Michael J. Fox says he 'doesn’t fear death' as he opens up on his health
Topics: Health, Celebrity, Michael J Fox
Emma Rosemurgey
Featured Image Credit: Gary Miller/WireImage/ Galai/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative
Topics: Health, Celebrity, Michael J Fox
Michael J. Fox has revealed he's not afraid of death in a candid interview about his health.
The Back to the Future star was first diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991, and in a recent interview on Thursday (2 November), he has discussed his relationship with death, saying he 'doesn't fear it'.
Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged.
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The main symptoms of the condition usually revolve around movement, with the person experiencing tremors in the hand or arm, slowness of movement and muscle stiffness.
In his documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, the star recalled the first time he noticed the signs of the disease.
He recounted waking up one morning to find his pinky finger twitching uncontrollably, and described the finger as 'auto-animated.'
However, Fox didn't open up about his diagnosis until several years later in 1998.
In the documentary, he also added that 'no one outside of the family knew' about his diagnosis.
And now, in an interview with Town & Country, he's discussed his 'complicated' view of Parkinson's.
He said: "It’s very complicated. I’ve said Parkinson’s is a gift. It’s the gift that keeps on taking, but it has changed my life in so many positive ways.”
The Stuart Little star has been very candid in the past about how Parkinson's has affected his life.
The 62-year-old previously spoke about how life was 'getting harder' since his diagnosis - with him breaking bones in his body and almost losing a finger due to an infection.
He'd told CBS Sunday Morning in April that he didn't think he'd live to be 80.
“[Parkinson's is] banging on the door. I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher. But, that’s the way it is." he said.
Adding: "You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s. So I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80."
However, it seems that Fox has accepted the possibility of death.
"One day I'll run out of gas," he said. “One day I’ll just say, ‘It’s not going to happen. I’m not going out today.’
"If that comes, I’ll allow myself that. I’m 62 years old.
"Certainly, if I were to pass away tomorrow, it would be premature, but it wouldn’t be unheard of.
"And so, no, I don’t fear that.”