How Micheal J Fox decided to quit acting after watching 'insane' scene in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent interview, Michael J Fox opened up about his "peaceful" decision to stop performing at the age of 58 in 2021. The 'Back to the Future' star was filming for a series 'The Good Fight' when he quit.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino had crossed his mind the exact moment he decided to wave goodbye. Struggling to remember his lines for the scene amid Parkinson's disease, “I thought of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood',” Fox told Empire Magzine.
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Michael J Fox does not remember dating Susanna Hoffs or meeting Princess Diana due to Parkinson's
'I cannot remember it anymore'
"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 said. "I had this moment where I was looking in the mirror and thought, 'I cannot remember it anymore. Well, let’s move on.' It was peaceful."
The scene Fox referred to from Tarantino’s film depicts Rick Darlton, DiCaprio’s character trashing his trailer in anger as he forgets his lines. The scene as per Tarantino was improvised by DiCaprio. In April last month, Fox revealed on CBS Sunday, "I’m not gonna lie, it’s getting hard, it’s getting harder," he said. "It’s getting tougher. Every day it’s tougher… I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it … I’m not gonna be 80."
'I will lose. But, there’s plenty to be gained in the loss'
Fox recently told Variety, about how he feels living with Parkinson's, “I’ve won more awards and had more nominations since I announced my diagnosis. It may be that people feel bad for me, but I prefer to look at it as an acknowledgment for continuing to have a legitimate career.” When told that he was a hero for being so open about his condition he replied, “It’s just a nice way of people letting me know they are moved by my acceptance of things and by the way that I’ve tried to make a difference. But no matter how much I sit here and talk to you about how I’ve philosophically accepted it and taken its weight, Parkinson’s is still kicking my a**. I won’t win at this. I will lose. But, there’s plenty to be gained in the loss.”
Fox is scheduled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 when he was 29 but didn't go public with his condition until 1998. He established the Michael J Fox Foundation in 2000 to fund research for cures and treatments for the disease. Despite living with the condition for almost 30 years and continuing to perform, he announced his second retirement in 2021. In June 2023, Fox is scheduled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Museum of Moving Image. Among his honors is the GQ Man of the Year honor, the People's Choice Award, two Screen Actors Guild awards, five Emmys, four Golden Globes, and one Grammy as per IndieWire.