The popular American actor Michael J. Fox was recently awarded an Honorary Oscar during the 13th Governors Awards. The actor is best known for his role in the movie- Back To The Future. Michael has often spoken in public about his struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. He has been suffering from this terrible condition since 1991. The award he received is termed an Honorary Oscar. He got the award for all his contributions to television as well as movies while battling a devastating disease. Additionally, he got the award for laying the foundation of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. This foundation works actively to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.
Michael’s foundation has remained active for almost two decades. The organization has managed to raise nearly $1 billion. Michael seemed to be brimming with joy to achieve this prestigious award. Michael rocked the red carpet for the awards show. Michael was accompanied by his wife Tracy and his children at the event. In his tribute speech, Michael mentioned how he had no regrets and considered Parkinson’s disease as a gift that helped him change his outlook toward life.
Michal J. Fox Successful Career
Michael J. Fox is a popular American actor who has appeared in several movies. He attained popularity when he starred in the popular NBC series – Family Ties. This sitcom which ran for almost seven seasons, was quite popular among the viewers. It used to reflect the shifts in the American family system due to liberalism that was building up in the 1960s and 70s. Michael portrayed the role of Alex P Keaton and garnered appreciation.
After this, he grabbed a meaty role in the Back to the Future film trilogy. This helped him gain lots of popularity as he portrayed the character of protagonist Marty McFly with perfection. All the movies of the trilogy were raved about by both the critics as well as the audience. The first movie of the series remained at the top position at the box office for several weeks.
After this, Michael J. Fox never really looked back. He went on to star in many movies that were both critical and commercial success- Teen Wolf, The Frighteners, Doc Hollywood, etc. After spending a considerable time in films, Michael then returned to television. He was roped in to play the role of Mike Flaherty on ABC’s sitcom titled Spin City.
Struggle With Parkinson’s Disease
Michael was at the peak of his career. It was all a smooth ride for him till now. He made frequent appearances in both movies as well as television. His movies were rocking at the box office. But the smooth ride came to a halt when Fox got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This degenerative disease is quite brutal that drastically destroys the quality of life of the patient. Muhammed Ali, the famed boxer, passed away due to the same disease.
Michael admits that he was left devastated by the diagnosis, but he was someone with an indomitable spirit. Though he remained in denial for a very long time, ultimately, he let go of all his apprehensions. Instead of slipping into darkness, he dedicated himself to becoming an advocate to search for an end to this devastating disease. In 2000, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation to boost research and gather funds for the same.
Decision To Quit
Though Fox remained strong and undeterred, the symptoms kept on worsening. Ultimately he had to limit his activities. He decided to shift to television again. Later he opted for guest appearances in series like Rescue Me, The Good Wife, etc. Despite his illness, he kept on winning over the audience as well as the critics. The Good Wife was widely appreciated by one and all. The last time viewers saw him in a prominent role on the small screen was in the popular sitcom – The Michael J. Fox Show. Though NBC had planned a long run for the show due to Fox’s worsening health, the show could continue for a year only. Ultimately in 2020, Fox had to quit his acting career.
Michael J. Fox’s Net Worth
Michael J. Fox’s net worth stands at $65 million. The majority of his income has come from the various movies he has starred in; as we mentioned before, most of his movies achieved commercial success. He was paid around $5 million for the Back to the Future trilogy. So he managed to earn around $15 million from these three movies. He also appeared on several television series which garnered high ratings. The first movie of the Back to the Future trilogy grossed almost $380 million and was a huge commercial success in 1985. Furthermore, Michael’s foundation has raised millions of dollars to mobilize funds for research on Parkinson’s disease.
Real Estate
Michael resides in Manhattan with his family. He also has another property located in New York. This property was purchased by Fox in 2007 for $6.3 million. Michael and his wife Tracy spent a good amount of time planning and customizing a 5000-square-foot home in Connecticut. In 2016 they decided to sell this home. Though they listed it at a sale price of $4.25 million, they later had to settle at $3.9 million in October 2017.