Michael J. Fox
Acting • Born 1961-06-09
Biography
Michael Andrew Fox OC (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a retired Canadian-American actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989). Fox is famous for his role as protagonist Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990), a critical and commercial success. He went on to headline several films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991), and The Frighteners (1996). Fox returned to television on the ABC sitcom Spin City in the lead role of Mike Flaherty from 1996 to 2000. In 1998, Fox disclosed his 1991 diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. He subsequently became an advocate for finding a cure and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to help fund research. Worsening symptoms forced Fox to reduce his activities and led to his return to television in Spin City when he was still a major movie star. He continued to make guest appearances on television, including recurring roles on the FX comedy-drama Rescue Me (2009) and the CBS legal drama The Good Wife (2010–2016) that garnered him critical acclaim. He voiced the lead roles in the Stuart Little films (1999–2005) and the animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). His final major role was on the NBC sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show (2013–2014). Fox retired in 2020 due to his declining health. Fox won five Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2010, along with being inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000 and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. For his advocacy of a cure for Parkinson's disease, he received an honorary doctorate in 2010 from the Karolinska Institute and an honorary Oscar in 2022.
Filmography
133 credits
Mars Attacks!
Movie • 1996
Jason Stone
Back to the Future
Movie • 1985
Marty McFly
Back to the Future Part II
Movie • 1989
Marty McFly / Marty McFly Junior / Marlene McFly
Back to the Future Part III
Movie • 1990
Marty McFly / Seamus McFly
Stuart Little
Movie • 1999
Stuart Little (voice)
Casualties of War
Movie • 1989
Private Eriksson
Light of Day
Movie • 1987
Joe Rasnick
The Secret of My Success
Movie • 1987
Brantley Foster aka Carlton Whitfield
Don't Drink the Water
Movie • 1994
Axel Magee
The Frighteners
Movie • 1996
Frank Bannister
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Movie • 2001
Milo James Thatch (voice)
Stuart Little 2
Movie • 2002
Stuart Little (voice)
Interstate 60
Movie • 2002
Mr. Baker
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild
Movie • 2005
Stuart Little (voice)
Blue in the Face
Movie • 1995
Pete Maloney
The Hard Way
Movie • 1991
Nick Lang
Class of 1984
Movie • 1982
Arthur
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Movie • 1993
Chance (voice)
Doc Hollywood
Movie • 1991
Benjamin Stone
Teen Wolf
Movie • 1985
Scott Howard
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Movie • 1996
Chance (voice)
For Love or Money
Movie • 1993
Doug Ireland
The American President
Movie • 1995
Lewis Rothschild
Greedy
Movie • 1994
Daniel
Back Home Again
Movie • 2021
Michael J. Bird (voice)
Citizen Steve
Movie • 1987
Self - Actor
Life with Mikey
Movie • 1993
Michael Chapman
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
Movie • 1987
Raymond Griffiths (voice)
High School U.S.A.
Movie • 1983
Jay-Jay Manners
Bright Lights, Big City
Movie • 1988
Jamie
Poison Ivy
Movie • 1985
Dennis Baxter
Midnight Madness
Movie • 1980
Scott Larson
Where the Rivers Flow North
Movie • 1993
Clayton Farnsworth
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
Movie • 2012
(archive footage)
Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe
Movie • 2023
Self
The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy
Movie • 1990
Self
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
Movie • 2013
Self
Family Ties Vacation
Movie • 1985
Alex P. Keaton
Eriksson's War: A Talk with Actor Michael J. Fox
Movie • 2001
Self
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
Movie • 2002
Self
Your Studio and You
Movie • 1995
Curious Guy on the Porch
Trouble in High Timber Country
Movie • 1980
Thomas Elston
The Love We Make
Movie • 2011
Self
The Making of 'The Frighteners'
Movie • 1998
Self
Back in Time
Movie • 2015
Self
James Cagney: Top of the World
Movie • 1992
Self - Host
Being Canadian
Movie • 2015
Self
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Movie • 2023
Self
Don't Ask Me, Ask God
Movie • 1984
Future Son
Night of 100 Stars II
Movie • 1985
Self
Annie
Movie • 2014
Self
Mr. Calzaghe
Movie • 2015
Self
Back To the Present: The Special
Movie • 2015
Coldblooded
Movie • 1995
Tim Alexander
A.R.C.H.I.E.
