Michael J Fox was just 29 when, in 1991, doctors diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease.Speaking to the press this week, however, at the age of 65, the actor candidly discussed his 30-year battle with the incurable neurodegenerative disease, as well as the way he’d prefer to say his final goodbye.For those in need of a reminder, Fox was at the height of his Hollywood success when he was dealt the brutal blow to his health, having recently completed his back-to-back hit performances in Robert Zemeckis’ classic sci-fi trilogy Back to the Future.
At the time, the rising star has also recently wrapped up roles in coming-of-age comedy Teen Wolf, and hardcore party-drama Bright Lights, Big City, both of which earned him a place in VH1’s list of the ’50 Greatest Teen Idols’, as well as five Emmys, four Golden Globes, two SAG Awards, and a Grammy.In the years immediately after his diagnosis, however, the movie star took a step back from the spotlight, later telling readers of his 2002 memoir Lucky Man: “I was so scared. I was so unfamiliar with Parkinson’s. I only knew it as this thing that would end my working life and everything I loved doing.”