With a return to TV, Michael J. Fox continues his Parkinson’s advocacy
Actor takes on recurring role in Apple TV+'s 'Shrinking'
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Michael J. Fox plays a character with Parkinson's on "Shrinking." (Courtesy of Apple TV+)
- Actor Michael J. Fox returns to the small screen in Apple TV+'s 'Shrinking,' in a recurring role as a Parkinson's patient.
- His efforts highlight both the disease's motor symptoms, such as tremor, and its nonmotor signs, including depression and cognitive changes.
- The foundation launched by the actor 25 years ago has since raised over $2.5 billion for research, aiming to advance understanding and find a cure.
Michael J. Fox is returning to the small screen for season three of Apple TV+’s “Shrinking.” Once again, he is using his craft to elevate awareness and understanding of Parkinson’s disease.
For the actor and advocate, the role is a continuation of a mission that has shaped his life and career for more than three decades.
Turning fame into funding
In 1991, Fox announced he had early-onset Parkinson’s. Since then, other well-known people have spoken publicly about their diagnoses, breaking stigma and helping to shape the conversation around the neurodegenerative disease.
More than 10 million people globally live with Parkinson’s, but public knowledge of the disease remains markedly limited and subject to misconceptions.
While people are generally aware of Parkinson’s motor symptoms, such as tremor, they aren’t as familiar with the disease’s nonmotor symptoms, which can include depression, cognitive changes, and sleeping problems.
Fox has helped foster greater understanding of the disease and its symptoms by cofounding The Michael J.Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) in 2000. It is the world’s largest funder of research and has raised more than $2.5 billion to date in the search for a cure.
In addition to funding studies, the foundation spearheads key initiatives to advance knowledge about and treatment of Parkinson’s. This includes Fox Insight, an expansive clinical study with more than 30,000 enrollees.
“We’re in the business to go out of business,” Fox states on an MJFF webpage. “Truly what I’m most proud of, is the people who have Parkinson’s. And I think I can say this, hopefully with humility and sincerity, if I made it easier for people to explain what they’re dealing with, to say well, it’s the thing Michael J. Fox has — then that’s a great gift.”
From personal diagnosis to public advocacy
After announcing his diagnosis, Fox, now 64, continued to take on TV roles, though much less frequently over time.
In 2020, he announced his retirement from acting due to challenges posed by Parkinson’s. His return to TV in a recurring guest role in the comedy-drama series “Shrinking,” where he plays someone who has Parkinson’s, is his most substantial role in years.
One of the best things Michael J. Fox did for the Parkinson’s disease community — besides starting his foundation — was to go back to work. … He has been open and visible through the ups and downs of Parkinson’s.
One of the main stars of “Shrinking” is Harrison Ford. His character is a therapist who has recently learned that he has Parkinson’s. Fox reportedly sought the role after seeing Harrison Ford’s character struggle with coming to terms with his Parkinson’s diagnosis and wanted to bring his own perspective to it.
In a show trailer, the two are shown laughing as they sit together in a clinical facility, awaiting treatment. It teases life-altering changes imbued with a sense of hope, which Fox seems to convey in all areas of his life.
“One of the best things Michael J. Fox did for the Parkinson’s disease community — besides starting his foundation — was to go back to work,” says Mollie Lombardi, a Parkinson’s News Today columnist who was diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s in 2013 when she was 36.
“He has been open and visible through the ups and downs of Parkinson’s, which I have found personally and professionally inspiring,” says Lombardi. “He continues to show that Parkinson’s isn’t a death sentence.”
Debi Brooks, cofounder and CEO of the MJFF, says Fox’s role on “Shrinking” will further elevate awareness around Parkinson’s, hopefully leading to more research.
“Michael brings wisdom, heart, and grit to everything he does — both on and off screen,” she says. “Seeing him in action is especially meaningful, inspiring the entire Parkinson’s community and underscoring the important role every individual plays in driving research forward. With this opportunity, we look forward to amplifying the national conversation around living with Parkinson’s and connecting more people to our urgent mission of finding a cure.”
