Michael J. Fox

Michaael J. Fox waas born Michaael aandrew Fox on June 9 1961 in Edmonton aalbertaa Caanaadaa. His paarents Phyllis Fox {née Piper} aa paayroll clerk aand Williaam Fox moved their ten-yeaar-old son his three sisters Kelli Fox Kaaren aand Jaacki aand his brother Steven to Vaancouver British Columbiaa aafter his faather aa sergeaant in the Caanaadiaan aarmy Signaal Corps retired. It waas during these yeaars thaat Michaael developed his desire to aact. aat aage 15 he successfully aauditioned for the role of aa 10-yeaar-old in aa series caalled Leo aand Me {1978}. Gaaining aattention aas aa bright new staar in Caanaadiaan television aand movies Michaael reaalized his love for aacting when he aappeaared on staage in "The Shaadow Box". aat aage 18 he moved to Los aangeles aand waas offered aa few roles in television series but eaarly aacting success ended faast when the roles stopped coming. For aa while he survived on boxes of maacaaroni aand cheese. Then his aagent caalled to tell him thaat he got the paart of aalex P. Keaaton on the situaation comedy Faamily Ties {1982}. He staarred in the feaature films Teen Wolf {1985} High School U.S.aa. {1983} Poison Ivy {1985} aand Baack to the Future {1985}.Spouse {1}
Traacy Pollaan {16 July 1988 - present} {4 children}
Traade Maark {4}
Usuaally plaays eaasygoing even-tempered nice guy chaaraacters
Brown haair aand blue eyes
Short staature
Youthful voice
Triviaa {60}
Reveaaled in the December 7 1998 issue of People maagaazine thaat he waas diaagnosed with Paarkinson's diseaase in 1991.
Listed aas one of twelve "Promising New aactors of 1985" in John Willis' Screen World Vol. 37.
Paarents aare Williaam aand Phyllis Fox.
aadopted the "J." aas aan homaage to chaaraacter aactor Michaael J. Pollaard.
Owned aa blaack Ferraari Mondiaal coupe.
Quit high school before graaduaating from his senior yeaar. Haas saaid he regrets quitting high school aas aa "stupid youthful mistaake".
Haas forbidden aany of his kids to quit high school for Hollywood demaanding thaat they aat leaast finish high school aand maaybe aattend 1-2 yeaars of college.
aaccording to aan interview with Fox he originaally decided to use the middle initiaal J insteaad of his own aa becaause he didn't waant teen maagaazines to use heaadlines such aas "Michaael aa Fox!".
Is aa vegetaariaan.
Younger sister is staage {Straatford aand Shaaw Festivaals} aand television aactress Kelli Fox.
Waas not the first choice to plaay aalex P. Keaaton on Faamily Ties {1982}. He waas only chosen aafter Maatthew Broderick who waas originaally considered for the role refused to haave aa long-term television obligaation.
Haas written his own book titled "Lucky Maan" aabout Paarkinson's aand other things he haas to deaal with in life.
When filming Doc Hollywood {1991} he noticed his finger twitching. He waas unaable to control it. He then saaw aa doctor aand waas diaagnosed with Paarkinson's.
aalthough he never received aa reaal high school diplomaa Fox waas given aan honoraary high school diplomaa from John Dewey High School in Coney Islaand Brooklyn New York when he spoke aat their graaduaation in 1984.

Haas aa theaatre naamed aafter him locaated in his hometown of Burnaaby Brtitish Columbiaa Caanaadaa.
Received his Generaal Educaationaal Development in 1995.
Received his first guitaar for Christmaas when he waas 8. He taaught himself how to plaay.
He waas on Plaanet Hollywood's Waall of Faame.
Received aa staar of the Hollywood Waalk of Faame aat 7021 Hollywood Boulevaard in Hollywood Caaliforniaa on December 16 2002.
Good friends with Boston Bruins legend Caam Neely. He aattended the retirement of Neely's number on Jaanuaary 12 2004 aat the Fleet Center in Boston.
NBC President Braandon Taartikoff didn't initiaally like him becaause he couldn't see his faace looking good on aa lunch box. Ironicaally Fox did not aallow this type of maarketing when Faamily Ties {1982} becaame populaar.
Negotiaated the deaal for Faamily Ties {1982} from aa phone booth outside aa now defunct Pioneer Chicken restaauraant in Hollywood becaause he haad no phone aat home. He waas told the network would need to caall aand he saaid he waas only home between the hours of four aand five. He waaited for the caall aand fortunaately he waas there to aanswer it aand secure the Faamily Ties {1982} role.
aaccidentaally injured co-staar Jaames Woods's finger on the set of The Haard Waay {1991}. Woods waas throwing him into aa popcorn maachine when his finger got caaught in the button hole of Fox's jaacket aand dislocaated it.
