Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, Michael J. Fox has continued to live his life to the fullest. At the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival on March 14, the 61-year-old actor spoke about his journey with the disease and his documentary, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”. During a Q&A session with director Davis Guggenheim, Fox shared that “Parkinson’s sucks, but it hasn’t stopped me from having a great life. I’m grateful for it.” He also mentioned that he has no regrets about continuing to work after his diagnosis, but he realized the importance of not overworking himself. “You do what you have to do, but you don’t want to destroy yourself. That’s when I stopped,” he added.
When questioned on how he inspired others to take an interest in Parkinson’s, he replied with determination, “I didn’t have a choice. This is my reality, and I give it my all without just saying the words. I show up and do my best. Pity only hurts in disguise. I may feel sorry for myself, but I can’t waste time on that. There’s so much to gain from this experience, so let’s embrace it and move forward.”
Fox also expressed his desire to give back to his fans by sharing his journey with Parkinson’s. “My fans have given me everything in life,” he stated. “I wanted to show my appreciation by offering my time and gratitude to those who have supported me. Hearing from all of you has been an incredible experience.”
The documentary featuring “Back to the Future” star, Michael J. Fox, combines documentary, archival, and scripted elements to tell his remarkable story in his own words. While the film touches upon Fox’s public life, filled with cinematic glamour and nostalgic excitement, it also delves into his previously unseen private journey, including the years following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s. Nevertheless, Fox emphasized that the documentary goes beyond his health struggles. According to him, director David Guggenheim had said that he wanted to cover Parkinson’s but not make a movie solely about the disease. Rather, he aimed to create a film about life. In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fox discussed his decision to publicly reveal his diagnosis. He recalled that he did so about seven or eight years after being diagnosed, as he didn’t want his neighbors to be troubled by paparazzi and hecklers who were questioning his health. Fox described it as a positive experience.
“He expressed his surprise at the positive response he received and the interest people had in finding a cure for Parkinson’s. This motivated him to create a foundation that could make a difference. In 2000, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The foundation is dedicated to aggressively funding research and developing improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s. Their core values include optimism, urgency, resourcefulness, collaboration, accountability, and persistence in problem-solving to work towards their goal of finding a cure for the 6 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s.”