2 Hollywood stars buddy up for Parkinson’s ‘Friend’ campaign for MJFF

Veteran actors Michael J. Fox and Harrison Ford are teaming up to help people better understand how to support a friend with Parkinson’s disease in a new awareness campaign from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF).

In a nearly two-minute video, the friends/coworkers — Fox had a recurring guest role last season alongside Ford’s starring turn on the Apple TV series Shrinking — share tips for supporting those living with the progressive neurodegenerative disease.

Called “So…Your Friend Has Parkinson’s,” the campaign uses humor and candid conversation between the two television and movie stars to encourage people to talk more openly about Parkinson’s. The video also aims to raise awareness of the need for research into better treatments, with Fox putting in a plug for his foundation, which has funded $3 billion toward a cure for Parkinson’s, according to a press release from the nonprofit promoting its latest campaign.

The video was developed in partnership with Maximum Effort, the entertainment company led by Ryan Reynolds, who also serves on the MJFF board. It will run on social media, digital platforms, connected television, and broadcast TV.

“The world has taken notice of the special relationship between Michael and Harrison. Our brand campaign combines humor and compassion to highlight the very serious purpose behind our work,” said Debi Brooks, MJFF’s CEO and cofounder. “It has been a joy to see these Hollywood giants come together to capture attention and channel it toward what matters most: bringing greater awareness and support to people and families living with Parkinson’s.”

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Rather than focusing on medical information, the campaign addresses a common question many people face after someone they know is diagnosed: how to respond and offer meaningful support.

Support is simple

The conversation between Fox and Ford highlights some of the realities of living with the disease, which is often marked by changes in motor skills and social activities. The conversation is intended to show that supporting someone with Parkinson’s may be simpler than people think: The video stresses that simply showing up, staying connected, and listening can make a significant difference for someone living with the disease.

“Michael has a remarkable way of making difficult things easier to talk about, and that’s part of what makes working with him and being his friend so special,” Ford said. “We wanted to bring some of that honesty and humor to a conversation that a lot of people may not know how to have.”

Hopefully we made something that’s funny, useful, and makes it a little easier to show up for someone you love.

Kathleen Swanson, head of creative for brand and entertainment marketing at Maximum Effort, said the campaign was inspired by watching Fox and Ford together on Shrinking. The series, in which Fox — diagnosed with the disease more than three decades ago — and Ford represent people with Parkinson’s, has helped bring some of the experiences associated with the disease into wider public conversation. Two members of MJFF’s Patient Council serve as advisors to the show’s writers, the nonprofit noted.

“Harrison asks the honest questions. Michael answers them with his trademark humor and candor. And between the two of them, they somehow make a pretty difficult conversation feel remarkably easy,” Swanson said. “Hopefully we made something that’s funny, useful, and makes it a little easier to show up for someone you love. Which, as it turns out, is mostly about showing up.”

The video highlights four main messages to keep in mind when friends share that they have Parkinson’s: Don’t make it weird. Start simple. Help, don’t fix. Keep showing up.

One key takeaway is not to offer supposed cures found online — “Try not to confuse helping with fixing,” Fox says on the video. But more importantly: Don’t worry about saying the wrong thing. Fox says that people “worry so much about saying the wrong thing that they stop saying anything.”

Ford sums it up: “Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply be there.”

This video was launched ahead of the public launch of MJFF’s “All Grit. No Quit.” campaign, a multiyear $2.5 billion fundraising initiative aimed at accelerating the development of new Parkinson’s treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

“I’m glad we can use this campaign to help people feel a little more comfortable having those conversations, and to support the important work of The Michael J. Fox Foundation,” Ford said.