Michael J. Fox, the actor best known for his role as Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" trilogy, has credited his return to acting with prolonging his life following a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. The Canadian-American star, now 65, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s at age 29, a year after completing "Back to the Future Part III" in 1990.

Fox temporarily stepped away from acting during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing challenges with managing his speech from day to day. This hiatus lasted approximately six years before he reconnected with Bill Lawrence, a friend and collaborator from his time on the TV series "Spin City." This outreach led to Fox’s involvement in the series "Shrinking," marking his return to the screen. He is currently set to appear in the show’s fourth season and will soon begin filming new episodes.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fox spoke about how acting has added meaning and extended his life in ways he had not anticipated. He emphasized that while he has not officially retired, Parkinson’s has forced him to let the disease influence his professional choices. Fox also discussed the personal challenges he faced in publicly acknowledging the physical effects of Parkinson’s. He said he had to overcome feelings of vanity to “normalize” the impact of the condition on his life.

Following his disclosure of the diagnosis, Fox revealed that he would anonymously join online forums for Parkinson’s patients to gauge their reactions to his public announcement. He said the responses varied widely, but many were positive, ranging from encouragement to celebration, which surprised and motivated him.

Fox first noticed symptoms when he observed a tremor in his little finger before his diagnosis. Since then, Parkinson’s has significantly affected his mobility, and he has sustained multiple bone fractures from falls. In response to his condition, Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which has raised over $2 billion in funding for research into the disease.

In 2023, Fox starred in an Apple TV documentary titled "Still: A Michael J Fox Movie," which examined the effect of Parkinson’s on his life and that of his family. The film received praise for its intimate portrayal, with reviewers noting it as much a love story as a documentary on illness. Fox has been married to actor Tracy Pollan since 1988.