Michael J. Fox tells new documentary how his Parkinson's diagnosis drove him to alcoholism - Daily Mail

Actor Michael J. Fox said his Parkinson's diagnosis astatine the property of 29 drove him to alcoholism and that helium had to popular dopamine pills and usage props successful his near manus to fell the incurable disease. 

The Back to the Future actor, present 61, is gearing up to merchandise his caller documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which debuted astatine Sundance connected Friday and volition spell to Apple TV+ aboriginal this year. 

Fox roseate to fame from his relation successful Family Ties and aboriginal went connected to look successful Back to the Future and Teen Wolf. However, the histrion said nary of that mattered arsenic helium was struck with the diagnosis astatine the tallness of his fame. 

'I was the Prince of Hollywood,' helium said, according to the New York Post. When the doc told him helium had been diagnosed, helium told him: 'You cognize who you’re talking to, right? I’m not expected to get this.

'You deliberation [life's] made of ceramic and rock. But it’s not. It’s made retired of insubstantial and feathers. It’s an illusion.' 

After receiving his Parkinson's diagnosis, helium 'drank to dissociate' and popped dopamine pills to calm the symptoms. 

'I was decidedly an alcoholic. But I've gone 30 years without having a drink,' helium said. 

Fox discovered helium had the illness aft waking up from a nighttime of drinking to find his pinky twitching successful 1990. After it wouldn't stop, helium went to a neurologist successful 1991 and was diagnosed with the disease. 

He would spell connected to fell the illness for 7 years by carrying props successful his near hand. 

In the film, fans volition ticker the actor, who has a nett worthy of $65million, moving with a trainer to assistance physique strength, walking done the streets of Manhattan, and repeatedly falling. 

'A festival of self-abuse,' helium joked astir the film. 'You get Parkinson’s, you travel implicit stuff.'  

Deadline's Pete Hammond wrote that the documentary has 'the tone of the benignant of 80’s movies that helped marque Fox a precise large prima connected some large and tiny screens.' According to the awards columnist, the movie explores Michael's beingness increasing up successful Canada to leaving schoolhouse astatine 17 to gamble connected a vocation successful Hollywood.

'The prima here, arsenic always, is Fox himself, battling the aggravated effects of the Parkinsons illness helium has had since being diagnosed astatine lone property 29, but successfully and enthusiastically telling his story, a azygous talking caput shot, consecutive into the camera.'

Despite the hardships of the disease, the histrion said astatine the Q&A that helium has loved his life.

'I emotion my family, I love what I do, I emotion that radical respond to what I do. I cognize that I tin beryllium an example of different radical and assistance them deal with their issues without them asking maine without maine [to] enactment unit of myself on them. 

'It's an astonishing beingness and I'm enjoying it,' helium said during a Q&A aft the Sundance premiere. 

The histrion retired from his assemblage successful 2020 aft having a vocation resurgence successful the aboriginal 2000s with the Good Fight and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He started his vocation by dropping retired of his Canadian precocious schoolhouse and moving to Hollywood astatine 16. 

He is present penning books astir his acquisition and is backing probe successful Parkinson's done his Michael J. Fox Foundation. 

'People explicit to maine that I marque them consciousness amended and bash things that they usually wouldn’t do,' helium said. 'That’s a large responsibility.'