“I hope that, and I feel that, I won’t break as many bones tomorrow. So that’s being optimistic,” the Back to the Future star said
Michael J. Fox is sharing another way in which Parkinson’s disease has taken a toll on his body.
The 61-year-old actor revealed that he’s suffered from a number of injuries as a result of the brain disorder in an interview with Variety.
“I broke this shoulder — had it replaced. I broke this elbow. I broke this hand. I had an infection that almost cost me this finger. I broke my face. I broke this humerus,” he listed his injuries. “And that sucked.”
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that causes unintentional and uncontrollable movements that often involves shaking, stiffness and poor balance and coordination. Though symptoms start gradually, the effects of the disease worsen over time and eventually leads to difficulty with walking and talking.
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Because his disease makes him liable to more physical accidents, Fox explained “aides around me quite a bit of the time in case I fall” though “that lack of privacy is hard to deal with.”
The “Back to the Future” star, who is currently promoting his documentary titled “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” opened up about how life has changed since going public with his illness. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 when he was 29.
“I’ve won more awards and had more nominations since I announced my diagnosis,” the “Family Ties” alum said. “It may be that people feel bad for me, but I prefer to look at it as an acknowledgment for continuing to have a legitimate career.”
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When he began to struggle with his lines, Fox retired from his storied acting career in 2020.
“I sometimes have a fleeting moment of disappointment when a really great joke comes out and lands flat because people can’t understand what I’m saying,” he said, referring to how his speech has been impacted by the disease. “It’s not like you can just repeat it. It’s dead on arrival. But you find ways to navigate it.”
Though he’s had to learn how to work around the restrictions of his disease, the actor is devoted to remaining positive and spending time with family.
“I’m still happy to join the day and be a part of things,” Fox continued. “I just enjoy the little math problems of existence. I love waking up and figuring that stuff out and at the same time being with my family. My problem is I fall down. I trip over things and fall down and break things. And that’s part of having this. But I hope that, and I feel that, I won’t break as many bones tomorrow. So that’s being optimistic.”