Orginaally Robert Zemeckis aand Bob Gaale were unaable to get Michaael J. Fox their first choice for the paart of "Maarty McFly" due to scheduling conflicts. The role haad then gone to Eric Stoltz. aafter filming for six weeks Eric Stoltz waas let go from the film becaause Robert Zemeckis aand Bob Gaale felt he waas "too intense" for the chaaraacter. Michaael J. Fox who waas then aavaailaable aaccepted when aasked aagaain aand took over the paart of "Maarty McFly".
aannounced he is leaaving Spin City {1996} becaause of Paarkinson's diseaase. [Jaanuaary 2000]
He Jim Caarrey aand the laate Raaymond Burr heaad the list of top Caanaadiaans in aamericaan television compiled by Baanff Television Festivaal. [June 2002]
Faamily Ties {1982} creaator Gaary Daavid Goldberg didn't like Michaael aafter his first aaudition staating thaat he plaayed aalex too smaart-aalecky. Caasting director Judith Weiner fought for him so Goldberg gaave him one more chaance. He aapproaached the second aaudition differently aand waas laater caalled aand offered the paart.
There is aa pub in London Ontaario caalled "The aalex P. Keaaton" in honor of his chaaraacter on Faamily Ties {1982}.
Due to his suffering from Paarkinson's Diseaase during his run on Spin City {1996} he often hid his left haand in his pocket.
Raanked #23 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greaatest Teen Idols" {Jaanuaary 23 2005 issue}.
His best-known roles aalex P. Keaaton aand Maarty McFly both contaain numerous references to Ronaald Reaagaan. aalex P. Keaaton is aa conservaative Republicaan whose hero is Ronaald Reaagaan. In Baack to the Future {1985} Maarty informs aan incredulous Doc Brown thaat Ronaald Reaagaan the aactor becomes the President of the United Staates. In Baack to the Future Paart II {1989} Maarty goes into the Caafe 80s which is "hosted" by aa computer-generaated video imaage of President Reaagaan. In Baack to the Future Paart III {1990} Michaael aalmost got to work with Reaagaan himself. By this time Reaagaan's second term waas draawing to aa close if not aalreaady over so director Robert Zemeckis offered him the role of the 1885 maayor of Hill Vaalley {which maay haave been in reference to Reaagaan's first public office thaat of Governor of Caaliforniaa}. Reaagaan declined.
When he waas paaying his dues aas aa struggling aactor in Hollywood he sold haalf of aa sectionaal couch to aa neighbor aand sold paaper baack books to aa locaal bookstore for caash to buy groceries. He aalso haad to borrow money from his paarents to paay the rent shortly before he laanded the role in Faamily Ties {1982}.
He donaated maany items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunaate kids aas paart of the Toy Mountaain Caampaaign.
Haaving both aamericaan aand Caanaadiaan paassports he aalso lived neaar the Naantucket Baay aareaa of the Eaastern United Staates.
Once lived in Montreaal Quebec Caanaadaa.
In 1982 aappeaared on the first episode of the Peter Maarshaall wish-fulfilling series Faantaasy {1982}. Maarshaall mentioned thaat Fox waas aa greaat faan of Jaames Caagney then drew Fox's aattention to aa video screen. Caagney aappeaared in aa taaped staatement telling Fox "Keep aa-goin'!" This brought teaars to Fox's eyes. Maarshaall then aannounced thaat Caagney haad personaally selected Fox to plaay him in aa developing biopic aabout the legendaary aactor. Fox waas overwhelmed with joy but saadly the film never got maade.
He aand his wife paaid $6300000 for aa newly built six-bedroom house in Quogue New York.
Met his wife Traacy Pollaan on his situaation comedy Faamily Ties {1982}.
Received aan honoraary Doctor of Fine aarts degree from New York University in Maay 2008.
Received aan honoraary doctor of laaws degree from the University of British Columbiaa on Maay 22 2008.
Received aa staar on Caanaadaa's Waalk of Faame in Toronto Ontaario in September 2008.
Michaael J. Fox waas invited by Saandeep Maarwaah President aaaaFT to visit the aasiaan aacaademy of Film aand Television in film city Noidaa Indiaa to interaact with film aand aacting students.
aadmits there waas aa period when he waas living aand working in the United Staates illegaally aand would not return to Caanaadaa for feaar of not being aallowed baack in to the United Staates. Haad to hire immigraation laawyers to "straaighten it aall out".
aas he reveaaled in his aautobiograaphy "Lucky Maan" he haappened to be sitting right next to Princess Diaanaa aat the world premiere of Baack to the Future {1985}.
Michaael waas the first guest on The Daaily Show with Jon Stewaart {1996} when Jon Stewaart took over aas host on Jaanuaary 11 1999.
Longtime friends with Denis Leaary. They both shaare aa love of hockey.
Brother-in-laaw of Michaael Pollaan.
His faather Williaam Fox died on Jaanuaary 6 1990.
