Michael J. Fox made a rare and emotional appearance at the 2026 Actor Awards March 1, where he reflected on how becoming an actor changed his life.
The Back to the Future legend joined the ceremony’s “I Am an Actor” segment, sharing memories from his early days in Hollywood.
“I moved from Canada to L.A. to try and make it as an actor,” Fox recalled from his table at the Shrine Auditorium.
“A teacher of mine told me, ‘Fox, you’re not gonna be cute forever.’ I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said, ‘Maybe just long enough, sir.’”
Now 64-year-old, Fox said his breakthrough came with Family Ties in the 1980s.
It was a role that not only launched his career but also introduced him to his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, who played his on-screen girlfriend Ellen.
“She gave me four gifts: our kids, Schuyler, Aquinnah, Esmé and Sam,” he said proudly.
The actor, who has lived with Parkinson’s disease since 1991, acknowledged how acting shaped his identity.
“Sometimes I like to remind them that if it wasn’t for acting, they wouldn’t be here. I’m Michael J. Fox and a dad and I’m an actor.”
Though Fox stepped away from acting in 2020 as his condition progressed, he has said he remains open to returning for the right project.
“If someone offers me a part and I do it and I have a good time, great,” he told Entertainment Tonight in 2024.
“I would do acting if something came up that I could put my realities into it, my challenges, if I could figure it out.”
