Michael J Fox admits he no longer walks for fear of falling after 'breaking so many bones' amid his Parkinson's battle
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Michael J Fox has revealed he no longer walks after 'breaking so many bones' amid his battle with Parkinson's.
The beloved Back to the Future star, 64, was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder in 1991 at just 29 years old and went public with his condition seven years later.
Now, Michael has opened up about how the progression of his condition means he no longer walks.
Michael revealed that he has broken several bones and the fear of breaking more means he is now fearful of moving too much in case he falls.
He said his vulnerability to breaking bones began during the peak of his acting career, where he was seen on screen doing everything from somersaulting over people to sliding across car bonnets.
'And that's [the point] where I break stuff, it's absolutely incredible the stuff I broke,' he told The Sunday Times.
Michael J Fox has revealed he no longer walks after 'breaking so many bones' amid his battle with Parkinson's (seen in April)
The beloved Back to the Future star, 64, was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder in 1991 at just 29 years old and went public with his condition seven years later (Seen in 1987)
'In a three-year period I broke my elbow, I broke my hand, I got a big infection in my hand and I almost lost my finger.'
Michael went on to say: 'I take it easy now, I don't walk that much any more. I can walk but it's not pretty and it's a bit dangerous.'
But Michael isn't letting his decades-long battle with the disease slow him down from achieving his professional or personal ambitions.
Over the decades, Michael has become one of the most prominent advocates for Parkinson's research through his Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has raised over $2 billion to fund scientific breakthroughs and treatments.
While he stepped back from acting in 2020 due to health challenges related to the disease, Michael recently filmed a guest arc on Apple TV's Emmy-nominated series Shrinking and is promoting his fifth book, Future Boy.
'I see other people's work, and it makes me think that I might be able to find something that's for me as an actor and as a writer,' he told People.
'And as a parent, husband and friend, I have a lot left to do.'
In Shrinking, which stars Harrison Ford, Michael played a character with Parkinson's, which marks a first for him.
'It was the first time ever I get to show up on set, and I didn't have to worry about am I too tired or coughing or anything,' he says. 'I just do it.'
His approach to navigating Parkinson's, which affects his movement, speech, and coordination, remains deeply pragmatic and hopeful.
'I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it,' he said.
'I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.'
Still, Michael explains he tries to 'take the good' and 'seize it' whenever given the chance.
Reflecting on the past year, Michael, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January in recognition of his advocacy, said things have 'just been really positive, really energizing.'
'If you put your mind to it,' he insisted. 'You can do anything.'
'As a parent, husband and friend, I have a lot left to do,' he told People; pictured with wife Tracy Pollan, son Sam Michael, twin daughters Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances in 2023
The actor and his wife Tracy Pollan, who wed in 1988, share four children, Sam, 36, twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 30, and Esmé, 23.
Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29 while filming Doc Hollywood, after experiencing a sore shoulder.
The actor went public with his diagnosis in 1998.
Michael previously worked with Shrinking's co-creator Bill Lawrence on ABC's Spin City. However, he left after season four in 2000 after his Parkinson's symptoms worsened.
