TWIN CITY

Michael J. Fox, 65, Makes Rare Appearance With 1980s Action Star

The actor was diagnosed with a neurological disease at 29.

Marty McFly and Indiana Jones are teaming up for a worthy cause.

Beloved actors Michael J. Fox, 65, and Harrison Ford, 84, appear in a new video that guides people on how to support loved ones with Parkinson’s disease.

The video, released by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research on September 1, is titled “So…Your Friend Has Parkinson’s” and focuses on how friends and loved ones can offer support without trying to “fix” the person’s condition.

The Emmy-winning actor, who was diagnosed in 1991 with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at 29, offers Ford a few simple rules during the conversation.

Fox’s first piece of advice for friends and family who learn of a loved one’s diagnosis: “Don’t make it weird.”

“Start simple,” he continues, suggesting straightforward responses like, “Thanks for telling me.”

The Family Ties star also advises hopeful supporters to “help, don’t fix,” explaining that telling someone with Parkinson’s about a supposed cure found online isn’t necessarily helpful.

“The biggest mistake you can make is worrying so much about saying the wrong thing that you stop saying anything,” Fox says. Instead, he suggests simply asking the friend to get lunch.

At the end of the video, the Star Wars actor repeats Fox’s guidelines, stating, “Don’t make it weird. Start simple. Help, don’t fix. Keep showing up.” Fox then jokingly declares Ford “officially qualified to be a friend.”

The two actors appeared together on Season 3 of Apple TV+’s Shrinking, which premiered in January. Ford guest-stars as Dr. Paul Rhoades, a therapist living with Parkinson’s, while Fox plays Gerry, another Parkinson’s patient who meets Paul in a medical waiting room.

The show marked their first on-screen role together, though the two 1980s stars had previously crossed paths, including at the 2004 “A Love Story…Finding A Cure” gala tribute honoring former first lady Nancy Reagan, which Ford’s wife of 16 years, actress Calista Flockhart, also attended.

Fox was already an established star when he received his diagnosis. He rose to fame as Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties and became an international movie star as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy.

He later starred in Spin City, winning an Emmy and three consecutive Golden Globes—1998, 1999, and 2000—for his performance as the deputy mayor, Mike Flaherty.

Fox initially kept his diagnosis private before revealing it publicly in 1998. He left Spin City after its fourth season.

In 2000, he founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has since funded $3 billion in Parkinson’s research.

Fox and his wife of 38 years, actress Tracy Pollan, frequently raise funds and advocate for awareness of the progressive neurological disease.

“For the most part I trust that what’s supposed to happen will. Worrying won’t prevent the worst outcome. I’ve learned to live in the moment, which is not my natural tendency. I’ve always thought that if I worried about something enough, it wouldn’t happen,” Pollan, 66, told Oprah Winfrey in a 2002 interview.

“I forgot to worry about Parkinson’s,” she added.

Fox formally retired from acting full-time in 2020, though he has continued to make occasional appearances.

His role on Shrinking marked his first acting role since that retirement, and he received an Emmy nomination for the performance in 2026.

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CANDID CHAT

Michael J. Fox Gives Sad Prediction on His Mortality

Mathew Murphy

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The actor has chronicled his experience with Parkinson’s in several books, including Lucky Man, Always Looking Up, and No Time Like the Future. His 2025 memoir, Future Boy, looks back at the period when he became known as both Marty McFly and Alex P. Keaton.

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Pia BelloBeauty & Wellness Intern

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