Michael J Fox says he fell in love with wife Tracey Pollan when she called him a 'total f***ing a**hole'

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By Nasima Khatun

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Michael J Fox has opened up about his relationship with his wife Tracey Pollan in his new Apple TV+ documentary.

Titled Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, the 94-minute film sees the ins and outs of the 61-year-old actor's life and the things that have come to define him as the man he is today.

In one segment, Fox opened up about the moment he met his wife while the pair were filming Family Ties back in 1985, insinuating that he made quite the impression with a silly joke about her breath.

"One day, we broke for lunch. After lunch, we picked up where we left off," Fox recalled. "The moment she said her first line, I detected a hint of garlic and sensed an opportunity to have a little fun at her expense. 'Whoa, a little scampi for lunch, babe?'"

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Michael J Fox and his wife Tracy Pollan. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

However, Pollan was not the least bit amused.

"At first she said nothing. Her expression didn’t even change," he continued. "But looking me dead in the eyes she said slowly, 'That was mean and rude, and you’re a complete and total f**king a*****e.'"

"Nobody talked to me that way," he said, noting his surprise at her response. "This woman was completely unintimidated by whoever I thought I was. A pig is a pig no matter how many hit movies he’s just had."

He was then asked if he was a "d***" at the time, to which he responded: "I was a bit of a d***."

It seems as though some good did come from the awkward interaction, as Fox couldn't deny the fact that he had caught feelings for Pollan.

"She was joking, but I didn’t get it because no one would ever joke with me like that," he continued. "I was not the butt of any jokes. She just poked through that, like, you’re a scared little kid and I’ll just call you out. In that moment, I fell in love with her."

As the years went by, the two naturally became closer, but the turning point was in 1987 when they went to New York City to work on their film, Bright Lights, Big City.

"We’d hang out on the set together," he told viewers in the documentary. "She had a front-row seat to view the whirlwind that my life had become. Tracy appreciated the toll I was taking.

"Once we got together, I just, was the most in love person. I still am," he added.

Just a year after working together on the movie, the pair cemented their love with 'I do' and started a family together. They now have a son called Sam, 33, twins Schuyler and Aquinnah, 28, and a daughter called Esmé, 21.

Speaking of their love, Pollan said that she and her husband place importance on listening to each other and this has made their marriage extremely successful.

"I think we really listen to each other, we are there for each other when we need each other," the 62-year-old told PEOPLE during an interview earlier this year. "And then we also give each other space when that’s needed. Just feeling off of what’s needed at the moment and trying to be there."

"Tracy gives our family everything that we need. Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her," Fox added.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is now available to watch on Apple TV +.

Featured Image Credit: Erik Pendzich / Alamy