Photo: Via Rolling Stone
When Michael J. Fox announced that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, all of Tinseltown let out a collective gasp. The revelation came as such a surprise, and his fans and peers mourned along with him. But, ever the fighter, he worked to stay in the spotlight and keep up his acting career while he fought the disease. And now, on the heels of the premiere of his brand new comedy, The Michael J. Fox Show, he's speaking out to Rolling Stone about his struggles — or lack thereof.
According to Fox, dealing with Parkinson's hasn't been all bad all the time, especially when it comes to his acting career. In fact, he even went so far as to say that Parkinson's improved his performances: "I had a certain fluidity to my movements and rhythm of speech and a physicality that I had depended on," he told the mag. "It served me really well, but when that was taken away, I found that there was other stuff that I could use. That hesitation, that Parkinsonian affect, is an opportunity to just pause in a moment and collect as a character and respond to what’s happening and just gave me this kind of gravitas. It really gave me a new view of things." He also describes that the nervousness he used to feel before a big scene is now a thing of the past, saying that he's learned to just live in the moment and be a more reactive actor.
While we're still heartbroken that one of our favorite actors has dealt with such heavy personal problems, we're delighted to hear his positivity. Come September 26, you know we'll be DVR-ing his new show. For the full interview, pick up the latest issue of Rolling Stone. (Rolling Stone)