Hollywood star Michael J. Fox of Back To The Future fame has been battling Parkinson’s disease ever since 1991. Now, Fox has saddened his fans by announcing that he is no longer pursuing acting jobs.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes severe cognitive issues and motor skills difficulties. In his new memoir “No Time Like the Future,” in which he goes into detail about his battle with Parkinson’s, Fox wrote that “not being able to speak reliably is a game-breaker for an actor.”
“Absent a chemical intervention, Parkinson’s will render me frozen, immobile, stone-faced, and mute — entirely at the mercy of my environment,” the former “Family Ties” star wrote, according to the New York Times. “For someone for whom motion equals emotion, vibrance and relevance, it’s a lesson in humility.”
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A spokesperson for Fox later clarified to Fox News that the star “is not actively looking for work.”
“But if something great comes along and it works for him, he would consider it,” the spokesperson continued.
Fox discussed his struggles with acting as of late in an interview with People Magazine.
“My short-term memory is shot,” he admitted, adding that in the past, “I always had a real proficiency for lines and memorization.”
“And I had some extreme situations where the last couple of jobs I did were actually really word-heavy parts. I struggled during both of them,” Fox continued. “So the last couple of years have been trickier than most.”
Despite decades of struggles, Fox’s wife and former “Family Ties” costar Tracy Pollan has stood by his side the entire time.
“The book is a love letter to Tracy,” he said. “She really got me through everything.”
Fox recently said that he is enjoying living his quiet life at home in New York City with Pollan and their four children, son Sam, 31, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 25, and daughter Esmé, 19.
“I’m actually having a really good time,” the actor said. “People don’t believe me, but I love life. I love being with my family. I love being with Tracy. I love that I don’t do a lot of useless stuff that I used to do, because I don’t have the energy or the time. I’m grateful that I went through a crucible there in my late 50s. I figured some of this crap out finally, and it didn’t haunt me into my 70s and 80s.”
This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.
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