Michael J. Fox isn’t done inspiring the world — not by a long shot. The beloved “Back to the Future” star, who’s spent more than three decades battling Parkinson’s disease, is stepping back in front of the camera for his most personal role yet.
After officially retiring from acting five years ago, Fox is making a triumphant return in the upcoming season of “Shrinking,” and the role couldn’t be more fitting: he’ll be playing a character who also lives with Parkinson’s.
For Fox, this isn’t just another acting gig. It’s a full-circle moment. “I just feel I have to,” he told USA Today, describing how he’s determined to stay active despite the challenges of the disease he’s been fighting since 1991. “It’s a tradeoff. I want to be around for everything.” Those words — simple, grounded, defiant — carry the weight of someone who’s spent years learning how to live “on the edge of my energy,” as he puts it.
Fox says he’s not slowing down when it comes to what matters most. “I want to be active at everything — keep working, keep my partnerships going, my good friends, and enjoy my time with my family,” he said. “And it’s all good; it’s so much better than it could be.” That’s classic Michael J. Fox optimism — a tone he’s held onto since his “Family Ties” days, long before the world knew about his diagnosis.
The actor’s new role came about in the most Michael J. Fox way imaginable: with humor and heart. He told People that he was watching “Shrinking” when he noticed Harrison Ford’s character had Parkinson’s.
So he picked up the phone and called his old “Spin City” collaborator Bill Lawrence, one of the show’s creators. “I said, ‘You did a show about Parkinson’s and you didn’t call me?’” Fox recalled with a laugh. Lawrence’s response? “Oh, you want to do it?” A few conversations later, a three-episode guest arc was born.
Fox said filming felt liberating. “It was the first time ever I get to show up on set and I didn’t have to worry about whether I was too tired or coughing,” he explained. “I just do it. And when I can’t do something, I just deal with it in the scene — and you get through it.”
That sense of acceptance — of finding freedom in imperfection — is something Fox has cultivated after 35 years of living with Parkinson’s. In a recent interview, he called the disease “mysterious and enigmatic,” admitting that very few people have lived with it as long as he has.
But rather than fear what’s ahead, he faces it with grace and a touch of humor. “I’d like to just not wake up one day,” he said softly. “That’d be really cool. I don’t want it to be dramatic.”
Even as the disease progresses, Fox remains the embodiment of resilience — not just surviving, but thriving. And with his return to acting, he’s showing the world that life, no matter how unpredictable, is still worth every frame.
