Editing Michael J. Fox (section)

== Acting career ==
[[File:Michael J. Fox 1985 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|223x223px|Fox in 1985]]

=== 1980–1984: Early roles and television ===
Fox's first feature film roles were ''[[Midnight Madness (1980 film)|Midnight Madness]]'' (1980) and ''[[Class of 1984]]'' (1982), credited in both as Michael Fox. Shortly afterward, he began playing "[[Young Republicans|Young Republican]]" [[Alex P. Keaton]] in the show ''[[Family Ties]]'', which aired on [[NBC]] for seven seasons from 1982 to 1989. In an interview with [[Jimmy Fallon]] in April 2014, Fox stated he negotiated the role at a payphone at [[Pioneer Chicken]]. He received the role only after [[Matthew Broderick]] was unavailable.<ref name="slate" /> ''Family Ties'' had been sold to the television network using the pitch "[[Hip (slang)|Hip]] parents, [[Square (slang)|square]] kids",<ref name="slate">{{cite magazine |last=Haglund |first=David |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/dvdextras/2007/03/reagans_favorite_sitcom.single.html |title=Reagan's Favorite Sitcom: How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero |magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=March 2, 2007 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514172956/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/dvdextras/2007/03/reagans_favorite_sitcom.single.html |archive-date=May 14, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> with the parents originally intended to be the main characters. However, the positive reaction to Fox's performance led to his character becoming the focus of the show following the fourth episode.<ref name="slate" /> 

[[Brandon Tartikoff]], one of the show's producers, felt that Fox was too short in relation to the actors playing his parents, and tried to have him replaced. Tartikoff reportedly said that "this is not the kind of face you'll ever find on a lunchbox." After his later successes, Fox presented Tartikoff with a custom-made lunchbox with the inscription "To Brandon: This is for you to put your [[eat crow|crow]] in. Love and Kisses, Michael J." Tartikoff kept the lunchbox in his office for the rest of his NBC career.{{sfn|Fox|2003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/luckyman00mich/page/81 81–82]}}<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brandon-tartikoff-private-files-revealed-379352| title=The Private Files of Brandon Tartikoff Revealed| magazine=The Hollywood Reporter| date=October 17, 2012 | first=Lacey| last=Rose| access-date=November 19, 2020| archive-date=November 7, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060049/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brandon-tartikoff-private-files-revealed-379352| url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1985–1990: ''Back to the Future'' and stardom ===
[[File:Michael J Fox 1988-cropped1.jpg|thumb|upright|Fox at the [[40th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in August 1988]]

In January 1985, Fox was cast to replace [[Eric Stoltz]] as [[Marty McFly]], a teenager who is accidentally sent [[Time travel|back in time]] from 1985 to 1955 in ''[[Back to the Future]]''. Director [[Robert Zemeckis]] originally wanted Fox to play Marty, but [[Gary David Goldberg]], the creator of ''[[Family Ties]]'', on which Fox was working at the time, refused to allow Zemeckis even to approach Fox. Goldberg felt that, as [[Meredith Baxter]] was on maternity leave at the time, Fox's character [[Alex Keaton]] was needed to carry the show in her absence. Stoltz was cast and was already filming ''Back to the Future'', but Zemeckis felt that Stoltz was not giving the right type of performance for the humor involved.<ref name="Making">"Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy: Chapter 1 (DVD Documentary)"</ref>

