Michael J Fox Explains How Parkinson's Disease Affected His Decisions As An Actor

Michael J. Fox has revealed that he became picky with his projects after Parkinson's disease began affecting his ability to memorize lines.

Fox, who announced his retirement in 2020, appeared as a guest on Mike Birbiglia's "Working It Out" podcast and explained how he chose his roles after being diagnosed with the disorder.

"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," he said. The 60-year-old actor, who portrayed the role of Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" movie series, said it was a "strange" experience after being in the acting profession for a long time.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 when he was 29 years old. The actor hid the news from the public for several years until 1998 when he committed himself to the campaign for increased Parkinson's research. In the same year, he launched The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which was dubbed by the New York Times as "the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world."

He said he did not have a problem memorizing lines prior to his diagnosis.

"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," he explained on the podcast.

He started experiencing the same problem when he was shooting in Canada for the now-canceled "Designated Survivor."

"It was this legal stuff and I just couldn't get it. But what really refreshing was I didn't panic," he added. "I didn't freak out. I just went, 'Well that's that. Moving on. A key element of this process is memorizing lines, and I can't do it.' And I had done Kiefer's show in Canada, ['Designated Survivor']. I had the same problem."

The experience, Fox said, eventually led him to become picky in choosing work.

"I don't take on something with a lot of lines, because I can't do it. And for whatever reason, it just is what it is," he said. "I can't remember five pages of dialogue. I can't do it. It can't be done. So I go to the beach."