Michael J. Fox - Biography

Last Editor: propellerhead				Michael J. Fox Biography -   Name : Michael J. Fox Birth Name : Michael Andrew Fox Date of Birth : June 9, 1961 Place of Birth : Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Height : 5'4 Education : high school in Vancouver (dropped out) Nationality : Canadian Profession : actor, composer, director, writer, producer Claim to Fame : as Alex P. Keaton in TV Series: Family Ties (1982)

Michael J. Fox Trivia -

Revealed in the 7 December 1998 issue of People magazine that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991. Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1985" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 37. Mother is actress Phyllis Fox. Adopted the "J." as an homage to character actor Michael J. Pollard. Dated Nancy McKeon. Owned a black Ferrari Mondial coupe. [1987] Quit high school before graduating from his senior year. Has said he regrets quitting high school as a "stupid youthful mistake." Has forbidden any of his kids to quit high school for Hollywood, demanding that they at least finish high school and maybe attend 1-2 years of college. According to an interview with Fox, he originally decided to use the middle initial J instead of his own A because he didn't want teen magazines to use headlines such as "Michael, A Fox!" Is a vegetarian. Sister is stage (Shaw Festival) and TV actress Kelli Fox. Was not the first choice to play Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties" (1982). He was only chosen after Matthew Broderick, who was originally considered for the role, refused to have a long-term TV obligation. Has written his own book titled "Lucky Man" about Parkinson's and other things he has to deal with in life. When filming Doc Hollywood (1991), he noticed his finger twitching. He was unable to control it. He then saw a doctor and was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Although he never received a real high school diploma, Fox was given an honorary high school diploma from John Dewey High School in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, when he spoke at their graduation in 1984. Has a theatre named after him located in his hometown of Burnaby, B.C., Canada. He received his G.E.D. in 1995. Received his first guitar for christmas when he was 8. He taught himself how to play. He was on Planet Hollywood's Wall Of Fame. Received his Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star on December 16th 2002. He is good friends with Boston Bruin's Legend, Cam Neely. He attended the retirement of Neely's number on January 12th, 2004 at the Fleet Center in Boston. NBC President Brandon Tartikoff didn't like him because he couldn't see his face looking good on a lunchbox. Ironically, Fox did not allow this type of marketing when the Family Ties became popular. Negotiated the deal for Family Ties from a phone booth outside a now defunct Pioneer Chicken restaurant in Hollywood because he had no phone at home. He was told the network would need to call and he said he was only home between the hours of four and five. So he waited for the call and fortunately was there to answer it and secure the Family Ties role. Accidentally injured co-star James Woods's finger on the set of The Hard Way (1991). Woods was throwing him into a popcorn machine when his finger got caught in the button hole of Fox's jacket and dislocated it. While filming Teen Wolf a location scout was in the same neighborhood and he asked what company he was with. The scout said it was for the new Spielberg movie called "Back to the Future". He remarked how it sounded like a good movie and how he hoped someday he'd be part of a film like that. When Eric Stolz was fired as Marty McFly on Back to the Future, Fox went on to replace him and the ambition came true. Announced he is leaving "Spin City" (1996) because of Parkinson's disease. [January 2000] He, Jim Carrey and the late Raymond Burr head the list of top Canadians in U.S. television compiled by Banff Television Festival, June 2002. Has four children with Tracy Pollan; Sam Michael (born 1989), twins Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances (born 1996) and Esme Annabelle (born 2001). "Family Ties" (1982) creator Gary Goldberg didn't like him after his first audition stating that he played Alex too smart-allecky. Casting director Judith Wiener fought for him so Goldberg gave him one more chance. He approached the second audition differently and was later called and offered the part. There is a pub in London, Ontario called "The Alex P. Keaton" in honor of his character on "Family Ties" Shares a birthday with Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman. Due to his suffering from Parkinson's Disease, during his run on "Spin City" (1996), he often hid his right hand in his pocket. He was over 25 the year he played a teenager in Back to the Future (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985).

