Many of you know who Michael J. Fox is, and many of you started wearing Nike hi-tops after seeing them in action in his most successful movie, Back to the Future. It was Michael J. Fox who also popularized sports jackets; people wore them even if they were far from athletes. But the 58 year old has had a lustrous acting career, having starred in numerous high-rated movies and TV shows such as “Back to the Future I, II & III”, “Teen Wolf”, “Casualties of War”, “Doc Hollywood”, “Family Ties (TV show), “Stuart Little”, and numerous others movies. But actors and superstars tend to stay away from the eye of the public. So because of that, here are the 7 things you didn’t know about Michel J. Fox.
1. The “J” Doesn’t Stand For Anything, Actually
Probably the biggest surprise about the actor himself, the letter “J” of his name doesn’t have any meaning. Michael himself has numerous times told the story of the popular “J” and what it actually stands for. For much of his career, people genuinely thought that “J” stood for James, Joe, Jack, Jimmy, John, but in all fairness, it was something he made up. Namely, when signing up for the Actors Guild, Michael actually noticed another Michael Fox. For some strange coincidence, there was another person with his exact name, so he had to find a way to distinguish himself. His middle name was actually Andrew, but Michael didn’t want his full name to be written as Michael A. Scott. So, he came up with the letter “J” in honor of the famous actor, of whom Michael took inspiration from, Michael J. Pollard.
2. He Negotiated For a Role From a Payphone
You might have previously heard about actors talking to producers and agents from restaurant payphones. Well, Michael actually negotiated for his role in “Family Ties” from a payphone just outside of a food place in Downtown LA. He didn’t have a phone at that time, which is understandable since phones weren’t really a thing then and owning one meant you’re super-rich. But the interesting part of the story was that Michael had to wait at the payphone to get in touch with the casting crew. They had previously told him not to call them, instead to wait for their call. So naturally, Michael had waited for the call. Currently, the payphone is still in use and is located just outside of a fast food place.
3. He Owns a Charity Helping Those With Parkinson’s
Michael J. Fox is a proud owner of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to helping fund research to find a cure for the devastating Parkinson’s disease. Sadly, as you might know, Michael himself suffers from it and he was diagnosed back in 1991. Since getting diagnosed, at the young age of 29, Michael’s life has changed forever and he has become a vocal advocate on finding a cure through more research. His charity solely focuses on helping those with Parkinson’s and funds research clinics on finding a cure.
However, interestingly, Michael does have a way of coping with the disease, and we’ll discuss it in our next point.
4. He Uses CBD Oil to Cope With Parkinson’s Disease
Michael is not young, and far from it. Having developed the devastating disease at 29, he has tried various alternative solutions to cope with the effects. Having passed almost 19 years since he got diagnosed, the disease hasn’t gotten any better. As you might know, Parkinson’s disease plagues around one million people in the United States, one of which is Michael J. Fox.
However, reports from marijuanainvestorsummit.com say that Michael’s foundation focuses on the research of medicinal marijuana, specifically on the compound cannabidiol. Cannabidiol, or CBD for short, has all the health benefits without having the mind-altering properties of THC.
CBD is manufactured into oil, gummy bears, candy, cookies, and can also be consumed in numerous other ways. CBD oil is the choice for Michael, and he has said that it has helped him greatly throughout the years. CBD actually raises dopamine levels, and dopamine helps calm the body by easing and reducing muscle seizures, which are frequent with those suffering from Parkinson’s. CBD also lessens the painf, has anti-inflammatory properties, and many more effects that can help those with Parkinson’s.
5. They Used A Doppelganger For Back to the Future
For the producers of Back to the Future, they had to wait until Michael finish filming “Family Ties” before they could get him on board. The producers agreed to wait for Michael, but another option was also available. Namely, Michael had a doppelganger named Eric Stoltz. The two looked much alike and they decided to film some of the lesser-involving scenes with him. But he proved to be very intense for the role, and the movie was supposed to be a laid-back one. So before week 6 of filming, they decided to postpone filming until Michael finishes filming “Family Ties”.
6. He is known as Marty McFly Worldwide
Marty McFly will forever live in our hearts. His role in “Back to the Future” inspired millions of people worldwide, and the name Marty McFly is instantly recognized worldwide. It safe to say that Michael’s filming reputation goes before his actual name. While not everyone knows Michael J. Fox, they sure know Marty McFly. There’s an interesting story involving Marty McFly and one of his journeys post “Back to the Future”. Namely, one year Michael decided to go and visit the Himalayas. There, he had gone into a Buddhist temple, for no particular reason what so ever. However, one of the monks actually recognized Michael. Nut instead of shouting his name, the monk shouted “Marty McFly!”
7. Michel Nearly Lost His Life
During the filming of “Back to the Future III”, a scene involving him being hanged by Buford nearly didn’t go the way it was supposed to. In the scene, Michael was supposed to hold on to the rope that was around his neck. But on accident, he had let go and the rope started choking him. It was seconds later that the filming crew had noticed that Michel was actually passed out. Their quick thinking had actually saved his life.
