Did anybody see the interview with Michael J. Fox last night? Available through their website.
Stewart’s right- considering his health problems especially, he’s aged amazingly little.
So, he’s been living with the disease since 1991. Does anybody know when the symptoms began to manifest? I never watched Spin City, but were they evident when he left the show?
His mind is still obviously fine, though his delivery is extremely frustrating to him (comic timing for example is next to impossible when he can’t get the words out). Generally though I thought he gave a good interview and it was good seeing him cope as well as he does with the disease. And his “presupposes” line about Limbaugh’s brain was funny even if I don’t think he actually finished it.
I don’t believe his symptoms were ever visible in the show, though I quit watching Spin City before he left. Keep in mind it took a while for the symptoms to become severe, and treatment could mask it better in earlier stages. Plus, TV sitcoms are not live productions. They are filmed and edited.
Limbaugh said he would apologize if he received evidence Fox wasn’t “faking”; several doctors all stated that he was completely consistent with Parkinson’s symptoms and to my knowledge none said he seemed to be faking. Did Limbaugh ever apologize for his comments?
When Fox was on Inside the Actor’s Studio, they actually broke so he could “reload” his medication, and the “before and after” was quite obvious.
I can’t wait to see TDS episode.
IIRC, he was diagnosed prior to Spin City even beginning. He realized that if he wanted to do a last series, he had to start RIGHT NOW, before his symptoms became too obvious and producers would no longer bet on him. He told no one and went forward with the pilot.
When Fox first revealed he had Parkinson’s, he said that he had been less able to control his tremors during his final season on Spin City but had compensated by, for example, turning slightly so that he hid one arm from the camera, or by sitting at a desk where he could keep his arms firmly planted instead of standing or walking where the tremors might have been noticeable.
It’s possible he did finish it but just looked- due to the involuntary facial twitching- like there was more that didn’t come out. Either way, a good line.
His youngest daughter (born 2001) would never have known him to be much different than he is now. When she’s older and sees films of him before the symptoms were as severe that will probably be odd.
I was reading a magazine article about him going to the Himalayas recently and discovering that his symptoms were a lot less pronounced in the mountains. Unfortunately he got so overconfident he ‘fall down, went boom’ and almost lost his ring finger (story). It’d be interesting if they’d do research on whether high altitudes elsewhere have similar effects; I wonder if Fox has been to the Rockies or the Alps for instance.
I’ve read his autobiography. He learned ways to hide his trembling hands during Spin City. This was really the only tell-tale symptoms at the time.
His story is very interesting: moving from British Columbia to starving artist in Hollywood, to fame and fortune, marrying Tracy (and man you could tell they were getting connected on Family Ties), then dealing with and beating alcoholism, then being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. A really good read and he’s a very likable guy to boot.
Was he well known in Canada before he came here? I know he was a regular on a Canadian sitcom and did some episodic guest shots.
ETA: Hmm… this is interesting. Fox appeared on a CBC sitcom Leo & Me (playing a 12 year old when he was 15) and…
In my book, Michael J. is one of the real good guys in show business. It was sooooo cool to see him play “Magic Bus” with The Who at the Parkinson’s benefit last year.
He wasn’t known at all in Canada prior to Family Ties, well from my perspective. And although there seems to be anecdotal connections to Parkinson’s with other colleagues, it’s all speculation and no correlation.
If I recall correctly, there was an episode in one of the later episodes of Spin City, where his character knew or suspected he had Parkinson’s. I think there was a scene in a bathroom where it came up.
