film Festival (1986) (TV) .... (segment "The Iceman Hummeth")
Family Ties Vacation (1985) (TV) .... Alex P. Keaton
Teen Wolf (1985) .... Scott Howard
Back to the Future (1985) .... Marty McFly
Poison Ivy (1985) (TV) .... Dennis Baxter
The Homemade Comedy Special (1984) (TV) .... Host
"Night Court" .... Eddie Simms (1 episode, 1984)
- Santa Goes Downtown (1984) TV episode .... Eddie Simms
Don't Ask Me, Ask God (1984) (TV) .... Future Son
High School U.S.A. (1983) (TV) (as Michael Fox) .... Jay-Jay Manners
"The Love Boat" (1 episode, 1983)
- I Like to Be in America/He Ain't Heavy/Abbey's Maiden Voyage (1983) TV episode
Class of 1984 (1982) (as Michael Fox) .... Arthur
"Leo and Me" (1981) TV series (as Mike Fox) .... Jamie
"Trapper John, M.D." .... Elliot Schweitzer (1 episode, 1981)
- Brain Child (1981) TV episode .... Elliot Schweitzer
Trouble in High Timber Country (1980) (TV) (as Michael Fox) .... Thomas Elston
... aka The Yeagers
"Here's Boomer" .... Jackie (1 episode, 1980)
- Tell 'Em Boomer Sent You (1980) TV episode .... Jackie
"Family" .... Richard Topol (1 episode, 1980)
- Such a Fine Line (1980) TV episode .... Richard Topol
"Palmerstown, U.S.A." (1980) TV series .... Willy-Joe Hall (unknown episodes)
... aka "Palmerstown" (USA: short title)
Midnight Madness (1980) (as Michael Fox) .... Scott Larson

"Lou Grant" .... Paul Stone (1 episode, 1979)
- Kids (1979) TV episode .... Paul Stone
Letters from Frank (1979) (TV) .... Ricky
"The Magic Lie" (1 episode)
- The Master (????) TV episode
"The Beachcombers" (1 episode, 1973)
... aka "Beachcombers" (Canada: English title: last season title)
- Truck Logger (1973) TV episode (as Michael Fox)

Producer:
2000s
1990s
Hench at Home (2003) (TV) (executive producer)
Otherwise Engaged (2002) (TV) (executive producer)
"Spin City" (executive producer) (100 episodes, 1996-2000)
- Goodbye: Part 1 (2000) TV episode (executive producer)
- Goodbye: Part 2 (2000) TV episode (executive producer)
- The Commitments (2000) TV episode (executive producer)
- An American Deputy Mayor in Paris (2000) TV episode (executive producer)
- Airplane! (2000) TV episode (executive producer)
(95 more)

"Anna Says" (1999) TV series (executive producer)
Coldblooded (1995) (producer)
... aka The Reluctant Hitman (Australia: video title)

Miscellaneous Crew:
"Spin City" (executive consultant) (33 episodes, 2000-2002)
- A Friend in Need (2002) TV episode (executive consultant)
- A Tale of Four Cities (2002) TV episode (executive consultant)
- Look Who's Not Talking (2002) TV episode (executive consultant)
- Let's Give Them Something to Talk About (2002) TV episode (executive consultant)
- Age Against the Machine (2002) TV episode (executive consultant)
(28 more)

Writer:
Hench at Home (2003) (TV) (writer)

Director:
"Tales from the Crypt" (1 episode, 1991)
... aka "HBO's Tales from the Crypt"
- The Trap (1991) TV episode

Soundtrack:
Light of Day (1987) (performer: "Rude Mood", "Do Wa Diddy Diddy", "You Got No Place To Go")

Thanks:
Looking Back to the Future (2009) (V) (special thanks)
Boys of Summer (2006) (special thanks)

Self:
2000s
1990s
1980s
"Entertainment Tonight" .... Himself (3 episodes, 2003-2009)
... aka "E.T." (USA: informal title)
... aka "ET Weekend" (Australia: weekend title)
... aka "Entertainment This Week" (weekend title)
... aka "This Week in Entertainment" (USA: weekend title)
- Episode dated 2 January 2009 (2009) TV episode .... Himself
- Episode dated 5 November 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Himself
- Episode dated 25 November 2003 (2003) TV episode .... Himself
The Making of 'Spin City: Season One' (2008) (V) .... Himself
"Rachael Ray" .... Himself (2 episodes, 2007-2008)
- Episode dated 12 November 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Himself
- Michael J. Fox (2007) TV episode .... Himself
AFI's 10 Top 10 (2008) (TV) .... Himself
"Today" .... Himself (1 episode, 2008)
... aka "NBC News Today" (USA: promotional title)
... aka "Today Show, The" (USA)
- Episode dated 7 February 2008 (2008) TV episode .... Himself
"Odyssey: Driving Around the World" .... Himself (1 episode, 2007)
- The Moose (2007) TV episode .... Himself
"Biography" .... Himself (2 episodes, 2005-2007)
- Denis Leary (2007) TV episode
- Heather Locklear (2005) TV episode .... Himself
"This Week" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
- Episode dated 29 October 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Himself
"CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
- Episode dated 26 October 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Himself
"The Apprentice" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
... aka "Apprentice 2, The" (USA: second season title)
... aka "Apprentice Los Angeles, The" (USA: sixth season title)
... aka "Apprentice USA, The" (UK)
... aka "Celebrity Apprentice" (USA: seventh season title)
... aka "Celebrity Apprentice, The" (USA: eighth season title)
- Season Finale (2006) TV episode .... Himself
"Dateline NBC" .... Himself (1 episode, 2006)
... aka "Dateline" (USA: short title)
- Episode dated 16 April 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Himself
"Inside the Actors Studio" .... Himself (1 episode, 2005)
... aka "Inside the Actors Studio: The Craft of Theatre and Film" (USA: first season title)
- Episode #12.4 (2005) TV episode .... Himself
Comedy Gold (2005) (TV) .... Himself
Saving Milly (2005) (TV) (uncredited) .... Hims