Michael J. Fox, the renowned actor, recently opened up about his decision to step away from acting in 2020, characterizing it as a dispassionate and acceptable transition. Six years prior to his guest appearance in "Shrinking" Season 3, Fox had retired due to the increasing challenges posed by his Parkinson's disease. His current return to the screen, however, is not a strategic move to revive his career but rather an engagement fueled by genuine interest and connection to the project.
During an interview, Fox recounted a particular moment that solidified his initial retirement. While filming a legal drama, he found himself struggling to memorize lines, drawing a parallel to a scene from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." This personal struggle underscored the impact of his condition on his ability to perform, leading him to conclude that it was time to move on. This period marked a significant shift in his professional life.
Fox's journey with Parkinson's began with a diagnosis in 1991, which he publicly disclosed in 1998. At the time, he was a star on the sitcom "Spin City." By 2000, during the show's fourth season, the progression of his symptoms made it necessary for him to leave, marking his first retirement from the industry. Despite this, he was later drawn back into acting by "Spin City" co-creator Bill Lawrence, who offered him a guest role on "Scrubs." This experience sparked a new phase in his career, where he embraced roles that incorporated characters with certain challenges, subtly integrating his own experiences with Parkinson's into his performances, such as portraying a character with cancer in "Boston Legal" or a form of Parkinsonism in "The Good Wife."
His latest return to acting in Lawrence's series "Shrinking" holds particular significance, as it features a character, played by Harrison Ford, who also lives with Parkinson's. Fox was so impressed by the show's accurate portrayal of the disease that he personally reached out to Lawrence to express his desire to participate. He views this current acting engagement as a personal endeavor, not as an attempt to reignite his career. In his 2020 memoir, "No Time Like the Future," Fox detailed the increasing difficulties Parkinson's presented for his acting career, especially concerning line memorization. However, on the set of "Shrinking," these concerns were largely alleviated, allowing him to focus on the creative process without the usual pressures.
Fox shared with People magazine that filming "Shrinking" was a unique experience, free from the worries of fatigue or coughing that often accompanied his previous roles. He found it liberating to immerse himself in the performance, knowing that any challenges could be integrated into the scene. "Shrinking" Season 3 is currently available for streaming on Apple TV, offering viewers a chance to see Fox's latest work and a nuanced portrayal of Parkinson's.