Michael J. Fox Detailed Biography -

Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox in 1961 to parents William and Phyllis in Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. (He later adopted the "J" as an homage to legendary character actor Michael J. Pollard.) Fox, a self-described "Army brat," moved several times during his childhood along with his parents, brother, and three sisters. The Foxes finally planted roots in Burnaby, British Columbia (a suburb of Vancouver), when William Fox retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1971. Like most Canadian kids, Fox loved hockey and dreamed of a career in the National Hockey League. In his teens, his interests expanded. He began experimenting with creative writing and art and played guitar in a succession of rock-and-roll garage bands before ultimately realizing his affinity for acting. Fox debuted as a professional actor at 15, co-starring in the sitcom Leo and Me on Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) with future Tony Award-winner Brent Carver. Over the next three years, he juggled local theater and TV work, and landed a few roles in American TV movies shooting in Canada. When he was 18, Fox moved to Los Angeles. He had a series of bit parts, including one in CBS' short-lived (yet critically acclaimed) Alex Haley/Norman Lear series Palmerstown USA, before winning the role of lovable conservative Alex P. Keaton on NBC's enormously popular Family Ties (1982-89). During Fox's seven years on Ties, he earned three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe, making him one of the country's most prominent young actors. Fox returned to series television in 1996 with ABC's Spin City, portraying Michael Flaherty, New York's deputy mayor. He won critical praise, garnering three Golden Globe Awards, one Emmy Award, three Emmy nominations, a GQ Man-of-the-Year Award (in the TV comedy category), a People's Choice Award, and two SAG Awards. During his time on the show, shot entirely in New York City, Fox did everything from galloping bareback through Central Park to jumping into the Hudson River. He also served as executive producer, along with Gary David Goldberg, Bill Lawrence, David Rosenthal, and producer/director Andy Cadiff. Spin City reunited Fox with Family Ties creator/executive producer Gary David Goldberg. Together with Bill Lawrence, Goldberg created the series expressly for Fox, establishing it as a joint venture of DreamworksSKG, Goldberg's UBU Productions, and Lottery Hill Entertainment (run by Fox and partner Danelle Black). Goldberg served as co-executive producer with Fox for Spin City's first and second seasons, and Lawrence stepped in during the third. For the fourth seasons, Rosenthal and Cadiff shared duties with Fox. In other television work, Fox starred in Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water in 1994. He directed Teri Garr and Bruno Kirby in an episode of Tales From the Crypt and later directed an installment of the series Brooklyn Bridge. Fox also had time during his busy TV work to become an international film star, appearing in over a dozen features showcasing his keen ability to shift between comedy and drama. These include the Back to the Future trilogy, The Hard Way, Doc Hollywood, The Secret of My Success, Bright Lights, Big City, Light of Day, Teen Wolf, Casualties of War, Life With Mikey, For Love or Money, The American President, Greedy, The Frighteners, and Mars Attacks! Fox married his Family Ties co-star, actress Tracy Pollan, in 1988. Together they have four children. Inspired to find projects that his kids would enjoy, Fox has lent his voice to a variety of hit children's films since the early 1990s. He began as Chance the dog in Disney's Homeward Bound movies. In December 1999, he provided the voice of Stuart Little for the Sony feature of the same name, and in the summer of 2001 Fox's voice was heard as that of the lead in Atlantis The Lost Empire, his first animated feature for The Walt Disney Co. Though he would not share the news with the public for another seven years, Fox was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991. Upon disclosing his condition in 1998, he committed himself to the campaign for increased Parkinson's research. Fox announced his retirement from Spin City in January 2000, effective upon the completion of his fourth season and 100th episode. Expressing pride in the show, its talented cast, writers, and creative team, he explained that new priorities made this the right time to step away from the demands of a weekly series. Though he maintains a strong commitment to his acting career and running Lottery Hill Entertainment, Fox has shifted a good deal of his focus and energies toward The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which he launched in year 2000, and its efforts to raise much-needed research funding for and awareness about Parkinson's disease. Fox wholeheartedly believes that if there is a concentrated effort from the Parkinson's community, elected representatives in Washington, DC, and (most importantly) the general public, researchers can pinpoint the cause of Parkinson's and uncover a cure by 2010.