Zemeckis quickly replaced Stoltz with Fox, whose schedule was now more open with the return of Baxter. During filming, Fox rehearsed for ''Family Ties'' from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; he then rushed to the ''Back to the Future'' set, where he would rehearse and shoot until 2:30&nbsp;a.m. This schedule lasted for two full months. ''Back to the Future'' was both a critical and commercial success. The film spent eight consecutive weekends as the number-one movie at the US box office in 1985, and it eventually earned a worldwide total of $381.11 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=backtothefuture.htm |title=Back to the Future |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=August 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918012246/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=backtothefuture.htm |archive-date=September 18, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' applauded the performances, opining that Fox and his co-star [[Christopher Lloyd]] imbued Marty and [[Emmett Brown|Doc Brown]]'s friendship with a quality reminiscent of [[King Arthur]] and [[Merlin]].<ref>{{cite news |magazine=Variety |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117788826 |date=July 1, 1985 |title=Back to the Future |access-date=October 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828084007/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117788826/ | archive-date=August 28, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> Fox's performance in particular was praised, earning him a nomination for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]] at the [[43rd Golden Globe Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael J. Fox |url=https://goldenglobes.com/person/michael-j-fox/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Golden Globes |language=en-US}}</ref> The film was followed by two successful sequels, ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' (1989) and ''[[Back to the Future Part III]]'' (1990), which were produced at the same time but released separately.<ref name="dvdint2">{{cite video |people=Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis |title=''Back to the Future Part III''. Special Features: Making the Trilogy: Chapter Three |medium=DVD |publisher=Universal Studios Home Entertainment |date=2002 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> While filming the scene where [[Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen]] tries to hang Marty in ''Part III'', Fox was allowed to perform the stunt himself as long as he knew where to put his hand on the noose to keep himself from choking; however, on the third take, Fox accidentally placed his hand in the wrong spot, which resulted in him choking, passing out, and nearly dying until Zemeckis noticed him in peril and had him cut down.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stolworthy |first=Jacob |date=May 27, 2024 |title=37 actors who almost died on set |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/actors-stunts-accidents-died-dangerous-b2552100.html |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Van Horn |first=Shawn |date=August 31, 2023 |title=This Back to the Future Stunt Almost Killed Michael J. Fox |url=https://collider.com/back-to-the-future-michael-j-fox-stunt/ |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Michael J. Fox (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Fox at the [[39th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in September 1987]]

As a result of working on ''Family Ties'', and his back-to-back hit performances in ''Back to the Future'' and ''[[Teen Wolf]]'' (1985), Fox became a [[teen idol]]. The [[VH1]] television series ''[[The Greatest (TV series)|The Greatest]]'' later named him among their "50 Greatest Teen Idols".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Episode 080: 50 Greatest Teen Idols |url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=67297 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209143618/http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=67297 |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |access-date=October 21, 2015 |publisher=[[VH1]]}}</ref>

During and immediately after the [[Back to the Future (franchise)|''Back to the Future'' trilogy]], Fox starred in ''[[Teen Wolf]]'' (1985),'' [[Light of Day]]'' (1987), ''[[The Secret of My Success (1987 film)|The Secret of My Success]]'' (1987), and ''[[Bright Lights, Big City (film)|Bright Lights, Big City]]'' (1988). In ''The Secret of My Success'', Fox played a recent graduate from [[Kansas State University]] who moves to New York City, where he deals with the ups and downs of the business world. The film was successful at the box office, grossing $110 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=secretofmysuccess.htm |title=The Secret of My Success |publisher=Box Office Mojo |access-date=September 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203000815/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=secretofmysuccess.htm |archive-date=December 3, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] in the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' wrote, "Fox provides a fairly desperate center for the film. It could not have been much fun for him to follow the movie's arbitrary shifts of mood, from sitcom to slapstick, from sex farce to boardroom brawls."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19870410/REVIEWS/704100301 |title=The Secret of My Success Review |newspaper=Chicago Sun- Times |first=Roger |last=Ebert |date=April 10, 1987 |access-date=September 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927205538/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19870410%2FREVIEWS%2F704100301 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In ''[[Bright Lights, Big City (film)|Bright Lights, Big City]]'', Fox played a fact-checker for a New York magazine who spends his nights partying with alcohol and drugs. The film received mixed reviews, with Hal Hinson in ''The Washington Post'' criticizing Fox by claiming that "he was the wrong actor for the job".<ref name="hinson">{{cite news| last=Hinson| first=Hal| title='City' Blight| newspaper=The Washington Post| date=April 1, 1988| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/04/01/city-blight/1688b77d-e98e-4849-9369-105b835cf059/| access-date=June 9, 2021| archive-date=February 19, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219102454/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/04/01/city-blight/1688b77d-e98e-4849-9369-105b835cf059/| url-status=live}}</ref> Meanwhile, Roger Ebert praised the actor's performance: "Fox is very good in the central role (he has a long drunken monologue that is the best thing he has ever done in a movie)".<ref name="ebert">{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Bright Lights, Big City |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |date=April 1, 1988 |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bright-lights-big-city-1988 |access-date=December 26, 2024}}</ref> During the shooting of ''Bright Lights, Big City'', Fox co-starred again with [[Tracy Pollan]], his on-screen girlfriend from ''[[Family Ties]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Benson |first=Sheila |date=April 1, 1988 |title=Movie Review: Passions Dim in 'Bright Lights, Big City{{'-}} |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-01-ca-446-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=September 1, 2010 |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904014245/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-01-ca-446-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