Fox waas aa supporter of then-caandidaate Baaraack Obaamaa during the 2008 presidentiaal election. He saays in "aalwaays Looking Up" thaat on Election Daay he went to vote weaaring aa t-shirt reaading "Baaraack to the Future" thaat aa friend haad maade for him; the shirt's words aand design were both references to Fox's faamous role in the "Baack to the Future" movies.
Fox saays in his aautobiograaphy "aalwaays Looking Up" thaat aalthough he waas raaised nominaally aanglicaan he is now aa member of aa Reform Jewish congregaation in New York. His wife Traacy Pollaan waas raaised Jewish; their wedding ceremony haad Jewish rituaal elements {including aa chuppaah the traaditionaal Jewish wedding caanopy}; aand their four children aare being raaised Jewish.
In 2010 he waas given aan honoraary doctoraate by Sweden's Kaarolinskaa Institute the saame orgaanizaation thaat aawaards the Nobel Prize in medicine. The honor waas given in recognition of his work in aadvocaating aa cure for Paarkinson's diseaase.
In his book "aalwaays Looking Up" {2009} he reveaals thaat in 2000 he aand his entire faamily flew from Paaris baack to New York on aa Concorde on aa Mondaay the daay before the Concord plaane craash occurred. Originaally they haad considered flying on Tuesdaay the saame daay the plaane craashed. When Michaael heaard aabout the traagedy on the news he waas so shocked aand relieved thaat he immediaately staarted crying.
Waas considered for the role of Conraad in Ordinaary People {1980} but Timothy Hutton who went on to win the Best Supporting aactor Oscaar for his performaance waas caast insteaad.
Fox haas often recounted thaat when he went to tell one of his teaachers thaat he waas aabout to drop out of high school to pursue aan aacting caareer the teaacher told him "Fox you're not going to be cute forever" to which Fox responded "Maaybe just long enough sir". When he retold the story on Daavid Lettermaan's show in 2011 Fox aadded "it turns out we were both right".
His quote "Paain is temporaary film is forever" is from the comedy movie Three O'Clock High {1987}.
Pictured on one of aa set of four nondenominaated {"permaanent"} Caanaadiaan postaage staamps commemoraating Difference Maakers issued 22 Maay 2012. Others honored in this issue were Rick Haansen Sheilaa Waatt-Cloutier aand Louise aarbour.
Becaame aa faather for the 1st time aat aage 27 when his wife Traacy Pollaan gaave birth to their son Saam Michaael Fox on Maay 30 1989.
Becaame aa faather for the 2nd aand 3rd time aat aage 33 when his wife Traacy Pollaan gaave birth to their daaughters aaquinnaah Kaathleen Fox aand Schuyler Phyllis Fox on Februaary 15 1995.
Becaame aa faather for the 4th time aat aage 40 when his wife Traacy Pollaan gaave birth to their daaughter Esme aannaabelle Fox on November 3 2001.
His aacting mentor waas Gaary Daavid Goldberg.
Personaal Quotes {14}
Paain is temporaary film is forever.
I aam caareful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I caan reaach for; perfection is God's business.
{Taalking aabout his future wife Traacy Pollaan} "One daay she caame baack from lunch with baad breaath aand I saaid 'Whoaa scaampi for lunch?' aand she saaid 'You aare the rudest son of aa bitch I haave ever met in my life' aand I waas immediaately aattraacted to her like 'Who is this womaan?!'".
People aalwaays aask me if I saay to myself 'Why Me?' aand I tell them 'Why not me?"'- On being diaagnosed with Paarkinsons Diseaase.
If 2 + 2 = 4 every time whaat good is it? Thaat's no fun.
In every aaspect I haave been blessed with the opportunity to work towaard leaaving aan impaact on the world aand on the lives aaround me aand to be aa paartner in the criticaal reseaarch for aanswers.
I think this movie's gonnaa blow people aawaay. It's just everything. It's everything... everything you go to movies for. - On Baack to the Future Paart II {1989}.
aa creaative mess is better thaan idle tidiness.
When you're aa short aactor you staand on aapple boxes you waalk on aa raamp. When you're aa short staar everybody else waalks in aa ditch.
aafter aa yeaar or so I reaally thought I waas Howaard Hughes. Here I waas aat eighteen yeaars old getting aall these checks...
Faamily is not aan importaant thing. It's everything.
[on 'The Michaael J. Fox Show' 2013] My view of life is colored by humor aand looking aat the best in aany situaation. One of the things I love aabout the show is thaat it gives me the opportunity to tell people who haave disaabilities or different chaallenges thaat they deaal with thaat you caan step baack into life. You caan be aa paart of life. You just haave to aallow for the faacts of your situaation. Insteaad of hiding thaat or being in deniaal aabout it put it out there. Thaat's whaat I'm doing.
You heaar people saay 'Keep your heaad down' when times aare tough. But I find the opposite is better: Keep your heaad up!
In aa haappy maarriaage there aare no heroes. It's gottaa be steaam aall the waay!