Michael J Fox facts: Back to the Future actor’s age, career, height, and illness explained
18 February 2024, 22:19
You'll recognise Michael J Fox immediately as the main character Marty McFly from the Back To The Future films.
But there's much more to his story. Here's all you need to know about the Canadian-American actor:
Who is Michael J Fox?
Michael J Fox is a film and television actor, author, activist, and celebrated philanthropist.
Starring as central character Marty McFly in Back To The Future, he helped the science-fiction adventure comedy movie become one of the most commercially successful films of the 1980s and an international phenomenon which spawned a further two sequels.
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His other prominent role came as the voice-actor for the Stuart Little films, as well as various award-winning performances on US television series such as Family Ties, Spin City, and Rescue Me.
Throughout his acting career, Michael J Fox has won numerous awards including five Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award.
Away from his acting career, Fox has been a prominent figure in helping to find a cure for Parkinson's disease, an illness he has been suffering from personally.
Recognised for his contributions to research into Parkinson's disease, he received an honorary doctorate in 2010.
How old is Michael J Fox and where was he born?
Michael J Fox was born on 9th June 1961 in Alberta, Canada. He celebrated his 62nd birthday in 2023.
Of Irish, English, and Scottish descent, his father William was a veteran of the Canadian Forces and his mother Phyllis was a payroll clerk and actress.
How did Michael J Fox get his big break?
Fox's acting career started when he was just 15, as he starred in Canadian television series Leo and Me.
It wasn't until he relocated to Los Angeles when he turned 18 that he was cast in NBC sitcom Family Ties, after Matthew Broderick turned down the role.
His stellar turn as 'Young Republican' Alex P. Keaton made producers shift to the focus of the show on Fox, making him the series' main character after only four episodes.
The audience for Family Ties drew in an estimated one-third of America's households every week at its peak. Then the film producers came calling.
What are Michael J Fox’s biggest films?
Back to the Future - Official Digital Remaster Trailer (2020)
- Back To The Future
- Back To The Future II
- Back To The Future III
- Stuart Little
- Doc Hollywood
- Bright Lights, Big City
- Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
- The Secrets Of My Success
- Casualties Of War
- The Frighteners
When was Michael J Fox diagnosed with Parkinson's disease?
Sadly, Michael J Fox was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991 at the age of just 30.
His initial symptoms were only a sore shoulder and a twitching finger, but he was told by doctors (whilst filming Doc Hollywood) that he wouldn't be able to even work in several years time.
This led Fox into depression and drinking problems as he confessed to being in denial, until 1998 when he would reveal his illness to the world and become a major global advocate for research into the debilitating disease.
In 2000 he set up The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which has since contributed $100 million of funding into finding a cure.
How tall is Michael J Fox?
Michael J Fox is said to be around 5ft 4 inches tall, or 1.63 metres.
What is Michael J Fox’s net worth?
Michael J Fox's net worth is an estimated $65 million.
Is Michael J Fox married?
Michael J Fox is married to actress Tracy Pollan.
They first met whilst they were both cast members on Family Ties, then met again whilst filming Bright Lights, Big City a few years later before they began a relationship. They married on 16th July 1988.
Together, Michael and Tracy have four children: a son Sam (born 1989), twin daughters Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances (born 1995), and a daughter Esmé Annabelle (born 2001).
