How Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' played part in Michael J Fox hanging up his acting boots
EDMONTON, CANADA: Renowned actor Michael J Fox has revealed that a poignant moment in Quentin Tarantino's film 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' played a significant role in his decision to retire from acting. In a recent interview, Fox delved into his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease and shed light on the personal impact of a particular scene from the film.
During the interview, Fox recalled a challenging experience while filming 'The Good Fight' on CBS, where he struggled to remember his lines. This reminded him of a scene in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as an aging Western star who grapples with memory loss. "I thought of 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.' There's a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio's character can't remember his lines anymore. He goes back to his dressing room and he's screaming at himself in the mirror. Just freaking insane," Fox told Empire Magazine via Variety.
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'Let's move on!'
"I had this moment where I was looking in the mirror and thought, 'I cannot remember it anymore'." Remarkably, Fox remained composed and accepted the situation, calmly telling himself, "'Well, let's move on'. It was peaceful." These revelations coincide with the release of Fox's new documentary, 'Still', which premiered on Apple TV+. The film explores his life with Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting the brain's dopamine-producing neurons, according to the Parkinson's Foundation.
Michael J Fox's battle with Parkinson's disease
Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 at the age of 29, Fox kept the news private for seven years, gradually disclosing his condition to the public. In 'Still', Fox also shares intimate details about his coping mechanisms, revealing that he would spend hours submerged in his bathtub, seeking solace through self-imposed suffering after his diagnosis. He explained, "I just wanted to keep my head below water. I needed to suffer. I needed to go as low as I could go."
In an interview with 'CBS Sunday Morning' in April, Fox acknowledged the increasing challenges of living with Parkinson's, acknowledging the contemplation of mortality that comes with the condition. He expressed, "You don't die from Parkinson's. You die with Parkinson's. So I've been thinking about the mortality of it. I'm not gonna be 80." The actor previously opened up about his suffering from the disease and said, "It's been 30+ years; not many of us that have had this disease for 30 years," he told CBS. "It sucks having Parkinson's," he added.