Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox OC (born Michael Andrew Fox; June 9, 1961) is a Canadian-American actor, producer, director, writer, comedian, author and activist who auditioned unsuccessfully for the role of Ian Malcolm in the 1993 film. He is perhaps best-known for his role as the time-travelling teenager Marty McFly in Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1991). Other notable films Fox has appeared in include Teen Wolf (1985), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991), The Frighteners (1996), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Aside from his work in film, Fox has had an extensive career in television; there he is perhaps best-known for his role as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty in the sitcom series Spin City (1996-2001).

Fox has won five Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Saturn Award. In 1991, at the age of 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and semi-retired from acting by 2000 as symptoms of the disease worsened. On October 31, 2000 Fox, by then 39, took up a career in activism and established The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The organization is dedicated to discovering a cure for Parkinson's disease as well as developing new and improved therapies for those living with the disease.