Michael J. Fox spoke about living with Parkinson’s disease when he and his wife Tracy Pollan brought their documentary STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie to Austin, Texas for the annual SXSW conference.
The Back to the Future star, 61, was diagnosed with the disease in 1991 at age 29 and hid the disease for seven years by wearing accessories on her left hand, where the telltale tremor began.
Speaking about his diagnosis in a question-and-answer session Tuesday at the event, he said: “Parkinson’s sucks, but it’s a great life, so thanks for that.”
Pity is a benign form of abuse. I can feel sorry for myself, but I don’t have time for that. There are things to learn from this, so let’s do it and move on.’
My fans have basically given me my life. I wanted to give my time and gratitude to these people who have done so much for me. It was great for me to hear from all of you.’
Honest: Michael J. Fox spoke about living with Parkinson’s disease when he and his wife Tracy Pollan brought their documentary STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie to Austin, Texas for the annual SXSW Conference
On how she ‘mobilised’ people to care about Parkinson’s, she added: ‘I had no choice. That’s all. I have to give everything I have, and it’s not lip service. I show up and do the best I can.
On her stint at work after her diagnosis, she went on to explain: ‘I have no regrets. You do what you have to do, but you don’t want to kill yourself. And that’s when I stopped.
He was joined by his wife Tracy at the event.
The longtime couple, who have been married for 35 years and share four children, looked like lovebirds on the red carpet before the screening.
Pollan, 62, looked stunning in a green jacquard suit with a black V-neck top and black pumps. His shoulder-length blond hair was parted in the middle and loose around his shoulders.
Fox wore a short-sleeved black collared shirt with a pattern of white snowflakes over a white T-shirt. She paired it with dark wash jeans and black sunglasses.
The film, according to a statement from SXSW, “Incorporating documentary, archival and scripted elements, it tells Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words: the unlikely story of a little boy from a Canadian Army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood.
Filled with nostalgic thrills and cinematic sheen, Fox’s account of public life unfolds alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years following his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Three decades: The longtime couple have been married for 35 years and share four children between the ages of 21 and 33.
Director: Fox and Pollan on the red carpet at SXSW with STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie Director, David Guggenheim
Family Affair: Pollan and the couple’s four children appear in the film.
Fox rose to fame in the 1980s sitcom Family Ties, where he met his future wife when she was cast as Ellen, the girlfriend of his character Alex P. Keaton.
He cemented his star status in blockbuster films like the Back to the Future franchise, Teen Wolf, The Secret of My Success, Doc Hollywood and many more.
The Family Ties alum married Pollan in 1988 and they welcomed four children: son Sam, 33, twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 28, and daughter Esme, 21.
When Fox was 29, he woke up with a tremor in his little finger that wouldn’t go away. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991.
He drank and took dopemine pills to medicate the symptoms and allow him to deal with it.
The actor premiered the film at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, in January.
In the film, fans will see the actor work with a trainer to help him build strength, walk the streets of Manhattan, and repeatedly fall.
“A self-abuse fest,” the Back to the Future star joked about the film. If you have Parkinson’s, you bump into things.
deadline Pete Hammond wrote that the documentary is “in the spirit of the kind of ’80s movies that helped make Fox a huge star on both the big and small screen.” According to the awards columnist, the film explores Michael’s life from when he grew up in Canada until he left school at 17 to pursue a career in Hollywood.
“The star here, as always, is Fox himself, battling the intense effects of the Parkinson’s disease he has had since he was diagnosed at 29, but telling his story with success and enthusiasm, a single talking head shot. , directly to the camera. ‘
Despite the difficulties of the disease, the actor said in the question and answer session after the premiere that he has loved his life.
Answering questions: Fox also spoke in a Q&A about the movie on Tuesday at the SXSW Conference.
Good times: The actor laughed as he addressed the audience at The Paramount Theater
The Director: The documentary’s director, Davis Guggenheim, joined Fox for the question-and-answer session.
Screening: The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, in January.
‘I love my family, I love what I do, I love that people react to what I do. I know that I can be an example for other people and help them deal with their problems without being asked without me [to] put my strength on them.
“It’s an amazing life and I’m enjoying it,” he said during a question-and-answer session after the Sundance premiere.
The actor retired from his profession in 2020. He now writes books about his experience and funds Parkinson’s research through his Michael J. Fox Foundation.
“People express to me that I make them feel better and do things that they normally wouldn’t,” he said. That is a great responsibility.