Movie • 2016
A.R.C.H.I.E. (voice)
Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy
Movie • 2002
Self
Looking Back at the Future
Movie • 2006
Himself
Looking Back to the Future
Movie • 2009
Self (archive footage)
The Return of Bruno
Movie • 1987
Michael J. Fox
Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation
Movie • 1989
Self
Time Machine: The Journey Back
Movie • 1993
Self
A.R.C.H.I.E. 2: Mission Impawsible
Movie • 2018
A.R.C.H.I.E. (voice)
The Universal Story
Movie • 1996
Self (archive footage)
The Concert for New York City
Movie • 2001
Self
The Making of Back to the Future
Movie • 1986
Self
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Movie • 1988
Alex P. Keaton (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist
Movie • 2009
Self
See You Yesterday
Movie • 2019
Mr. Lockhart
Tales from the Future
Movie • 2010
Self
Letters from Frank
Movie • 1979
Ricky
Comedy Central Roast of Denis Leary
Movie • 2003
Self
The Making of 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire'
Movie • 2002
Self
Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party
Movie • 1997
Self
VH1 Rock Honors: The Who
Movie • 2008
Self
Stuart Little: Making It Big
Movie • 1999
Self
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Movie • 1987
Self
Cola Wars
Movie • 2019
Self (archive footage)
The Ice Man Hummeth
Movie • 1986
Michael J. Fox
Movie • 2017
Self
101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
Saving Milly
Movie • 2005
Self (uncredited)
Zootopia 2
Movie • 2025
Michael J. The Fox (voice)
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
Movie • 1985
ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Movie • 2003
Self
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremony
Movie • 2010
Himself
Family Ties
TV • 1982
Alex P. Keaton
Inside the Actors Studio
TV • 1994
Self
The Good Wife
TV • 2009
Louis Canning
Trapper John, M.D.
TV • 1979
Clone High
TV • 2002
Gandhi's Remaining Kidney (voice)
Spin City
TV • 1996
Mike Flaherty
This Week
TV • 1981
The View
TV • 1997
Self - Guest
E! True Hollywood Story
TV • 1996
Self
Leo and Me
TV • 1978
Jamie
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Here's Boomer
TV • 1981
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
TV • 1980
Willy-Joe Hall
The Emmy Awards
TV • 1949
Self
The Michael J. Fox Show
TV • 2013
Mike Henry
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
Boston Legal
TV • 2004
Daniel Post
Curb Your Enthusiasm
TV • 2000
Michael J. Fox
Family
TV • 1976
Richard
CBS News Sunday Morning
TV • 1979
Self
Night Court
TV • 1984
Eddie Simms
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Presenter
Designated Survivor
TV • 2016
Ethan West
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
Phineas and Ferb
TV • 2007
Werewolf / Michael (voice)
The Reichen Show
TV • 2005
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV • 1996
Self - Guest
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
TV • 1992
Narrator (voice)
Goldene Kamera
TV • 1984
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self - Guest
Teachers Only
TV • 1982
Corner Gas Animated
TV • 2018
Michael J. Fox (voice)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Comedy Central Roasts
TV • 2003
Self
Rescue Me
TV • 2004
Dwight
Reunited Apart
TV • 2020
Self
Tales from the Crypt
TV • 1989
Prosecutor ("segment "The Trap")
The Good Fight
TV • 2017
Louis Canning
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV • 2015
Self - Guest
Tales from the Crypt - Uncut
TV • 1992
Shrinking
TV • 2023
Gerry
Scrubs
TV • 2001
Kevin Casey
Late Show with David Letterman
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Late Night with David Letterman
TV • 1982
Self - Guest