• Faith: Judaism
• Career: Actor
• Birthday:  June 09, 1961

Michael J. Fox is a retired actor and activist. He started his career as a child actor in the 1970s but rose to prominence playing Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom “Family Ties” and as Marty McFly in the “Back to the Future” film trilogy. He went on to star in movies like “Teen Wolf,” “The Secrets of My Success,” “Casualties of War,” “Doc Hollywood,” and “The Frighteners.” He returned to television on the ABC sitcom “Spin City” in the lead role of Mike Flaherty from 1996 to 2000.

In 1998, Fox shared his 1991 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. He subsequently became an advocate for finding a cure and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to help fund research. Worsening symptoms caused Fox to reduce his acting work. He voiced the lead roles in the “Stuart Little” films and the animated movie “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” Fox continued to make guest appearances on TV, including “Rescue Me,” “The Good Wife,” “The Good Fight,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” His last significant role was the lead on the short-lived NBC sitcom “The Michael J. Fox Show.” He officially retired in 2021 due to his declining health.

Fox won five Emmys, four Golden Globes, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy. In 2010, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2000. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. For his advocacy of a cure for Parkinson’s disease, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2022.

Fox was discovered by producer Ronald Shedlo and made his American debut in the TV movie “Letters from Frank,” credited under the name “Michael Fox.” However, when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, he found that the name was already taken, so he chose “Michael J. Fox.” He met his wife, Tracy Pollan, when she played his girlfriend, Ellen, on “Family Ties.” The couple married in 1988 and have four children.

What religion is Michael J. Fox?

Fox hasn’t been known to be religious. In his 2009 memoir titled Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, the actor considered himself a lapsed Catholic. However, his marriage to Tracy Pollan got him involved with Reform Judaism, as the couple raised all four of their children Jewish. Fox wrote in his memoir, “It’s fair to say I have staked a claim in Judaism. I’ve married a Jewish girl, and we’re raising our children in the Jewish faith.”

He continued, “Moreover, in the Jewish faith, our three oldest have been bar and bat mizvahed.” Fox also said that he regularly attends a synagogue in Manhattan. He was recognized by the Union for Reform Judaism for his work on behalf of Parkinson’s disease and stem cell research. Union President Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie praised Fox’s efforts, saying it encapsulated “the highest ideals of Judaism.”