MICHAEL J. FOX No Time Like the Future
ELIZABETH CARNEY: Michael, we’re delighted to have you here. Thanks for coming to The Commonwealth Club Business and Leadership Forum. I want to introduce Michael J. Fox a little bit. He’s written a new memoir about his recent life after he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease back in 1991, when he was 29. If you don’t know, Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder, which results in tremors, muscle spasms, balance
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coordination problems, diminishment of movement and can also affect speech, mood, sleep, and lead to fatigue. Over 5 million people have Parkinson’s. Michael J. Fox became famous in his 20s before Parkinson’s for his role on the hit sitcom “Family Ties.” In the middle of its run in 1985, Michael starred in the international hit Back to the Future. He’s also founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has raised over
$1 billion—that’s with a B—for research and is celebrating its 20th year. His memoir is called No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality. Welcome, Michael J. Fox. I’m curious, you write a new book, and just when it is finished, COVID comes. You went back to writing an epilogue. In light of this pause, how did you respond? MICHAEL J. FOX: Well, it was really interesting to be in something so navel-gazing.
