Michael J. Fox has spent much of his career defying expectations, especially after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at just 29.

To me, he’s of the most courageous people on earth.

But recently, she opened up about some deeply personal challenges.

“I wake up and get the message..”

Sometimes I feel a pang of sadness thinking about Michael J. Fox and all the incredible films we’ll never get to see because of what he’s gone through.

It’s tough watching actors we grew up with — whose careers were built on their expressiveness — lose that ability. But Michael still shines. He still has that charm, that humor, and he still makes us smile.

Now 64, the Back to the Future star continues to embody the determination and humor that made him a household name, though he recently opened up about some deeply personal challenges.

In recent years, Fox has co-written a new memoir, Future Boy, reflecting on the film that launched his career.

He’s also appeared on Apple TV’s Shrinking alongside Harrison Ford and has remained a tireless advocate for Parkinson’s research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has raised more than $2 billion so far. E

Earlier this year, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to advancing understanding of the disease.

That same optimism and persistence have long defined Fox’s public life. In an interview with People, he says:

“I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it.

I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.”

No longer walks regularly

Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, when he was just 29 years old. He has admitted that he popped dopamine pills “like Halloween Smarties (candy)” in a bid to hide early symptoms. While on set, he tried to hold props to mask the tremors in his hand.

More than 30 years after his diagnosis, Fox has admitted that he no longer walks regularly because of the risk of serious injury.

Years of performing high-energy stunts on set — from somersaulting over co-stars to sliding across car hoods — have taken a lasting physical toll.

He explained to The Times:

“And that’s [the point] where I break stuff, it’s absolutely incredible the stuff I broke. In a three-year period I broke my elbow, I broke my hand, I got a big infection in my hand and I almost lost my finger.”

The cumulative effects of these injuries have forced him to slow down.

“I take it easy now, I don’t walk that much anymore. I can walk but it’s not pretty and it’s a bit dangerous,” he said.

Yet Fox remains focused on what he can do rather than what he has lost.

“I see other people’s work, and it makes me think that I might be able to find something that’s for me as an actor and as a writer….And as a parent, husband and friend, I have a lot left to do,” he shared.

Despite the physical challenges, he continues to channel his energy into family, advocacy, and creative projects.

The Back to the Future star has previously said that for people with Parkinson’s, falling is a major danger, along with choking on food or developing pneumonia.

“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” Fox explained. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”

But when that moment arrives, the actor has shared his thoughts on the end of life.

“I’d like to just not wake up one day. That’d be really cool. I don’t want it to be dramatic. I don’t want to trip over furniture, smash my head,” Fox told The Sunday Times.