After living with Parkinson’s disease for more than three decades, Michael J Fox has shared the honest way he hopes to go when his time comes.
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Michael J Fox’s life and career changed completely after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and he has now spoken candidly about how he hopes to die when the time comes.
The beloved actor has been in Hollywood for decades and has continued to build an impressive career despite the daily challenges of living with Parkinson’s. His resilience and optimism have inspired millions around the world.
Best known for his iconic role as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future films, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 when he was just 29 years old. Since then, he has been open about his experience, using his platform to raise awareness about the condition and push for better research and treatments.
Through his charity, the Michael J Fox Foundation, he has raised more than $2 billion to fund groundbreaking research into Parkinson’s disease — a remarkable legacy that continues to change lives.
But alongside his achievements, Fox has also remained open about the personal side of living with Parkinson’s. While promoting his latest memoir, Future Boy, he reflected on his health and revealed that he has made peace with how he wants to die — quietly and without pain.
He said: "There are not many people who have had Parkinson's for 35 years."
Michael J Fox has spoken about his difficulties of living with Parkinson's Disease
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"I'd like to just not wake up one day. That'd be really cool. I don't want it to be dramatic. I don't want to trip over furniture, smash my head."
Parkinson’s disease is a long-term neurological disorder that affects the way the body moves. It occurs when nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine — the chemical that controls movement — start to break down or die.
The most common symptoms include shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Over time, people may also experience fatigue, mood changes, trouble sleeping, and cognitive challenges, which can vary widely from person to person.
Even after more than three decades of living with Parkinson’s, Fox remains grateful for the years he’s had, though he admits every day brings new challenges that test his strength and patience.
In a recent conversation with People magazine, he said: "I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it."
Fox has said he hopes his death is uneventful and undramatic
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"I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to."
Despite these struggles, Fox said his perspective on the disease has evolved. Instead of focusing on what he has lost, he chooses to appreciate the life he still has and the people who continue to support him.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, he shared: "After 35 years or something since I've been diagnosed, this is just my life and I don't think about it much."
"I'm thinking about what we're going to do as a community to figure this out and find a cure – and short of a cure, [create] treatment centres that are really groundbreaking."