Fox won three [[Emmy Award]]s for ''Family Ties'' in 1986, 1987, and 1988.<ref name="Emmy">{{cite web |title=Emmy Award History |url=http://www.emmys.com/award_history_search?person=michael+j+fox&program=&start_year=0&end_year=2010&network=All&web_category=All&winner=All |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404094337/http://www.emmys.com/award_history_search?person=michael+j+fox&program=&start_year=0&end_year=2010&network=All&web_category=All&winner=All |archive-date=April 4, 2012 |access-date=August 24, 2010 |website=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]}}</ref> He won a [[Golden Globe Award]] in 1989,<ref name="globes">{{cite web |title=Golden Globe Awards for Michael J. Fox |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/michael-j-fox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418092738/http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/michael-j-fox |archive-date=April 18, 2016 |access-date=April 14, 2016 |website=[[Golden Globe Awards]]}}</ref> the year the show ended.<ref name="slate" /> When Fox left the television series ''[[Spin City]]'' in 2000, his final episodes made numerous allusions to ''Family Ties'': [[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]] (who played Alex's father Steven) portrays Mike Flaherty's (Fox's character's) therapist,<ref>{{cite news |last=Wallace |first=Amy |date=March 20, 2000 |title=Putting His Own Spin on 'City's' Season Finale |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-mar-20-ca-10674-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221085727/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/20/entertainment/ca-10674 |archive-date=February 21, 2010 |access-date=August 23, 2010 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> and there is a reference to an off-screen character named "[[Justine Bateman|Mallory]]".<ref>[[Tom Shales|Shales, Tom]] (May 24, 2000). "Michael J. Fox, Playing 'Spin City' to a Fare-Thee-Well". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. C1.</ref> Also, when Flaherty becomes an environmental [[lobbyist]] in Washington, D.C., he meets a conservative senator from [[Ohio]] named Alex P. Keaton,<ref>{{cite web |last=Abilock |first=Genni |date=June 14, 2022 |title={{-'}}Family Ties': The Hit American Sitcom that Defined the 80's |url=https://www.heraldweekly.com/family-ties-the-hit-american-sitcom-that-defined-the-80s/37/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904014244/https://www.heraldweekly.com/family-ties-the-hit-american-sitcom-that-defined-the-80s/37/ |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |access-date=June 14, 2022 |website=Herald Weekly}}</ref> and in one episode [[Meredith Baxter]] played Mike's mother.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Fretts |first=Bruce |date=November 21, 1997 |title=''Family Ties'' lives on with ''Spin City'' |url=https://ew.com/article/1997/11/21/family-ties-lives-spin-city/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120141229/https://ew.com/article/1997/11/21/family-ties-lives-spin-city/ |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |access-date=August 23, 2010 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

Fox then starred in ''[[Casualties of War]]'' (1989), a dark and violent war drama about the [[Vietnam War]], alongside [[Sean Penn]]. ''Casualties of War'' was not a major box office hit, but Fox was praised for his performance. Don Willmott wrote: "Fox, only one year beyond his ''Family Ties'' sitcom silliness, rises to the challenges of acting as the film's moral voice and sharing scenes with the always intimidating Penn."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1989/casualties-of-war/ |title=Casualties of War Review |website=FilmCritic.com |date=January 4, 2006 |access-date=September 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113234717/http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1989/casualties-of-war/ |archive-date=November 13, 2010}}</ref> While ''Family Ties'' was ending, his production company Snowback Productions set up a two-year production pact at [[Paramount Pictures]] to develop film and television projects.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 18, 1989 |title=Michael J. Fox's Snowback in Par pact |page=14 |magazine=Variety}}</ref>

