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Roots -

Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

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Childhood -

Fox’s father was a police officer and Canadian Armed Forces member, so his family moved a lot during his childhood.

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Early start -

Michael J. Fox was just 15 when he landed his acting debut in the Canadian television sitcom ‘Leo and Me.’

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US debut -

The actor had his American television debut in the 1979 TV movie ‘Letters from Frank.’

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Name change -

He had to change his name to Michael “J” Fox because there was already an actor registered with the Screen Actors Guild under the name Michael Fox.

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Name change -

Reportedly, he didn’t like the “A” in the middle as it sounded too Canadian (Eh!). So instead, he went with “J,” which was a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard.

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First feature films -

Before his big break on TV, the actor starred in ‘Midnight Madness’ (1980) and ‘Class of 1984’ (1982).

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‘Family Ties’ -

In 1982, the actor landed the role that would make him famous: Alex P. Keaton in the show ‘Family Ties.’

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‘Family Ties’ -

The show ran until 1989 and was a huge success. In total, Fox won three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his performance.

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‘Back to the Future’ - In 1985, the actor landed the most iconic role of his career as the time-traveling teen Marty McFly in ‘Back to the Future.’

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‘Back to the Future’ -

The movie was such a hit that two more were done. ‘Back to the Future Part II’ (1989) and ‘Back to the Future Part III’ (1990) completed the trilogy.

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Busy years -

During and between the ‘Back to the Future’ movies, Fox starred in numerous other films, including ‘Teen Wolf’ (1985) and ‘Light of Day’ (1987).

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Busy years -

He also starred in ‘The Secret of My Success’ (1987), ‘Bright Lights, Big City’ (1988), and ‘Casualties of War’ (1989).

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Recognition -

By the early 1990s, Michael J. Fox was no longer just a teen idol, but had established himself as a respected actor in Hollywood.

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1990s -

During this decade, the actor starred in numerous movies, including ‘Doc Hollywood’ (1991).

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1990s -

Fox also starred in ‘The Hard Way’ (1991), ‘For Love or Money’ (1993), ‘Life with Mikey’ (1993), ‘Greedy’ (1994), ‘The American President’ (1995), and ‘Mars Attacks!’ (1996), among others.

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Further TV success -

Fox starred in the TV show ‘Spin City,' which ran from 1996 to 2002. The actor was awarded an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for his role as Mike Flaherty. Fox actually left the show in 2000, due to symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

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Parkinson's disease -

The actor was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, but it was not until 1998 that Fox went public about his disease.

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Parkinson's disease -

After the diagnosis, the actor struggled with alcohol abuse and depression, but managed to stop and focus his efforts in advocating for research about the disease.

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Lyme disease -

The actor had previously revealed, in 1997 that he had Lyme disease, during an interview on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman.’

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The Michael J. Fox Foundation -

In 2000, the actor founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which focuses on research to cure Parkinson's disease.

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Continued TV work -

Fox has continued to appear in numerous TV shows, including ‘Scrubs,’ ‘Boston Legal,’ ‘Rescue Me,’ ‘The Good Wife,’ ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ and ‘The Good Fight,’ among others.

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'The Michael J. Fox Show' -

In 2013, this sitcom vaguely inspired by Michael J. Fox’s life, aired on NBC. The show was eventually canceled after just one season.

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Author -

Fox has written four books, including ‘Lucky Man: A Memoir’ (2002), ‘Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist’ (2009), and ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned’ (2010).

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Author -

More recently, in 2020, Michael J. Fox  published ‘No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality.’

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Family -

The actor has been married to Tracy Pollan since 1988. The couple met while filming ‘Family Ties.’

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Family -

The couple have four children in total, including twin daughters.

See also: The best time-travel movies ever made

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