Michael J. Fox Health Crisis: Actor Says Career is Ruined By Disease?
Almost two years after revealing to the world his medical condition, Michael J. Fox gets candid about how Parkinson's Disease continues to make an impact on his everyday life, especially his acting career.
Speaking to the "Working It Out" podcast by Mike Birbiglia, the 60-year-old actor revealed he's having a hard time memorizing lines because of his current health status.
"When I did the spinoff from 'The Good Wife,' which is 'The Good Fight,' I couldn't remember the lines. I just had this blank, I couldn't remember the lines," the actor revealed. (via People Magazine)
Before he was diagnosed with the disease, the "Back to the Future" star said he didn't have any problems remembering his lines. He also recalled working on "Family Times," which he starred on from 1982 to 1989.
"I'd go, 'I'm in. Mallory, get off the phone.' And I knew it, like in an instant, and it continued to be that way for me," he said.
The actor added that he would have 70 pages of dialogue on a movie by Brian De Palma, so he had to remember each line because a Steadicam shot is "hugely expensive."
In 1989, Fox worked with the famed director in the movie "Casualities of War" along with co-star Sean Penn.
Today, he's having a hard time with dialogues as he couldn't remember a five-page script.
"My short-term memory is shot," he said.
Despite having a medical condition, the actor revealed he doesn't let it get in the way. Since memorizing scripts is not his forte anymore, he opted to head in another direction: writing.
Today, writing is his primary creative outlet; the actor said he really enjoys it.
Fox released his fourth memoir in November of 2020, titled "No Time Like the Future," which was a success.
The "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" star was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991. The medical condition is a long-term disorder that affects the central nervous system.
He first publicized his health status in 1998; however, it never stopped him from acting as he continued to work in the movies and TV shows like "Spin City" from 1996 to 2001 and "The Good Wife."
