Fact File

Michael J Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox, but changed to the 'J' in homage to Michael J Pollard.  He began his professional acting career at the age of 15, when he stared in the TV series Leo and Me.  As he found that he enjoyed acting tremendously, he moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to take his career further.  Here, he managed to get a few film roles and starred in the series Family Ties for seven years.  Also in Family Ties was Tracy Pollan, whom he later married.

The 1985 film Back to the Future, in which he played the lead role of Marty McFly, was a huge success and became a trilogy.  In 1985 Michael won a NATO award for 'Most Exciting New Star', and more awards flooded in throughout the next years.

Mike starred in many different films and TV shows, but few were hits, and people were beginning to think that he had lost his edge on the acting world.  In 1991, Mike took the part of Dr Benjamin in the film Doc Hollywood.  However, during the filming of this, Mike noticed his little finger shaking and went to the doctors to query it.  At the age of 30, he was diagnosed as having Parkinson's Disease.

However, in 1996, Michael got the star role in Spin City, where he played the workaholic Mike Flaherty.  The show became a huge hit and he starred in it for four years.  

Unfortunately, at the end of the series shot in 2000, Mike left Spin City so that he could concentrate on his young family and on finding a cure for Parkinson's.  He is very much missed on the show.

Nevertheless, Mike is still going strong.  He did the voice of Stuart in the animated film Stuart Little in the year 2000 and I believe he will carry on doing similar things while he can.

He lives in America with his wife, Tracy, his son Sam and his twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler.