This Iconic Actor Was 'Dumpster-Diving' for Food And ‘Living on the Margins’ Before Making It Big in Hollywood

Oct 13, 2025 by apost team

Few actors are as well-known and well-liked as this actor. The legendary actor is also an author, producer, and activist. He is best known for his role as Marty McFly in the hugely popular film series “Back to the Future.” He was also the star of the “Family Ties” series for seven seasons from 1982 to 1989. Fox is Canadian-American and holds dual citizenship.

In detail, the iconic actor is also a philanthropist and has started his own charity, which has earned over a billion dollars to fund research to help cure Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 at the age of 29 and spoke publicly about the disorder for the first time in 1998. At the time, he appeared in the series “Spin City,” but he later decided to stop filming to focus on his health. 

Despite his diagnosis, he has grown both professionally and personally. He has been married to Tracy Pollan, his “Family Ties” co-star, since 1988, and the couple has four kids: Sam, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, and Esme. The legendary actor has been a devoted father and husband and speaks very highly of his loved ones in all four of his memoirs. 

In detail, he is best known for his iconic 1980s movie roles, which took him back to the future and turned him into a teenage werewolf. But before he amassed the fame and success that he has today, he was living on the edge, barely making enough money to support his passion when he moved to California. Now, he has an entire foundation to help other people in need and a lovely family that has supported him every step of the way. 

The beloved actor is none other than Michael J. Fox. Fox was born on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His mother is Phyllis Piper, a retired actress and payroll clerk, and his father is William Fox, a police officer and a member of the Canadian Forces. Fox told Inside the Actor’s Studio that his mother inspired his interest in acting. He is of English, Irish, and Scottish heritage.

Fox’s family moved around often due to his father’s career. After his father retired in 1971, the family moved to Burnaby, which is a large suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. According to his biography on his foundation website, his father died from a heart attack on Jan. 6, 1990, just a few days before Fox’s birthday. Fox graduated from Burnaby Central Secondary School and now has a theater named after him at Burnaby South Secondary. When he was 15, Fox starred in the Canadian TV series “Leo and Me.” At age 18, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time. He gained the attention of producer Ronald Shedlo, who helped Fox make his American TV debut.

Fox got his first big break in the industry after he appeared in the American television film “Letters from Frank.” After this movie, Michael went to register with the Screen Actors Guild and discovered that his name was already registered to another person named Michael Fox. According to his memoir “Lucky Man,” Fox did not like the sound of his middle initial, A for Andrew, so he decided to change it and go by Michael J. Fox professionally. This was a nod to fellow actor Michael J. Pollard, who was famous in the 1960s and ’70s.

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According to Biography.com, Fox first came to fame with his starring role on the hit 1982 TV show “Family Ties,” where he played Alex P. Keaton, the slightly uptight, conservative, ambitious son who often argued with his ex-hippie, liberal parents. His performance was so outstanding that he earned multiple Emmy Awards during his stint on the show. He also won a Golden Globe award for the role in 1989. Slate reported that “Family Ties” was President Ronald Reagan’s favorite show. 

In 1985, Fox starred in the major blockbuster “Back to the Future,” where he played Marty McFly, that wayward time traveler who almost erased himself from existence. For scheduling reasons, Fox filmed the movie and the show “Family Ties” simultaneously. Fox spoke to The Guardian about his experience and relationship with castmate Christopher Lloyd:

“We were both so focused on what we were doing, and I was also making ‘Family Ties’ at the same time, so we didn’t really hang out. But we became close after the movies, and now we’re really tight.”

Fox also starred in several other hit films, including “Teen Wolf,” where, yes, he played a teenager who turns into a werewolf, and “The Secret of My Success,” a comedy about a young man who pretends to be a big business executive. After this, more “Back to the Future” movies followed, all of which were box office smashes. The success of “Back to the Future” was life-changing. Fox had become a household name before reaching the age of 30. He told Deadline in 2019:

“We couldn’t believe it worked out so well. Now that I’m 57, It’s like I had been in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’” 

Pollan and Fox met when they co-starred in “Family Ties.” After working together again on “Bright Lights, Big City” a couple of years later, they started dating. Their relationship blossomed, and they tied the knot on July 16, 1988, at West Mountain Inn, Arlington, Vermont. Since getting married, Pollan and Fox have welcomed four children. Fox remembered in an NPR interview:

“I developed a crush on her right away. When she left the show – the day she left the show, we were in the parking lot getting into our respective cars. She was getting into a rented Volkswagen, and I was getting into my Ferrari. And she called me over and said she wanted to play me a song.”

Their son, Sam, was born on May 30, 1989, followed by the twin daughters Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances on Feb. 15, 1995. Their last child and daughter, Esmé Annabelle, was born on Nov. 3, 2001. Pollan and Fox have been married for almost four decades and continue to thrive despite the rigors and challenges of being a Hollywood couple. During a March 2022 interview with PEOPLE, the lovebirds shed light on how they have supported each other and nurtured their relationship and marriage. Pollan said: 

“I think we really listen to each other, we are there for each other when we need each other. ... And then we also give each other space when that's needed. Just feeling off of what's needed at the moment and trying to be there.” 

Pollan has stood by her dear husband’s side amid his health struggles, and her supportive actions have helped him deal with the disease much better. 

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fox gushed over his "beautiful" wife, calling her the "rock that keeps giving" in his life: “She puts up with me.” Fox also stated:

“She doesn't cut me any slack, which is great. She’s honest, affectionate, kind, smart and she's just there in a pinch. She's beautiful and I love her and she's sexy and gorgeous.”

He continued: “She's a great mother, great cook and great bodyboard surf junkie beach babe,” and added:

“She's just cool. She's my best friend. And, she's got a sense of humor!”

The two have certainly been through a lot together. The year 2020 also marked almost three decades since Fox first revealed to his wife that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 29. In an interview with Today, he said that her reaction at the time moved him to tears: "We didn't know what to expect," he continued:

"One of the things I'll always love Tracy for is that at that moment, she didn't blink."

For the couple, a sense of humor has been one of the main things that has kept the spark in their marriage alive and helped them through tough times. In another interview with PEOPLE, Fox reiterated the role of humor in his family and his marriage. 

“Every day we have something we laugh about for a good two minutes.”

He also spoke about Pollan's role in his life, adding:

"The kind of support she gives me, I feel like a husband, a father and a friend first, and then somewhere way down the line, I’m someone with Parkinson’s."

Back when he was still planning to move from Canada to California to try his luck, Fox knew that sitting on his parents’ porch wouldn’t bring him close to his dreams. He told Variety in 2023:

“And I knew that if I wanted to be someone, I couldn’t just sit on my parents’ porch and think, ‘Boy, if I was only born in the States and my parents had money and weren’t living paycheck to paycheck, I could do something with my life.’”

However, things didn’t go as easily as he thought. Coming from an average family, Fox didn’t have much to his name, but his mindset was stronger than ever:

“I knew I was going to make it. God knows why. I was living on the margins. I was 18 years old, with no money, no connections, literally dumpster diving for food.”

When he bagged the role in “Back To The Future” while he was still doing “Family Ties,” Fox sought the help of his late mother. He told the “Back to the Future” Reunion Panel at New York Comic-Con (NYCC) in October 2022:

"I was 23 years old, and I called her, she was in Canada, and I said, 'They want me to do this Steven Spielberg movie, but I have to do it at night and I have to do Family Ties in the daytime.' And she said, 'You'll be too tired.' "

Despite her mother’s initial hesitations, Fox pursued the opportunity, and it became one of his most iconic films ever. 

Are you a fan of Michael J. Fox? What can you say about his past experiences in life? Do you know someone who also experienced the same reality as him? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones out there!