Michael J. Fox opens up in a new documentary about Parkinson’s disease and how he used alcohol to cope with his diagnosis.
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which premiered last Friday at The Sundance Film Festival traces the life and career of the beloved Back to the Future star, who was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder in 1991. But the actor, now 61, hid his health struggles from the public for the next seven years as he grappled privately with denial and depression.
Shooting film and TV projects at that time, Fox says, he popped dopamine pills “like Halloween Smarties (candy)” to help stave off early symptoms of the disease. On the set, he also made a point to always hold props to hide his tremors.
In interviews, Fox recounts the difficult years that followed his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes uncontrollable movements, at just 29 years old. Now 61 and having come to terms with the illness, Fox recounts in the trailer how living with Parkinson’s has made him a “tough son of a bitch.”
The film, “Still”, which will incorporate documentary, archival and scripted elements, will recount Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in the 1980s Hollywood. 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. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox’s personal and professional life.