=== 1991–2001: Further films and acclaim ===
In 1991, he starred in ''[[Doc Hollywood]]'', a romantic comedy about a talented medical doctor who decides to become a plastic surgeon. While moving from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, he winds up as a doctor in a small southern town in South Carolina. [[Michael Caton-Jones]], of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'', described Fox in the film as "at his frenetic best".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/65559/doc_hollywood.html |title=Doc Hollywood Review |magazine=Time Out |access-date=September 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118081240/http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/65559/doc_hollywood.html |archive-date=November 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[The Hard Way (1991 film)|The Hard Way]]'' was also released in 1991, with Fox playing an undercover actor learning from police officer [[James Woods]]. After being privately diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 and being cautioned he had "ten good working years left",<ref name=AARPMag/> Fox hastily signed a three-film contract,{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} appearing in ''[[For Love or Money (1993 film)|For Love or Money]]'' (1993), ''[[Life with Mikey]]'' (1993), and ''[[Greedy (film)|Greedy]]'' (1994). In the mid-1990s Fox played smaller supporting roles in ''[[The American President]]'' (1995) and ''[[Mars Attacks!]]'' (1996).

His last major film role was in ''[[The Frighteners]]'' (1996), directed by [[Peter Jackson]]. Fox's performance received critical praise, [[Kenneth Turan]] in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote; "The film's actors are equally pleasing. Both Fox, in his most successful starring role in some time, and [Trini] [[Trini Alvarado|Alvarado]], who looks rather like [[Andie MacDowell]] here, have no difficulty getting into the manic spirit of things."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie960719-3,0,6464899.story |title=The Frighteners Review |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |first=Kenneth |last=Turan |author-link=Kenneth Turan |date=July 19, 1996 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031053608/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie960719-3%2C0%2C6464899.story |archive-date=October 31, 2009 |access-date=May 18, 2014}}</ref>

In the 1990s and 2000s, Fox took on multiple voice acting roles. He voiced the American Bulldog Chance in [[Disney]]'s live-action film ''[[Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey]]'' and its sequel ''[[Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco]]'', the titular character in ''[[Stuart Little (film)|Stuart Little]]'' and its two sequels ''[[Stuart Little 2]]'' and ''[[Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild]]'', and Milo James Thatch in Disney's animated film ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.<ref name="Stuart">{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800020436/bio |title=Michael J Fox Biography |website=[[Yahoo!]] |access-date=August 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615064655/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800020436/bio |archive-date=June 15, 2009}}</ref>

