Michael J Fox’s life got ‘crazy’ in the eighties (Picture: Apple TV+)
Michael J Fox has reflected on just how wild his life was at the height of his fame in the 1980s.
The Back to the Future actor, now 61, was everywhere following the initial release of the sci-fi comedy back in 1985.
From magazine covers to big and small screens, appearing in TV series Family Ties and box office smash film Teen Wolf, he was the man of the moment.
So much so, in fact, that his personal life got a little ‘crazy’ too.
Speaking to The Times, the much-loved star admitted he has no memory of certain things happening, given that he was consuming a lot of alcohol and, by his own admission, dating a lot.
One person he dated was singer Susanna Hoffs, now 64, and they were together briefly in 1986 before she went on to marry filmmaker Jay Roach in 1993.
The actor has been married to Tracy Pollan for over 30 years (Picture: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Of course, Michael is now married to Tracy Pollan, who has been by his side for 34 years, including now as he gears up to release a film about his life and health.
‘When I look at that period in the movie it just seems crazy,’ Michael said.
‘Look at all the girls I dated. Some of them I can’t even remember. Hahaha. I mean, I dated Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, and I can’t even remember it.
‘But that’s just an example. Stuff like that happened all the time.’
He even slipped in a royal anecdote of sorts.
‘I sat next to Princess Diana during the world premiere of Back to the Future and I had to pee. And that’s all I remember,’ he confessed.
Back to the Future catapulted the movie star to fame (Picture: Amblin/Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
‘I had just been told a whole list of things that I could and couldn’t do, like not speaking unless spoken to, and not standing unless she stands. And so I was thinking, “What kind of math do I have to do to go to the bathroom?” I can’t say, “I’ve go to go to the loo!” So I sat there in pain for the whole time. And that was kind of the formula for that part of my life.’
Michael – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 29 – also admitted that living with the disease is becoming a lot harder for him.
As stated by the NHS, Parkinson’s disease is a condition that affects the brain. It causes problems like shaking and stiffness that get worse over time.
‘I don’t want to get the violins out. I’ve broken my hand, my elbow, my humerus, my other humerus, my shoulder, my face, and some other s**t too,’ Michael explained, keen for people not to pity him.
Michael dated Susanna Hoffs in 1986 (Picture: Angie Coqueran/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
‘And all that stuff is amplified by the electricity of the tremors. So, yes, it hurts a lot. But what you learn is that nobody gives a s**t. It’s just life. It doesn’t matter. You suck it up and you move on. And there might be a story to tell in it. But only that. There’s no chit that you can present to a window for a refund.’
Michael revealed his diagnosis publicly in 1998 and announced he was entering a ‘second retirement’ in 2020.
Most recently, while promoting his new documentary Still, he shared a heartbreaking update.
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Appearing on CBS’ Sunday Mornings, the movie star said he doesn’t think he’ll live until his 80th birthday.
‘I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not going to lie, it’s getting hard, it’s getting harder. Every day is tougher. But, but that’s – that’s the way it is.’
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on May 12.
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Life got ‘crazy.’
