Everybody loves Michael J. Fox. From his iconic performance as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy to his incredible work raising money for Parkinson’s research, he’s one of the most beloved and admired stars in the world.
But while the actor, now 61, has often projected optimism about his Parkinson’s diagnosis, he’s also honest about the toll it has taken on his health and wellbeing.
In a new interview, Fox got honest about his mortality, saying that living with Parkinson’s was “gettin’ tougher” and said he doesn’t expect to live to 80.
“I’m not gonna be 80”
Speaking with CBS Sunday Morning anchor Jane Pauley, Fox said that while he’s made the most of his life despite the diagnosis, he can now feel Parkinson’s “banging on the door.”
“I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher,” the retired actor said. “Every day it’s tougher. But, but, that’s, that’s the way it is. I mean, you know, who do I see about that?”
He said that he recently had spinal surgery after a tumor was found on his spine. While it was benign, it affected his ability to walk, and was injured from falling: “[I] broke this arm, and I broke this arm, I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand,” Fox told Pauley.
The Back to the Future star explained that falling is a “big killer” for people with Parkinson’s, along with aspirating food and getting pneumonia.
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” Fox said. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”
He expressed similar thoughts last year in an interview with People Magazine: “It got worse… I’m 61 years old, and I’m feeling it a little bit more.”
However, he continued to express optimism: “It’s been a struggle, but I’m happy,” he told People. “I say that because I hope on some level people can find happiness in spite of what they’re going through.”
While Fox is realistic about his mortality, he has certainly been making the most of whatever time he has, and has dedicated his life to finding a cure to this incurable disease.
He established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which funds research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s. The foundation is the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research and has raised over $1 billion for research projects.