=== 1996–2020: Later career and retirement ===
[[File:Michael J. Fox Hand Prints.jpg|upright|thumb|Hand prints of Fox in front of [[The Great Movie Ride]] at [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]] theme park]]
''[[Spin City]]'' ran from 1996 to 2002 on American television network [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The show depicted a fictional New York City government, originally starring Fox as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Kaklamanidou |editor-first1=Betty |editor-last2=Tally |editor-first2=Margaret |date=2016 |title=Politics and Politicians in Contemporary US Television: Washington as Fiction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ST8lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8 |location=Abingdon-on-Thames and New York |publisher=[[Routledge]] |page=8 |isbn=978-1-4724-8604-2}}</ref> Fox served as an executive producer of ''Spin City'' alongside co-creators [[Bill Lawrence (producer)|Bill Lawrence]] and [[Gary David Goldberg]].<ref name="Sheen" /> He won an [[Emmy Award]] for ''Spin City'' in 2000,<ref name="Emmy"/> three [[Golden Globe Awards]] in 1998, 1999, and 2000,<ref name=globes/> and two [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]] in 1999 and 2000.<ref name=FoxFoundation/>  During the third season, Fox told the cast and crew of the show that he had Parkinson's disease, and during the fourth season, he announced his retirement from the show.<ref name="QuitsSpinCity">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/609629.stm |title=Fox quits Spin City |website=[[BBC News]] |date=January 19, 2000 |access-date=August 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309121615/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/609629.stm |archive-date=March 9, 2012 |url-status=live |quote=Fox revealed in 1998 that he had been suffering from Parkinson's since 1991. The condition was diagnosed after he noticed a twitch in his little finger while he was working on the set of the film, Doc Hollywood.}}</ref> A character played by [[Charlie Sheen]] replaced his,<ref name="Sheen">{{cite news |last=Weinraub |first=Bernard |author-link=Bernard Weinraub |date=May 7, 2001 |title=Charlie Sheen Delivers A New Spin To 'Spin City' |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/07/arts/charlie-sheen-delivers-a-new-spin-to-spin-city.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002212446/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/07/arts/charlie-sheen-delivers-a-new-spin-to-spin-city.html |archive-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> and he made three more appearances during the final season. In 2002, his Lottery Hill Entertainment production company attempted to set up a pilot for ABC with [[DreamWorks Television]] and [[ABC Signature|Touchstone Television]] company via first-look agreements, but it never went to series.<ref>{{cite magazine| last=Schneider| first=Michael| date=August 15, 2002| title=Fox spins ABC tale| url=https://variety.com/2002/scene/markets-festivals/fox-spins-abc-tale-1117871268/|access-date=January 11, 2022| magazine=Variety| archive-date=January 11, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111003806/https://variety.com/2002/scene/markets-festivals/fox-spins-abc-tale-1117871268/| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| last1=Schneider| first1=Michael| first2=Jill| last2=Schneider| date=March 16, 2003| title=Bierko ices ABC role| url=https://variety.com/2003/tv/news/bierko-ices-abc-role-1117882340/| access-date=April 17, 2022| magazine=Variety| archive-date=January 11, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111003807/https://variety.com/2003/tv/news/bierko-ices-abc-role-1117882340/| url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2004, Fox guest-starred in two episodes of the comedy-drama ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'' – created by ''Spin City'' creator Bill Lawrence – as Dr. Kevin Casey, a surgeon with severe [[obsessive-compulsive disorder]].<ref name=Scrubs>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-01-05-michaeljfox-scrubs_x.htm |title=Michael J. Fox to scrub up twice for 'Scrubs' |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=April 1, 2004 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |first1=Bill |last1=Keveney |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929233950/http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-01-05-michaeljfox-scrubs_x.htm |archive-date=September 29, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.avclub.com/scrubs-my-clean-break-my-catalyst-1798177304| title=Scrubs: 'My Clean Break'/'My Catalyst'| last=McNutt| first=Myles| website=[[The A.V. Club]]| date=July 8, 2013| access-date=February 6, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207005235/https://tv.avclub.com/scrubs-my-clean-break-my-catalyst-1798177304| archive-date=February 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, he appeared in four episodes of ''[[Boston Legal]]'' as a lung cancer patient. The producers brought him back in a recurring role for season three, beginning with the season premiere. Fox was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] for best guest appearance.<ref name="Emmy" />
[[File:Michael J. Fox 2012 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|254x254px|Fox speaking at [[Lotusphere]] 2012]]
In 2009, Fox appeared in five episodes of the television series ''[[Rescue Me (U.S. TV series)|Rescue Me]]'' which earned him an Emmy for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]].<ref name="Emmy" /> Starting in 2010, Fox played a recurring role in the American drama ''[[The Good Wife]]'' as crafty attorney Louis Canning and earned Emmy nominations for three consecutive years.<ref name="GoodWife">{{cite news| last1=Bobbin| first1=Jay| title='The Good Wife' Season 5: Emmy nominee Michael J. Fox 'open' to returning| url=http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/the_good_wife_season_5_emmy_nominee_michael_j_fox_open_to_returning-2013-07|access-date=March 18, 2015| publisher=[[Zap2it]]| date=July 27, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915085758/http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/the_good_wife_season_5_emmy_nominee_michael_j_fox_open_to_returning-2013-07| archive-date=September 15, 2014| url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2011, Fox portrayed himself in the eighth season of Larry David's ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', in which David's fictionalized self becomes Fox's neighbor and accuses him of using his Parkinson's disease as a manipulative tool. Fox returned in 2017 for a brief appearance, referencing his prior time on the show.<ref>{{cite news| title=Curb Your Enthusiasm| url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/larry-vs-michael-j-fox,61416/| website=[[The A.V. Club]]| access-date=August 24, 2012| first=Meredith| last=Blake | author-link=Meredith Blake | date=September 12, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815165417/http://www.avclub.com/articles/larry-vs-michael-j-fox%2C61416/| archive-date=August 15, 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Curb Your Enthusiasm – Larry confronts Michael J. Fox – Season 8 Ep. 10| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIjDo-btyL0|via=YouTube| access-date=August 24, 2012| author=TheGuysTravel| date=September 12, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612013352/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIjDo-btyL0| archive-date=June 12, 2013| url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2012, [[NBC]] announced that Fox would star in ''[[The Michael J. Fox Show]]'', loosely based on his life. It was granted a 22-episode commitment from the network and premiered in September 2013,<ref>{{cite news| title=NBC: Michel J. Fox Will Return To Series TV| url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TV_MICHAEL_J_FOX_RETURNING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT| archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120821043959/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TV_MICHAEL_J_FOX_RETURNING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT| url-status=dead| archive-date=August 21, 2012| publisher=[[Associated Press]]| first=Frazier| last=Moore| access-date=April 17, 2022}}</ref> but was taken off the air after 15 episodes and later cancelled.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-michael-j-fox-show-nbc-sitcom-officially-cancelled-32530/| title=Michael J. Fox Show: NBC Sitcom Now Officially Cancelled| date=May 11, 2014| access-date=January 19, 2021| website=TV Series Finale| archive-date=February 19, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219102435/https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-michael-j-fox-show-nbc-sitcom-officially-cancelled-32530/| url-status=live}}</ref>

