Michael J. Fox is truly embracing life to its fullest potential. The iconic star of "Back to the Future" is poised to make a triumphant return to the screen after a five-year hiatus from acting, taking on his most personal role yet in the upcoming season of "Shrinking." Since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, Fox has candidly admitted that he lives life "on the edge of my energy."
"I just feel I have to," he confessed to USA Today. "It's a tradeoff. I want to be present for everything."
"I yearn to stay active in every aspect, continue working, nurture my partnerships, cherish my close friendships, and savor every moment with my family," he added. "And it's all wonderful; it's far better than it could ever be."
According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain disorder that wreaks havoc on the nervous system and mobility. Throughout his illustrious acting career, Fox has ingeniously found ways to circumvent his symptoms. However, in this latest endeavor, he has secured his first role where he doesn't need to conceal or manage his disease.
Fox filmed a three-episode guest arc for the third season of "Shrinking," portraying a character who also battles Parkinson's disease. "It was the first time ever that I could show up on set without fretting about whether I was too fatigued or if I'd start coughing uncontrollably," he shared with People. "I just dove in. It was incredibly liberating because in those moments when I thought, 'I’m not going to be able to pull this off,' I'd simply say, 'Well, I’ll just incorporate my limitations into the scene.' And somehow, we'd get through it."
The actor stumbled upon "Shrinking" while watching TV and noticed that one of the characters, played by Harrison Ford, had Parkinson's disease. He recalled reaching out to the show's co-creator, Bill Lawrence, whom he had previously collaborated with on "Spin City."
"I said, 'You created a show about Parkinson’s, and you didn’t even think to call me?' And he replied, 'Oh, you'd like to do it?' To which I enthusiastically responded, 'I’d love to do it!'" Fox reminisced.
"So he said, 'Let me ponder over it and see what I can arrange.' And he got to work on it, eventually coming up with this brilliant concept," Fox continued.
Fox's return to acting follows a five-year break as he embarked on his retirement. The "Family Ties" alum opened up about his future with the "mysterious" disease, which he was first diagnosed with at the tender age of 29, in an interview with The Times.
"There’s no set timeline, no predefined series of stages that you inevitably progress through – not in the same manner as, say, prostate cancer. It's far more enigmatic and unpredictable," he explained.
"There aren't many individuals who have lived with Parkinson's for 35 years," Fox went on. "I'd love to just peacefully not wake up one day. That would be truly ideal. I don’t want my exit to be dramatic. I don’t want to stumble over furniture and end up smashing my head."
