Michael J. Fox is a beloved actor who’s been in the spotlight since the 1980s. Despite his tragic Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in the early ’90s, while he was only 29, Fox has had the support of his wife and fellow actress Tracy Pollan through it all. Although the couple was faced with Fox’s health diagnosis early in their relationship, they not only stuck it out together, they’ve proven just how loving and supportive a marriage can be in the face of major life struggles.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 1961, Fox took an interest in acting early on in his life, and after filming the Canadian sitcom “Leo and Me,” he headed off to Los Angeles in 1979 to make it big. Clearly, the folks in LA could see the potential in him because before long, he was cast as Alex P. Keaton in “Family Ties,” which ran from 1982–1989.
In the meantime, Fox’s career only continued to rise, and by the mid-’80s, he was a star and teen idol, appearing in movies such as the “Back to the Future” franchise and “Teen Wolf.” Not long after, Fox and Pollan reunited on the set of their 1988 movie “Bright Lights, Big City,” and finally, their love blossomed.
In Hollywood, being married for 35 years is certainly a rarity, but in the case of Fox and his wife Pollan, it truly seems like they are meant to be. During the 2023 premiere of Fox’s new biographical film “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” Fox and Pollan, who have been married for more than three decades, opened up about their relationship dynamics which has kept their love grounded and consistent throughout decades.
Michael J. Fox (2022), (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
After their romance bloomed on the set of “Bright Lights, Big City,” Fox and Pollan dated for just seven months before getting engaged on Dec. 26, 1987. They were married the following year, on July 16, 1988, at the West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont.
But years later, Pollan revealed during an appearance on “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” as reported by Mental Floss, that her first impression of Fox was not a positive one.
“He was feeling good about himself. I think I thought he was kind of full of himself,” Pollan said. But after she got to know Fox better, her opinion switched drastically.
After the couple was married, they welcomed their first child and only son, Sam, in 1989. Sadly, it was two years later, in 1991 — and before they welcomed any more children — that Fox received his devastating diagnosis. Fox’s world was shattered, but he and Pollan weathered the storm. Although Fox didn’t publicly announce the news for another nine years and continued to work all through the ’90s, the toll that his diagnosis took on him — and Pollan — privately was immense.
After being married for more than three decades, there is still tremendous love between Fox and Pollan. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fox gushed over his “beautiful” wife, calling her the “rock that keeps giving” in his life.
The two have maintained a positive outlook in life despite facing a rather unfortunate setback.
“Well, Tracy’s amazing,” Fox told Today in 2020. “She’s there in the front lines with me every single day. She never pretends to know as much as I know. And the other thing Tracy does is, if there’s something funny, let’s get to the funny. We’ll deal with the tragic later.”
Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox (2022), (Emma McIntyre/WireImage)
32 years after Fox learned of his debilitating disease, he, along with famed director Davis Guggenheim, worked on the movie documentary “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.” It chronicled the actor’s journey as he battles his disease – showcasing his personal and professional triumphs and travails, giving the public eye a peek at how an “incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.”
The movie premiered at the annual SXSW Movie Festival 2023. Speaking to People Magazine, the couple opened up on how their support system for each other still persists today.
“I think we really listen to each other, we are there for each other when we need each other,” Pollan admitted. “And then we also give each other space when that’s needed. Just feeling off of what’s needed at the moment and trying to be there.”
Fox, who has always spoken dearly about his wife on many occasions, has credited her yet again for being the glue that holds them together.
“Tracy gives our family everything that we need. Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her,” Fox revealed.
In 2015, Fox also confessed to the magazine in a separate interview that their other secret to a long-lasting marriage was giving each other the “benefit of the doubt.
“You just have (to have) the perspective that you’re behind each other’s back – and it helps if you can make each other laugh,” Pollan said at the time.
Fox and Pollan share four children together: Sam, 33; twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 27; and daughter Esmé, 21.
Aquinnah Fox, Sam Fox, Tracy Pollan, Michael J. Fox, Schuyler Fox and Esme Fox (2019, (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for The Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Isn’t Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan’s relationship beautiful? Do you agree with them that listening and being there for one another is the secret to a lasting marriage? What do you think has kept their love growing for one another? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Michael J. Fox fans!
