Michael J Fox calls his Parkinson’s diagnosis the ‘gift that keeps on taking’ on BBC Breakfast after his documentary Still was nominated for a BAFTA

Michael J Fox called his Parkinson’s diagnosis the ‘gift that keeps on receiving’ when he appeared on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday.

The Back To The Future actor, 62, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 1991 at the age of just 29, but didn’t reveal it publicly until seven years later.

In 2023, the star released an Apple TV+ documentary about his career and life with the devastating disease, which earned him a BAFTA nomination.

Speaking to the BBC in light of the documentary’s nomination, Michael said: ‘I would say it is a gift and people would look at me and I would say it is a gift that continues to be received, but it is a gift.’

Since his diagnosis, Michael has been praised for his tireless work to raise money in a bid to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation to support research efforts.

In 2023, the star released an Apple TV+ documentary about his life in film and his subsequent diagnosis, which earned him a BAFTA nomination (pictured)

Michael said: “I realized I had to turn it around and turn it into something and make it something positive that affected other people in a positive way.

“So I think that’s why I started the foundation, but it took me a long time to get there.”

In his documentary, released in May 2023, Michael looks back on his successful career with director Davis Guggenheim and tells how he first noticed the signs of what would be diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.

He said the documentary is about when “an incurable optimist meets an incurable disease” as he spoke about his battle with the condition.

“I have Parkinson’s, I’m struggling with it,” he said. “It’s hard, it’s annoying, it’s beyond annoying, but it can be devastating for some people.”

Michael showed symptoms of early Parkinson’s disease as early as 1991 during the filming of the film Doc Hollywood, and was told by doctors that he would no longer be able to work in a few years.

After being diagnosed, Michael began drinking heavily and became depressed. But after seeking help, he found sobriety and publicly announced his condition in 1998.

On why he hid his Parkinson’s for years, Michael said: ‘Yes, I didn’t know what it was going to do, how it was going to manifest.

Michael, now 62, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 1991 at the age of 29, but did not publicly announce it until seven years later

A documentary about Michael’s thirty-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, titled Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, was released in May and earned him a BAFTA nomination.

“I didn’t know what to expect and no one could really tell me what to expect.”

Michael received the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2023 Spring Moving Image Awards for his impressive Hollywood career and his dedication to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

In his documentary, Michael described the devastating moment he revealed 35-year-old Tracy’s diagnosis to his wife and how she promised to support him all the way.

Michael, who continued to act for years, recalled, “I told Tracy the news. ‘In sickness and in health,’ I remember her whispering.’

He added that “no one outside my family” knew about his diagnosis and that he was taking pills to “hide” his symptoms.

The actor did not specify whether they were recreational or prescription drugs he was self-medicating with.

Behind-the-scenes footage depicts him dodging explosions, gunfire and unmanned vehicles while running through the desert in a scene from Tim Burton’s black science fiction comedy Mars Attacks, which was shot before he had announced his diagnosis.

Michael described the devastating moment he revealed the diagnosis to his wife of 35 years, Tracy, and how she promised to support him all the way (pictured in November)

The trailer started with Michael saying, “The story of me. Second try.’

Then there’s newly shot footage meant to look like behind-the-scenes clips of him getting ready to film a pivotal scene with Christopher Lloyd in Back To The Future, which transitions seamlessly into a clip from the classic film.

In the beginning, Michael answers a question from Guggenheim to explain the title of the film.

‘What does it mean to be silent?’ asks the director, who has directed numerous television episodes and the documentaries An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting For Superman.

“I wouldn’t know, I was never quiet,” Michael replies.