LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michael J Fox has opened up about how much Parkinson's disease affects his memory. The acclaimed actor was diagnosed with the brain disorder at a very young age, shortly after 'Back To The Future' launched him into stardom.
The Hollywood star dated a host of celebrities when he was young. Sadly, he doesn't remember all of it. In an interview ahead of the release of his documentary, 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie', Fox opened up about the long-term memory loss he faced after being diagnosed with the debilitating disorder in 1991 at 29.
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"When I look at that period in the [documentary] it just seems crazy," Fox, 61, admitted in an interview with The Sunday Times, published over the weekend, adding, "Look at all the girls I dated. Some of them I can't even remember."
The 'Doc Hollywood' star continued, "I mean, I dated Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, and I can't even remember it. But that's just an example. Stuff like that happened all the time."
According to People, Fox and Hoffs, now 64, dated briefly in 1986 before the actor tied the knot with Tracy Pollan in 1988. The 'Eternal Flame' singer married Austin Powers director Jay Roach in 1993.
That said, Fox has forgotten a lot more than just the women he dated. "I sat next to Princess Diana during the world premiere of 'Back to the Future' and had to pee. And that's all I remember," Fox recalled, adding, "They had just told me a whole list of things I could and couldn't do, like not to speak unless I was spoken to, and not to stand up unless she stood up. And then I'd think, 'What kind of math do I have to do to go to the bathroom?"'
Parkinson's is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The incurable disease causes problems with cognitive function, including forgetfulness and trouble with concentration, as well as short-term and long-term memory loss, tremors and rigidity.
"My short-term memory is shot," Fox told People in November 2020, adding, "I always had a real proficiency for lines and memorization. And I had some extreme situations where the last couple of jobs I did were actually really word-heavy parts. I struggled during both of them."
Earlier in May, the actor told Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning, "[It's] the gift that keeps on taking. I'm not gonna lie. It's getting harder. Every day it's tougher."
The 'Teen Wolf' star detailed the most difficult symptoms. "[Falling] is a big killer with Parkinson's," Fox explained, noting he had sustained two broken arms, a broken hand, as well as broken bones in the face due to falls. "It's falling, and aspirating food and pneumonia – all these subtle ways that [it] gets you. You don't die from Parkinson's. You die with Parkinson's. I'm not gonna be 80," he said.
However, despite living with the disease for "30 plus years," Fox told Pauley that he's focused on gratitude. "I recognize how hard this is for people, and I recognize how hard it is for me, but I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff," he said, adding, "And I realize, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable. If you can find something to be grateful for, then you can find something to look forward to, and you carry on."