Michael J. Fox Through the Years: From ‘Family Ties to ‘Back to the Future’ and Beyond

Michael J. Fox gained worldwide recognition beginning in 1982 on the NBC sitcom Family Ties and continued his rise to fame for the next four decades.

The Back to the Future star was born in Alberta, Canada, in June 1961 and began his acting career at the age of 16 in the Canadian TV series Leo and Me. After making the move to Los Angeles in 1979, Fox landed his breakthrough role in the sitcom Family Ties, which aired from 1982 to 1989. The Stuart Little star’s role of “Young Republican” Alex P. Keaton earned him three Emmy awards in 1986, 1987 and 1989.

“I was still pretty fresh off being an 11th grade dropout,” Fox told PBS in a May 2023 interview. “Literally, in three years, I go from being the kid stuffed in lockers to having a conversation with Steven Spielberg about doing his next movie. Doesn’t happen.”

During his time while filming Family Ties, Fox met his future wife, Tracy Pollan, while on set. The pair tied the knot in 1988 and welcomed four children – son Samuel in 1989, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler in 1995 and daughter Esmé in 2001.

Fox was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, news he publicly revealed eight years later. While he retired from acting in 2020, he has continued to be an advocate for Parkinson’s and even launched an eponymous foundation.

Keep scrolling for a look back at Fox’s life and career over the years: