Michael J. Fox Shocks Fans With Acting Retirement Walkback
When Michael J. Fox retired from television and the big screen in 2020, his fans thought it was the last time they’d see him in something new. However, an interview with ET proved that there may be some glimmer of hope for Fox fans.
The Goals Of Michael J. Fox
Rachel Smith had a chance to sit down with the legendary actor in Nashville, Tennessee, before a charity event scheduled to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Smith got the interview going with some old footage of an interview Fox had in 1984 during his time on the popular show Family Ties.
As Michael J. Fox watched the footage, you could tell he was a little disillusioned with the youth and veracity of his 22-year-old self. Now, at the ripe old age of 62, Fox took a swift jab at his younger self, saying, “22-year-olds are obnoxious.”
The young version of Michael J. Fox wanted to “do it all,” and Smith was interested in whether or not he felt he had “done it all” during his time in Hollywood. In response, Fox talked about his goals never really had much to do with what happened on or behind the camera. He wanted a family.
Happily Married For Decades
Under those terms, Michael J. Fox has certainly met or exceeded his life’s goal. He and his wife Tracy Pollan met in 1985 on the set of Family Ties and have been happily married for nearly 40 years. The couple has four children, and Fox considers his family his greatest achievement in life.
In 2022, Michael J. Fox said in an interview, “My best life now is I enjoy my family so much. Tracy and the kids are amazing. I know that sounds boring, it sounds like a fairy tale, but we’ve been married for 30-something years, so we’ve got something figured out.”
Willing To Return To Acting
When asked more directly if he would ever consider coming out of retirement and doing something else on screen, Fox didn’t close the door on the possibility. Though Michael J. Fox didn’t say he had anything in particular lined up for filming, he did say he would be open to the right role.
Michael J. Fox has lived with Parkinson’s for more than two decades, and certain aspects of his job as an actor have become much more difficult to maintain. The “right” acting job would have to work with his situation.
“I would do acting if something came up that I could put my realities into it, my challenges … if I could figure it out,” Fox said.
A New Documentary
Fox recently released a documentary about his life with Parkinson’s, and he said working on the documentary was “a big thrill,” and it “just happened.” The new Michael J. Fox documentary entitled Still is available on AppleTV+
The Good Fight Incident
Fox said that his decision to retire from acting in 2020 was fueled by a struggle he encountered while working on The Good Fight. He said he couldn’t remember his lines, and it reminded him of a scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character had a meltdown because he had forgotten his lines.
“I thought of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,” he said. “I had this moment where I was looking in the mirror and thought, ‘I cannot remember it anymore.’”
After Michael J. Fox had that realization, he felt it was time to “move on,” and his decision to shift his path moving forward “was peaceful.”
Source: Entertainment Tonight
