Michael J Fox didn’t realise how symptoms of his Parkinson’s make him look (Picture: Apple TV+)
Michael J Fox got a shock when watching his new documentary, Still.
The film incorporates documentary, archival, and scripted elements, recounting Michael’s extraordinary story in his own words.
From growing up in Canada to becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognisable stars in the 1980s, his life has been filled with ups and downs.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 29 and Michael, now 61, is giving fans an intimate look at his day-to-day life for the first time, as the documentary explores his family life, personal battles, and how he confronts the incurable disease.
Parkinson’s, according to the NHS, is a condition that affects the brain. It causes problems like shaking (tremors) and stiffness, which worsen over time.
Speaking in a press conference for Still, attended by Metro.co.uk, the Back to the Future star admitted he had no idea how much he fell over, or what he looked like when his face drooped.
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The legendary actor explores his career and personal life in a new film, Still (Picture: Getty Images for The Michael J.)
‘You’ve always been public about your struggles with Parkinson’s, but was there anything in this film you were more hesitant to reveal about living with your condition?’, the star was asked.
He responded: ‘I don’t know if I was hesitant to reveal it, but when I saw it, it was shocking to me – I understand the idea of my face going blank or lacking expression, I don’t always know what I look like.
‘That doesn’t bother me, but it’s a shock when you see it.’
He continued: ‘People say, “I saw you stumbling in the room, falling over, it was really shocking…” like, you were shocked!? It freaked the s**t out of me! I didn’t expect to fall over the furniture!’
Michael then praised the film’s director, Davis Guggenheim, for his work on the project.
Directed by Davis Guggenheim, the film gives fans a deep insight into his home life with wife Tracy Pollan (Picture: Rick Kern/FilmMagic)
‘Davis shot it so beautifully and it could’ve been confrontational, but it was cathartic,’ Michael explained.
‘In order for this to be the film that it is, I had to let Davis be the filmmaker that he is and get the stuff that I wasn’t aware he was getting, but it just added to the film.
‘But it was shocking to me that this is real, this is my life, we’re not making this up.’
Filmmaker Davis was also keen to heap praise on Michael.
‘A lot of people are very guarded with what they share and Michael was a total open book, which says a lot about him,’ he complimented.
Michael’s family has been there for him throughout his diagnosis, particularly his wife Tracy Pollan, 62, who he married in 1988, and their children: Sam, Aquinnah, Esmé, and Schuyler.
Michael ‘freaked out’ watching himself fall over and stumble (Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for SXSW)
He said Tracy, who married him in 1988, is a ‘miracle’ (Picture: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Watching how they handled things in the documentary also touched Michael’s heart.
‘What most affects me when I watch it is not all the tragedy and struggle and conflict – it’s my family,’ he confessed.
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‘It’s these people who are, beautiful, funny, they keep me alive, they keep me connected and they’re so smart and grounded, and my wife is a miracle, and that was a big thing for me, seeing that.
‘It’s my life, it’s so real and it’s how much I count on those people and how much they deliver for me, and how my relationship with them is from my honesty. They’ve no real reason to be anything but open with what I say because I’ve never lied to them.’
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on May 12.
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Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson’s aged 29.