Fox has made several appearances in other media. At the [[2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony]] in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he delivered comedy monologues, along with [[William Shatner]] and [[Catherine O'Hara]], in the "I am Canadian" part of the show.<ref name="montrealgazette1">{{cite news |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/2010+Michael+speaks+during+closing+ceremony+Vancouver+Winter+Olympics+Place/7786761/story.html |title=2010: Michael J. Fox speaks during the closing ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics at B.C. Place on Feb. 28 |newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]] |date=January 7, 2013 |access-date=September 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501143206/http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/2010+Michael+speaks+during+closing+ceremony+Vancouver+Winter+Olympics+Place/7786761/story.html |archive-date=May 1, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite sound-alike [[A.J. LoCascio]] voicing Marty McFly in [[Back to the Future: The Game|the 2011 ''Back to the Future'' episodic adventure game]], Fox lent his likeness to the in-game version of Marty alongside [[Christopher Lloyd]]. Fox made a special guest appearance in the final episode of the series as an elder version of Marty, as well as his great-grandfather Willie McFly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-back-to-the/714558 |title=Back To The Future Episode 5: OUTATIME Video Game, E3 2011: Exclusive Developer Diary HD |website=[[GameTrailers]] |access-date=June 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903010557/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2011-back-to-the/714558 |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Fox appeared in five episodes of the [[List of Designated Survivor episodes#Season 2 (2017–18)|second season]] of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] political drama ''[[Designated Survivor (TV series)|Designated Survivor]]'', in the recurring role of Ethan West, investigating whether the president was fit to continue in the job.<ref name="Hipes">{{cite magazine| url=https://deadline.com/2018/01/michael-j-fox-designated-survivor-guest-role-abc-1202239957/| title=Michael J. Fox Joining 'Designated Survivor' For Arc| date=January 10, 2018| magazine=[[Deadline Hollywood]]| access-date=January 10, 2018| first=Patrick| last=Hipes| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110193505/http://deadline.com/2018/01/michael-j-fox-designated-survivor-guest-role-abc-1202239957/| archive-date=January 10, 2018| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web| url=https://screenrant.com/designated-survivor-show-season-2-michael-fox-villain/| title=Designated Survivor: Michael J Fox Was A Perfect Season 2 Villain| date=November 2, 2019| website=ScreenRant| access-date=January 19, 2021| archive-date=November 3, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103115238/https://screenrant.com/designated-survivor-show-season-2-michael-fox-villain/| url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Coldplay_Glasto24_290624_(272)_(53836785472)_(cropped).jpg|thumb|Fox playing the guitar with [[Coldplay]] at the [[Glastonbury Festival]] in 2024]]
In 2020, Fox retired from acting due to the increasing unreliability of his speech.<ref name="AARPMag" /> Fox's memoir, ''No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality'', was released that November. In the book, Fox explained that, "not being able to speak reliably is a game-breaker for an actor" and that he was experiencing memory loss. Fox wrote, "There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a 12-hour workday, and memorizing seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me...I enter a second retirement. That could change, because everything changes. But if this is the end of my acting career, so be it."<ref name="HollywoodReporter" />

