The 'Back to the Future' actor, who was first diagnosed with the brain condition at the age of 29, reveals in a new interview that he can no longer remember 'five pages of dialogue.'
- Jun 5, 2022
AceShowbiz - Michael J. Fox has shared an update about his health condition. In a new interview, the "Back to the Future" star unveiled that he can no longer remember his lines for movies.
The 60-year-old actor, who was diagnosed with brain condition Parkinson's at the age of 29, has now revealed his memory has been severely affected since shooting "The Good Fight" back in 2017.
Michael said, "When I did the spinoff from 'The Good Wife', which is 'The Good Fight', I couldn't remember the lines. I just had this blank, I couldn't remember the lines."
Michael, who has Sam, 33, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler , 27 as well as 20-year-old Esme with wife Tracy Pollan, went on to explain that when he started his career in the 1980s on "Family Ties", he could memorize 70 pages of script but these days can no longer remember just five.
Speaking on Mike Birbiglia's "Working It Out" podcast, he added, "I'd go, 'I'm in. Mallory, get off the phone.' And I knew it, like in an instant, and it continued to be that way for me." He further said, "I have 70 pages of dialogue on a [Brian] De Palma movie, and knowing that a hugely expensive Steadicam shot depends on me knowing the lines, not a trickle of sweat on my brow. Now, I can't remember five pages of dialogue. I can't do it. So I go to the beach."
His comments come just weeks after it was announced that he set to be the subject of a new feature-length documentary, which will address his struggles with fame and battle with the disease.
Apple said in a statement, "The account of Fox's public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, will unspool alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson's disease."
"Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film will chronicle Fox's personal and professional triumphs and travails, and will explore what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease," the statement added. "With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film will feel like… well, like a Michael J. Fox movie."
