Michael J. Fox’s family ties are rock solid.
The “Back to the Future” star has been happily married to Tracy Pollan for 32 years and laughing is one way their love stays stronger than ever.
“Every day we have something we laugh about for a good two minutes,” the 59-year-old told People in regards to his doting wife.
The pair met when Pollan appeared on “Family Ties” in 1985 and began dating two years later. They tied the knot in 1988, three years before the actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“The kind of support she gives me, I feel like a husband, a father and a friend first, and then somewhere way down the line, I’m someone with Parkinson’s," Fox said.
The couple share four children - son Sam, 31, twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 25, and daughter Esmé, 19 — who Fox said have been an invaluable source of support throughout his health issues.
"My kids are adults now,” he added. “I never held back about my situation before, but now I really can speak plainly.”
Fox publicly revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1998 and recently disclosed the “darkest moment” in his life occurred due to an unrelated health issue.
In 2018, he had to have a risky surgery to remove a noncancerous tumor on his spine.
While the procedure was successful, Fox had to learn how to walk again. During his recuperation, the actor was alone in his NYC apartment when he suffered a fall and broke his arm.
“That was definitely my darkest moment,” he recounted. “I just snapped. I was leaning against the wall in my kitchen, waiting for the ambulance to come, and I felt like,‘This is as low as it gets for me.’ It was when I questioned everything. Like, ‘I can’t put a shiny face on this. There’s no bright side to this, no upside. This is just all regret and pain.’”
Although the incident temporarily robbed him of his typically optimistic outlook, he was able to slowly return to his upbeat disposition.
“Optimism is sustainable when you keep coming back to gratitude, and what follows from that is acceptance," he continued. "Accepting that this thing has happened, and you accept it for what it is. It doesn't mean that you can't endeavor to change. It doesn't mean you have to accept it as a punishment or a penance, but just put it in its proper place."
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram