Michael J. Fox is one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood.
He’s dealt with his share of tragedy in life.
And Michael J. Fox made one painful confession about his life that left fans stunned.
Michael J. Fox’s fight against Parkinson’s makes it hard to have a sense of humor
Actor Michael J. Fox was first diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991.
He launched The Michael J. Fox Foundation to find a cure for the disease.
The 63-year-old Back to the Future told People keeping a sense of humor was important to make through the struggles he faces in life.
Fox admitted that keeping his dark sense of humor was “hard for me.”
“I gotta keep it intact,” Fox said.
He thought that dark humor made it possible to talk about tough subjects.
“That’s true. And it’s okay,” Fox stated. “Let’s embrace that and make a difference.”
The Family Ties star hosted his annual Michael J. Fox Foundation’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s” gala in New York City, which has raised more than $115 million for research on Parkinson’s Disease this year.
Comedian Denis Leary was the host of the event and former Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks performed.
“I can’t believe — a lot of these people I’ve known for years and years — they’re so kind to me,” Fox said. “I think because they see an opportunity for a win, for a big advancement, and that’s what we’re working toward.”
Michael J. Fox shows he still has it at his charity gala
One of the memorable moments of Fox’s movie career is in the movie Back to the Future when his character Marty McFly plays the electric guitar on the Chuck Berry song “Johnny B. Goode” at the high school dance.
Fox showed off his guitar skills again with a performance at his charity gala.
He also played the guitar on stage earlier this year with the band Coldplay at the Glastonbury Festival music festival in the United Kingdom.
Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin introduced him for his surprise appearance with the band on the song “Fix You.”
“With his Chuck Berry riff and the way he punched Biff: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Michael J. Fox,” Martin said in a nod to Fox’s performance in Back to the Future.
Michael J. Fox made a surprise appearance during Coldplay’s headlining set at Glastonbury 2024, playing guitar on “Humankind” and “Fix You.”pic.twitter.com/79nzTVLNx7
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) June 30, 2024
Martin thanked Fox and credited him with helping to inspire the band’s creation.
“Especially thank you to the main reason why we’re in a band is because of watching Back to the Future, so thank you to our hero forever and one of the most amazing people on Earth, Mr. Michael J. Fox. Thank you so much Michael . . . hero,” Martin stated.
Fox learned how to play the guitar for his part in Back to the Future.
“‘When I do this scene, I play guitar, so you can finger sync me. Feel free to cut to my hands any time you want,’” Fox told director Robert Zemeckis. “Having said that, it put pressure on me to get it f***ing right. So I had this guy named Paul Hanson who was my guitar teacher.”
“It was moments like that when you don’t think, ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I feel pressure to do this.’ You just do it and have a blast,” Fox added.
Michael J Fox’s performance ended up becoming one of the most memorable parts of the movie.