Once bigger than Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, 'Hollywood's next big thing' was ruined by illness, forced into retirement

Hindustan Times

05-07-2025

The 1980s was a decade of change for Hollywood. A crop of young blood came in, with newer actors trying to break out and make their mark. Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp went on to have mega-successful careers, while others like Charlie Sheen found their share of success as well. But for a brief period, there was an actor considered more promising than any of them. Yet, an illness derailed his career. Dubbed Hollywood's next best thing, this actor was forced into retirement due to an illness.
How Hollywood's next big thing from the 80s fared
Michael J Fox began his career as a child actor in the 70s before finding his break with the TV show Family Ties in 1982. The show's success made him a known name, but stardom came to him a few years later, when he starred in Back to the Future (1985). The film spent eight weeks as the number 1 film in the US and a star was born. The same year, Michael had another hit in Teen Wolf, and the actor was dubbed a 'teen idol'.
Back to the Future turned Michael J Fox into a cine idol.
Till 1990, Michael J Fox starred in other box office successes like The Secret of My Success (1987). He also won three back-to-back Emmy Awards from 1986-88 and a Golden Globe in 1989 for Family Ties. Many outlets dubbed him the 'next big thing'. In the late 80s, Michael was considered the brightest prospect in a class of young actors that also included Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Charlie Sheen.
How illness derailed Michael J Fox's career
In 1991, Michael, just 30 at the time, was privately diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He was told he just had '10 good years' left. The actor hastily signed multiple films, even agreeing to playing supporting roles. While many of these films worked, his stature was diminished to that of a supporting actor. In the 90s, Michael earned critical acclaim for his roles in The Frighteners and For Love or Money. After 1996, he largely devoted his time to the TV show Spin City, taking very few film roles. In 1998, he revealed to the cast and crew about his Parkinson's diagnosis, and quit the show in 1999, as his condition worsened.
After 1999, Michael J Fox announced his retirement from acting, doing only small guest parts on television occasionally. He appeared in two episodes of Scrubs in 2004, five episodes of Rescue Me in 2009, and had a recurring role in The Good Wife starting 2010. His final appearance was in a sitcom called The Michael J Fox, which was cancelled mid-first season in 2012. He announced his retirement from acting in 2020, citing 'unreliability in speech'.
Michael J. Fox attends A Country Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson's benefitting The Michael J. Fox Foundation at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on April 16, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee./AFP(Getty Images via AFP)
Since then, the actor has made brief returns to films and TV shows, largely in cameos. He lives with his family in Malibu. Michael runs The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has led a $100-million effort to find a cure for the disease.