Michael J. Fox on Fatherhood and Parkinson’s

Michael J. Fox, the award-winning actor, cherishes fatherhood above all his roles. Married to Tracy Pollan for over 30 years, they share four children. Fox humorously mentioned to Reader’s Digest that it sometimes feels like five.

Fox underscores the importance of being present for his kids: “Always be available to your kids. Because if you say, ‘Give me five minutes, give me 10 minutes,’ it’ll be 15, it’ll be 20. And then when you get there, the shine will have worn off whatever it is they wanted to share with you.”

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, Fox praised his children for their empathy and resilience. He often features his close bond with them on Instagram. On Mother’s Day 2022, he wrote to Pollan, “Our children are beautiful, sensitive, intelligent, empathetic, independent, compassionate, adventurous, lovely people. That’s your fault.”

Fox’s eldest son, Sam, works in entertainment, while his twins, Aquinnah and Schuyler, have careers in media and education. His youngest, Esmé, studies at Duke University. Fox is also dedicated to Parkinson’s research, raising over $2 billion.