Summary
- Michael J. Fox’s legacy was impacted by his Parkinson’s diagnosis, leading to a shift in his career ambitions.
- Fox has expressed regret for choosing specific roles, like Life With Mikey and For Love or Money.
- Despite some commercial failures, Fox’s career is still celebrated with iconic roles like Marty McFly and Frank Bannister.
Canadian-born actor Michael J. Fox had humble beginnings, coming from an army family and taking his own route by going into acting. His first major success, Family Ties, led him to the lead role in the ’80s classic Back to the Future, with his career only growing from there. However, Fox’s legacy would see a shift with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s, affecting his career ambitions but also pushing Fox to activism and charity to help others with the neurodegenerative disease.
The diagnosis has certainly underscored Michael J. Fox’s career, and there was a period when the actor suffered flop after flop. However, in a recent interview, he spoke out about his mindset during this period, which also alluded to him specifically regretting certain roles he took in a bid to attract stardom with the worries of his diagnosis looming over him. We will look at which roles he was likely speaking about, how they vastly performed at the box office, and the actor’s triumphs on and off-screen.
Michael J. Fox’s Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease
In a deeply insightful interview with the New York Times, Micheal J. Fox spoke candidly about his ongoing fight against Parkinson’s, activism and charity work, and career. Throughout the interview, Fox’s passion for helping others and furthering the cause to find a cure for Parkinson’s, a neurological disease caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain that leads to various physical and mental health issues, is obvious. This, famously, led to him founding “The Michael J. Fox Foundation,” which, as of 2023, raised $2 billion for Parkinson’s research projects, making it the largest nonprofit for Parkinson’s research in the world.
His continued fight against the disease and activism have undeniably affected Fox’s view of his career. The recent interview touched on how the two became entwined in his mind during the early stages of his diagnosis and his stardom. The following quote summarizes his push when he was privately struggling with the affliction.
“If I’d had any imperative to accomplish anything with movies, it shouldn’t have been to do as many quick successful ones as I could. It should’ve been to do as many good ones as I could. To do one good one. To find something that meant something to me.” Michael J. Fox
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Micheal J. Fox Regretted These roles
In the interview, Michael J. Fox shared that he felt he was rushing into roles to try to land a big one while dealing privately with his Parkinson’s (diagnosed in 1991, disclosed in 1998). While he does not name which movies he refers to in the interview, a series of box office flops and critical failures plagued the actor during this time. Specifically, he speaks about a personal shift around 1994 when he saw that he was taking the wrong parts. With this time frame in mind, it is not a huge leap to place these following box office flops as the movies he was mentioning:
“It wasn’t until ’94 that I started getting it. That’s when I started to accept the disease — and acceptance doesn’t mean resignation.” Michael J. Fox
Life With Mikey (1993) — Mikey Chapman (Michael J. Fox), a former child star from a 1970s sitcom, is now running a talent agency for other child actors with his brother Ed (Nathan Lane). When Mikey, by chance, meets a young pickpocket, Angie Vega (Christina Vidal), he sees her potential in the industry and tries to turn her into the next big star and cement their agency as star-finders for young talent. On a budget of $12 million, the movie only grossed $12.4 million at the box office; the movie sits at 25% critic and 39% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
For Love or Money (1993) — Doug Ireland (Michael J. Fox) is a concierge at a luxury Manhattan hotel who dreams of opening his own hotel, needing to raise $3 million to make it happen. A chance meeting with wealthy entrepreneur Christian Hanover (Anthony Higgins) gives him a chance. Still, first, he must help him to secretly meet his mistress Andy (Gabrielle Anwar), who, as it happens, Doug has also fallen in love with. On a production budget of approx $30 million, the movie only grossed 10.4 million; the movie sits at 37% critic and 45% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Greedy (1994) — With the oncoming passing of his wealthy uncle, Danny (Michael J. Fox) competes with the rest of his family and starts to vie for the potential riches. Danny wants the money for a new bowling alley he plans to open, but to receive the money, he must renounce his father, who became estranged from his uncle. Greedy grossed around $13 million against a budget of $33 million; the movie sits at 32% critic and 48% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The horror comedy The Frighteners by Peter Jackson was also a commercial failure for Michael J. Fox, grossing 29.3 million on a budget of 30 million. However, unlike the previously mentioned titles, The Frighteners has found appreciation and cult status after its release. Fox’s success varied as a supporting actor during this period as well, with Where the Rivers Flow North (1993) being a flop despite critical acclaim and 1995’s Blue in the Face being a smash hit off a modest budget. Still, Michael J. Fox’s career from 1991 to 98 is mostly marred by poorly performing and received roles.
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The Best Michael J. Fox Movies and Where You Can Watch Them
Of course, Michael J. Fox’s career is not defined by its failures; from his iconic Marty McFly in the Back to the Future franchise to Frank Bannister in the cult-favorite The Frighteners; there is no shortage of stand-out movies to check out. Here are just a few:
- Family Ties (1982-89) — Michael J. Fox’s big break and a beloved classic sitcom, Family Ties, can be streamed on Paramount+.
- Back to the Future (1985) — The 80s stand-out and its subsequent sequels are available to rent on Apple TV, YouTube, and Prime.
- The Frighteners (1996) — Peter Jackson’s comedy about the undead and a medium that corrals them is available to stream on Starz or Tubi.
- Spin City (1996-2002) — The hit sitcom Michael J. Fox led for several seasons can be streamed on Prime.
- Stuart Little (1999) — The adorable mouse voiced by Michael J. Fox can be streamed on Hulu.
- Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023) — the acclaimed documentary about Michael J. Fox’s life is streaming on Apple TV+.
