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How tall is Michael J Fox? 'Back to the Future' star 'did some damage' in the 80s contributing to his Parkinson's diagnosis

2023-09-29 15:50
The 'Back to the Future' movies made Michael J Fox famous for his portrayal of Marty McFly, the dimunitive but fiesty hero
How tall is Michael J Fox? 'Back to the Future' star 'did some damage' in the 80s contributing to his Parkinson's diagnosis

Full NameMichael Andrew Fox
Date of BirthJune 9, 1961
Age62
Place of BirthEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m/163 cm)
Weight145.5 lbs (66 kg) approx.
Eye colourBlue
SpouseTracy Pollan (m. 1988)
Children4
OccupationsActor, activist, television producer, writer
Years active1978–2020, 2021, 2023
Net Worth$65 million approx.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Back to the Future' star Michael J Fox is petite, standing at a height of 5 ft 4¼ in (1.63 m/163 cm), per his IMDb profile. Fox is infact shorter than the average American man who is usually around 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m/175 cm).

Fox mentioned his height in his 2009 book 'Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist,' saying: "First off—let's just get this one out of the way—it's a short joke."

"At a fraction of an inch under five-foot-five, much of my interaction with the world and the people in it has required that I tilt my head backward and direct my gaze upward."

Fox continued, saying: "Frankly, my height or lack thereof never bothered me much. Although there's no doubt that it's contributed to a certain mental toughness," per Express.

Fox is most remembered for playing Marty McFly in the 'Back to the Future' movies. He once claimed of his role: "It was a pretty astounding experience."

Why is Michael J Fox so short?

Michael J Fox's height development in his early years has been speculated about and whether it is in any way connected to his Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

The actor claimed it's "very possible" that he "did some damage" while he was at the peak of his fame.

Fox made the comments in a 'CBS Sunday Morning' interview with Jane Pauley during a recent episode of 'CBS Sunday Morning'.

Doctors diagnosed Fox, 62, with Parkinson's disease in 1991 when he was 29 and he told the public in November 1998.

Fox made light of the situation at the time, saying he and fellow actor Woody Harrelson "did some damage in the '80s."

Fox said at the time: "I mean, there's so many ways that you can... that I could've hurt myself. I could've hit my head. I could've drank too much at a certain developmental period."

Fox stated in the same interview that having Parkinson's disease is "getting harder" and that he doesn't anticipate surviving to be 80 years old.

"I'm not going to lie. It's getting hard. It's getting harder. It's getting tougher. Every day it's tougher. But that's the way it is," Fox stated, mentioning that he had spinal surgery and multiple fractured bones.

Fox told the site at the time, "I had spinal surgery. I had a tumor on my spine. And it was benign, but it messed up my walking. And then, started to break stuff. Broke this arm, and I broke this arm. I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand."

He founded 'The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research' in 2000, and it has since raised $100 million for the purpose of discovering a treatment.

Michael J Fox height before Parkinson's disease

Michael J Fox's height of 5 ft 4 in nearly barred him from starting his show biz career. On 'Family Ties,' NBC President Brandon Tartikoff insisted that Fox was too short to portray Alex P Keaton (Michael Gross, who played his father, is 6 ft 4 in tall).

He was defended by the creator of the show, Gary David Goldberg, who said, "Look, all I know is this: I send the kid out with two jokes and he brings me back five laughs."

Around the same time, several scenes that had already been shot with 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m/180 cm) Eric Stoltz playing Marty included in the 'Back To The Future' filming schedule were reshot.

Even off-screen pictures of an arm reaching in had to be remade. Fox's second memoir was given the title 'Always Looking Up' in reference to both his unwavering optimism and his stature, maybe to acknowledge these gaffes.

Michael J Fox's net worth

Fox has one of the most recognizable acting careers to date, with roles in movies like 'Back to the Future' and the first 'Teen Wolf' movie.

His performances have brought him several honors, including a number of Golden Globe nominations and his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fox has a net worth that exceeds $65 million, placing him in a very comfortable position while he retired from the film industry.

How tall is Michael J Fox's wife?

Fox and Tracey Pollan got married in 1988 and have been together for more than 30 years.

Compared to her husband, Pollan is a few inches taller standing at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m/168 cm), per her IMDb profile.

In an interview on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' in 2019, the couple recalled a picture from the 'Family Ties' set that revealed a reversed height disparity between the two of them.

Fox remarked, "You used to pretend to be shorter than me." She didn't wear heels during the interview, according to Pollan, who also called attention to them.

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