Michael J. Fox recalls ‘dumpster diving for food,’ having ‘no money’ pre-fame

movie

To Bernie Giglio

May 11, 2023 | 7:39 PM

Michael J. Fox is the opposite of Nepobaby.

Born in Canada to blue-collar parents, the award-winning actor recalls struggling to make ends meet before making his way to Hollywood.

“I was living on the edge. I was 18, had no money, no connections, and was literally digging through garbage cans looking for food,” he said. told Variety in a lengthy profile published Thursday.

Fox, 61, was raised in Vancouver by his father, William, a retired army sergeant turned police dispatcher, and his mother, Phyllis, a payroll clerk.

Shortly after starting to participate in school plays, mainly to meet girls, he realized he was “more talented than most”, dropped out of high school, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. I moved.

“If you want to be someone, sit on the porch of your parents’ house and say, ‘Hey, if I was born in America and my parents had money and they weren’t living up to their paychecks, I wouldn’t be living my life. “Maybe we can do something,” he said.

Despite many failed auditions and often-forgotten roles, Fox’s confidence never wavered.

In fact, he was surrounded by a host of actors on the set of the 1980 teen comedy Midnight Madness (his first feature film), asking, “Why does this work for me and not for them?” ?” I still remember thinking.

“I didn’t wish them bad luck or bad luck. I wished them success in the world,” he explained. “But I knew it was going to work. God knows why.”

Two years later, Fox landed his career-defining role in “Family Ties.” He soon became the breakout star of the NBC sitcom. Starred in 1985 blockbuster “Back to the Future” and its two consecutive sequels.

But in 1991, at the age of 29, he was diagnosed with juvenile Parkinson’s disease and given 10 years to live.

“It’s just sick,” he lamented. “I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to get involved. It didn’t fit my story. I just shut it down.”

Mr. Fox did his best to cover up his worsening physical symptoms, including tremors, balance problems and coordination problems, until the next day. disclose one’s illness in 1998.

Despite doctors’ predictions, his acting career continued to thrive until his retirement in 2020.

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“Since announcing my diagnosis, I’ve won more awards and received more nominations,” he said. “People may think bad of me, but I like to take it as a thank you for continuing a legitimate career.”

In addition, the father of four, married to wife Tracy Pollan for nearly 25 years, has helped raise more than $1 billion for Parkinson’s research. his storied foundation. He has also written four books.

When hailed as a “hero” for everything he’s done, Fox said,

“But no matter how long I sit here and tell you how I’ve been I accepted it philosophically and took its weightHe continued, “Parkinson’s still sucks. You can’t win with this. You’ll lose. But there’s so much to lose.”