=== 2021–2025: ''Still, Shrinking'' and brief film roles ===
In 2021, Fox appeared in one episode of the television series ''Expedition: Back to the Future'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Expedition: Back To The Future |url=https://www.discoveryuk.com/series/expedition-back-to-the-future/ |access-date=June 11, 2024 |website=Discovery UK |language=en-US}}</ref> as well as in the animated film ''Back Home Again''. On May 12, 2023, ''[[Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie]]'', a documentary which follows his career and Parkinson's disease diagnosis, was released.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 6, 2023 |title=Coming May 12: Apple TV+'s Feature Film, 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie{{'-}} |url=https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/coming-may-12-apple-tvs-feature-film-still-michael-j-fox-movie |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=[[The Michael J. Fox Foundation|The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research]]}}</ref> The film was directed by [[Davis Guggenheim]] and made for [[Apple TV+]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carey |first=Matthew |date=August 12, 2023 |title='Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' Editor Michael Harte Says One Scene Set The Tone For The Whole Film – Contenders TV: The Nominees |url=https://deadline.com/2023/08/still-a-michael-j-fox-movie-editor-michael-harte-pivotal-scene-1235459302/ |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> It was positively received, winning four of the seven awards it was nominated for at the [[75th Primetime Emmy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carey |first=Matthew |date=January 8, 2024 |title='Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' Claims Big Emmy Wins; Will That Threaten Its Oscar Chances? |url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/creative-arts-emmys-still-a-michael-j-fox-movie-wins-best-documentary-special-1235698394/ |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/still-michael-j-fox-movie |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=Television Academy {{!}} Emmys |language=en}}</ref> [[Stephanie Zacharek]] on behalf of [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] wrote, "''Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie'' reminds us that a person stricken with a disease doesn't ''become'' that disease... What's striking about ''Still'' is how celebratory it is. This isn't the story of a wonderful actor felled by an illness; it's the story of a wonderful actor,"<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Zacharek |first=Stephanie |date=May 12, 2023 |title='Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' Is Unsparing and Darkly Funny |url=https://time.com/6278172/still-review-michael-j-fox/ |access-date=August 25, 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |language=en}}</ref> while [[Mark Kermode]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' called it "An intimate, uplifting star portrait."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kermode |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Kermode |date=May 14, 2023 |title=Still: A Michael J Fox Movie review – an intimate, uplifting star portrait |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/may/14/still-a-michael-j-fox-movie-review-an-intimate-uplifting-star-portrait-davis-guggenheim |access-date=August 25, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

On June 29, 2024, he was featured on the [[Glastonbury Festival]] as a guest of British rock band [[Coldplay]], playing the guitar with them on the songs "Humankind" and "[[Fix You]]".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Legaspi |first=Althea |date=June 30, 2024 |title=Watch Michael J. Fox Join Coldplay on Guitar at Glastonbury |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/coldplay-michael-j-fox-glastonbury-surprise-performance-1235050355/ |access-date=June 30, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> Lead singer and pianist [[Chris Martin]] mentioned during the show that "''Back to the Future'' is the main reason we became a band".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Savage |first=Mark |date=July 1, 2024 |title=Glastonbury 2024: 15 magical and memorable moments |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ve1zn9wlyo |access-date=July 1, 2024 |website=BBC News}}</ref>

On May 15, 2025, it was revealed that Fox had been cast in the third season of the TV show [[Shrinking (TV series)|Shrinking]], making a brief return to acting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2025-05-15 |title=Michael J. Fox Joins Apple TV+'s 'Shrinking' Season 3 In Acting Return & Bill Lawrence Reunion |url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/michael-j-fox-cast-shrinking-season-3-apple-bill-lawrence-1236399706/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>