Michael J. Fox shares sweetest tribute to wife of 34 years: 'Anything good that we do comes from her'

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By Asiya Ali

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Michael J. Fox has opened up about his 34-year marriage with his wife Tracy Pollan in a heartwarming interview.

The 61-year-old actor and his 62-year-old wife tied the knot in 1988. They share a 33-year-old son named Sam Michael, 28-year-old twin daughters Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances, and 21-year-old daughter Esmé Annabelle.

The couple attended the regional premiere of the actor's new Apple+ documentary titled, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, at the SXSW Conference And Festival in Austin, Texas.

The Back to the Future star's flick tells "the improbable tale of Michael J. Fox who became the darling of 1980s Hollywood - only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis," as cited by People.

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Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan at the premiere of "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie" at the SXSW Conference And Festival. Credit:  Sipa US / Alamy

Fox donned a black short-sleeved shirt covered with white snowflakes on the red carpet while Pollan sported a green jacquard suit with a black v-neck top and black shoes. Her blonde hair was parted in the middle and loose around her shoulders.

At the premiere, the couple candidly spoke to People about how they continue to nurture their long-standing marriage. Pollan said: "I think we really listen to each other, we are there for each other when we need each other."

"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," she added.

The Back to the Future star gushed that his wife "gives our family everything that we need," and sweetly added: "Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her."

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Michael J. Fox shared a sweet message for his wife. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

The Family Ties star's documentary will touch upon heartbreaking moments in the actor's life, such as when he used alcohol as a coping mechanism after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's.

Fox was initially diagnosed with the condition - which is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements - back in 1991 but kept it hidden from the world for seven years.

After doctors told him that there was no way to cure it, the beloved actor battled the condition by turning to other methods such as alcohol abuse.

"I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know what was coming. So what if I could just have four glasses of wine and maybe a shot," Fox says. "I was definitely an alcoholic. But I've gone 30 years without having a drink.

"As low as alcohol had brought me, abstinence would bring me lower. I could no longer escape myself," he continued, before adding that traveling and having a hectic schedule made it more painless as it put the diagnosis out of his mind.

"You can't pretend at home that you don't have Parkinson's because you're just there with it. If I'm out in the world, I'm dealing with other people and they don't know I have it," he stated.

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Michael J. Fox with his wife and children at the 13th Governors Awards on November 19, 2022. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

The Teen Wolf actor credited Pollan as well as their four children as his reason for getting sober. But while he concentrated on that, the condition continued to ravage his body, making things more challenging for him.

"To me, the worst thing is restraint," Fox explained. "The worst thing is to be confined and to not be able to have a way out... There are times when I went, 'There's no way out of this.'"

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie will be released later this year.

Featured image credit: REUTERS / Alamy