Beloved Canadian actor Michael J. Fox has reflected on maintaining a positive outlook after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, saying it is a “huge privilege” to support the Parkinson's disease community through his philanthropic foundation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Foxx, 64, stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk about her memoir Future Boy, which was released on October 14, and raise awareness of the disease.
“2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has raised more than $2.5 billion for Parkinson's disease,” Colbert said. “How does it make you feel knowing that it's such a big part of your legacy?”
Fox said that when he was diagnosed, it took him “seven years to figure it out on my own” before deciding to go public.
“People's reaction was really good, and I realized that the overwhelming force and all the energy was focused on it, and I thought I could orchestrate it and turn it into something positive,” Fox said.
Colbert told Fox that he is being praised not only for raising money for research into the disease, but also for bringing it into the public eye and becoming the face of Parkinson's disease.
“Even if you have something to say, it's really important that you don't show up and say nothing. People with Parkinson's disease have been stigmatized for years, so it's really important that you show up and say it,” Fox said. “So now I'm very honored to represent them and be a beacon to society and advocate for this position for all of us. It's a very humbling feeling.”
“But it's not about me. It's about all the families and people who want change and want things to get better and be healthy.”
When he sat down with Colbert on Oct. 21, Fox also discussed what it was like filming Back to the Future and the hit comedy Family Ties at the same time.
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“You were playing Alex P. Keaton during the day in 'Family Ties,' and you were shooting all day on one soundstage and doing 'Back to the Future' at night,” Colbert said.
“The Teamsters picked me up, threw me in the shower and made me coffee,” Fox recalled.
He said he drank coffee in the shower, milkshakes on the way to set, and could only survive on three to four hours of sleep for three months.
“I was 23 years old and too stupid to know anything,” Fox said.
Mr. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at the age of 29 and founded the nonprofit organization in 2000 to fund research into treatments and improve treatments for people living with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is a central nervous system disorder that primarily affects motor function. The condition gradually causes damage to parts of a person's brain, resulting in a variety of symptoms, including tremors, slow movements, and stiff and inflexible muscles. There is no cure.
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In a 2023 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Fox said degenerative diseases make aging difficult. He described Parkinson's disease as “a gift that keeps on receiving.”
“Having Parkinson's disease is the worst,” Fox told interviewer Jane Pauley. “It's getting tougher and tougher. I'm struggling every day, but that's the reality.”
Fox said Parkinson's disease has caused him to suffer several injuries over the years, including fractures to his face and other parts of his body and the discovery of a benign tumor on his spine.
Although he made it clear that people don't die directly from Parkinson's disease, Fox was no stranger to his own mortality rate.
“I'm not going to be 80. I'm not going to be 80,” Fox said.
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He claimed that falls, food aspiration and pneumonia were all “major” causes of death for people with Parkinson's disease.
“I know how difficult this is for people and how difficult it is for me, but I gratefully understand that I have certain skills to cope with this problem and that optimism is sustainable,” he explained. “If you can find something to be grateful for, you can find something to look forward to and keep going.”
Foxx officially retired from acting in 2020, but recently revealed that he will guest star in an episode of the TV show Shrinking in 2026.
In November 2023, she received the Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Oscar, for her philanthropic work in Parkinson's disease research. According to the Academy's website, the award is given to “individuals in the film industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought merit to the industry.”
— With files from Global News
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” airs weekdays at 11:30pm ET/PT on Global TV.
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