Stronger than ever! Michael J. Fox and wife Tracy Pollan‘s lasting love has helped them navigate the biggest challenges, including his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The Back to the Future star received his diagnosis in 1991, three years after he married Pollan. While reflecting on his health journey in the trailer for his 2023 documentary, Still, Fox remembered breaking the news to his spouse.
“I told Tracy … ‘In sickness and in health,’ I remember her whispering,” the Canadian actor said in a voiceover. “No one outside of my family knew. … But all those years of hiding was shaking me awake.”
The couple met while working together on season 4 of Family Ties in 1985. Pollan played Ellen Reed, the love interest of Fox’s Alex P. Keaton. Their real-life romance officially began after they reunited on the big screen for the drama Bright Lights, Big City.
Fox and the New York native made their red carpet debut at the 39th annual Emmy Awards in 1987, where he won the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Family Ties. He proposed later that year.
The ’80s icon put a playful spin on the frenzy that surrounded his 1988 nuptials in an essay penned for Esquire. “I got married last summer and the reviews were terrible,” Fox wrote one year after tying the knot. “Now, bad reviews I can normally handle — you put your work out there and anybody can take their shot. But Tracy and I had never conceived of our wedding as part of our oeuvre.”
Despite planning to exchange vows “as far from Hollywood” as they could get — the ceremony took place in Vermont — they couldn’t avoid the attention. “Oblivious to all the madness going on outside, Tracy and I danced the night away,” Fox gushed.
After decades in the spotlight, the duo’s love for one another only grew deeper. Fox surprised Pollan with a romantic Parisian getaway in 2011 in honor of their 23rd wedding anniversary.
“Tracy is an art fanatic, so we walked miles to gallery after gallery after gallery,” the Spin City alum exclusively told Us after the trip. “I love to see her love to do what she loves to do, which is look at art, but it wore me out!”
The Michael J. Fox Foundation creator and Pollan — who share children Samuel, Aquinnah, Schuyler and Esmé — have remained each other’s biggest champions over the years. While accepting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2022 Governors Awards, the Good Wife alum — who previously retired from acting — sent a special shout-out to the Inventing Anna star.
“Tracy made it clear she was with me for the duration,” he said on stage, later gesturing to his trophy. “I cannot believe I have been standing here for this long, it’s a miracle. I cannot walk and carry this thing. But I ask Tracy to once again carry the weight.”
Scroll down for a glimpse of Fox and Pollan’s romance over the years:
The couple started dating after meeting while on the set of Family Ties season 4. Fox proposed two years later.
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The pair tied the knot in Woodstock, Vermont.
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Fox and Pollan welcomed their first child, son Samuel, in May.
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Twins Aquinnah and Schuyler joined the family in February.
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The Stuart Little voice actor went public with Parkinson’s diagnosis after learning years prior that he has the disease. Two years later, he announced his exit from Spin City.
“I could not be more proud of the show, our cast, writers, crew, and all that we have accomplished over the last four years, yet I feel that right now my time and energy would be better spent with my family and working toward a cure for Parkinson’s disease,” he noted in a 2000 statement.
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Fox and Pollan welcomed daughter Esmé in November.
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The actor recalled his “first reaction” to his Parkinson’s diagnosis during an interview with Howard Stern, noting that he “was drinking alone and … every day” amid his health scare.
He credited his wife with helping him make a lifestyle change and begin therapy. “[She asked me], ‘Is this what you want? This is what you want to be?’ … Eventually, things got pretty great,” Fox said.
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Fox and the Promised Land star celebrated 30 years of marriage. “His optimistic worldview about everything is just so powerful. Michael doesn’t worry about the future. I’m completely the opposite,” she gushed to People when asked what she admired most about her husband.
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“How lucky are we?! Happy Mother’s Day T. Best Mom in the world ️,” the Doc Hollywood actor captioned an Instagram tribute to his spouse.
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Pollan shared a romantic vacation pic on the duo’s 34th anniversary. “7️16️88 Favorite place, favorite person, favorite day ️,” she wrote.
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The couple attended SXSW in Austin, Texas, for the premiere of Still: A Michael J. Fox Story.
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Fox wished his wife a happy birthday in a heartfelt social media tribute. “‘She showers the people she loves with love, she shows them the way that she feels,’” he gushed via Instagram on June 22 alongside a photo of Pollans. “Happy happy birthday @tracy.pollan my forever Summer girl, my love, my best friend, and the most beautiful amazing mom to our four stupendous kids. Love love love you.”
Courtesy of Michael J. Fox/Instagram
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