Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on June 9, 1961. He made his acting debut in the comedy Leo and Me at the age of 15. He moved to Los Angeles at 18, appearing in small roles and the television series Palmerstown, U.S.A. in 1980, before landing the role of Alex P. Keaton in the television series Family Ties in 1982. He won three consecutive Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for the role.
In the late 1980's, he started acting in movies including The Secret of My Success; Bright Lights, Big City; Teen Wolf; Doc Hollywood; and all three of the Back to the Future movies. He has also done voice work providing the voice of Stuart Little in the movie of the same name and its sequel, of Chance in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and its sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco and of Milo Thatch in Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
When Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, he was playing the role of Mike Flaherty on the television series Spin City, for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He quit work on the series as a result of the diagnosis. Since then he has written some books including Lucky Man: A Memoir; Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist; and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned.
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