Michael J Fox, the former Hollywood actor and star of the Back to the Future film series, has spoken about living with Parkinson's disease and the importance of optimism in the face of the condition. Despite suffering from young-onset Parkinson’s disease, Fox remains positive, stating that "optimism is sustainable".
He acknowledges that living with the condition is "getting tougher, it’s getting harder" every day, but he remains grateful for what he has and recognizes the hardships of those who are less fortunate.
Fox also discusses the challenges of living with Parkinson's, including involuntary shaking, slow movement, and stiff muscles, along with injuries caused by falls. He founded The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has raised over 1.75 billion dollars for research funding.
The foundation sponsored a recent study that identified a biomarker for Parkinson's, a breakthrough that Fox says "changes everything". The actor retired in 2020 and is set to release an Apple+ documentary in May called "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie", which tells his story in his own words, including his personal and professional triumphs and his experience with Parkinson's.