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Michael J Fox has said acting has 'prolonged my life' as he reflected living with Parkinson's for more than three decades.
The Back to the Future actor was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said that acting has given him purpose.
"It’s really prolonged my life and made my life interesting in a way that I didn’t think it would be to this point. I’m not retired from acting, but if I didn’t act again, it would be for a very good reason. I let Parkinson’s make decisions for me," he said in the interview.
Fox confessed that he initially felt reluctant to publicly discuss his diagnosis, however he stated that he overcame this feeling as he realised it was important to "normalise" the condition.
According to a report in RTE, Fox first noticed a tremor in his finger before being diagnosed at 29. The disease has had a significant impact on his mobility, with the actor revealing that he has broken bones after a number of falls.
Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, and the organisation has gone on to raise over two billion US dollars to support Parkinson’s research.