Michael J. Fox has opened up with raw honesty about his wishes for the end of his life, as he continues to face new and difficult challenges in his decades-long fight with Parkinson’s disease.
The Back to the Future star was diagnosed in 1991 at just 29 years old, and has since become one of the world’s most recognized advocates for Parkinson’s awareness and research.
Through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, he has helped raise more than $2 billion toward finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Despite his diagnosis, Fox continued to work and inspire millions with his humor, optimism, and determination.
“I keep getting new challenges physically”
In a recent interview with People, Fox reflected on how his daily life has changed over time.
“I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it,” he said. “I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.”
More than three decades after his diagnosis, Fox revealed that he no longer walks regularly due to the high risk of falls and serious injuries.
Speaking to The Times, he shared:
“That’s where I break stuff — it’s incredible what I’ve broken. In three years I broke my elbow, my hand, I got a big infection and almost lost a finger. I take it easy now. I can walk, but it’s not pretty and it’s dangerous.”
Facing mortality with peace
Over the years, Fox has spoken candidly about the realities of Parkinson’s, emphasizing that it’s not typically fatal — but it greatly complicates one’s health.
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s, you die with Parkinson’s,” he once explained. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. I’m not gonna be 80.”
Now 64, Fox says he has found a sense of calm acceptance about the future. While promoting his new memoir, Future Boy, he shared his simple wish for when his time comes:
“There aren’t many people who have had Parkinson’s for 35 years. I’d like to just not wake up one day. That’d be really cool. I don’t want it to be dramatic. I don’t want to trip over furniture or smash my head.”
Still driven by hope
Despite his health struggles, Fox remains deeply committed to his foundation’s mission and the Parkinson’s community.
“After 35 years since I was diagnosed, this is just my life,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “I don’t think about it much. I’m focused on what we can do together to find a cure — and, until then, to create groundbreaking treatment centers.”
Even as his condition progresses, Michael J. Fox continues to embody the same courage, warmth, and resilience that have made him a beloved figure — not just in Hollywood, but around the world.