With a portfolio full of roles in blockbusters like Back to the Future and Teen Wolf, it comes as no surprise that Michael J. Fox has an impressive net worth. The Canada-born star has also ventured into the world of directing and producing in addition to stealing scenes in front of the camera. Keep scrolling to see how much money he makes.
Early Life
Michael Andrew Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 9, 1961. He is best known by his stage name Michael J. Fox. His mother, Phyllis (née Piper) was an actress and payroll clerk, and his father, William Fox, was a police officer and Canadian Forces member. He is of English and Scottish descent. Due to his father’s career, the family moved around a lot before finally settling in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver, when his father retired in 1971. Fox attended Burnaby Central Secondary School.
Career Beginnings
He first entered the world of entertainment when he was fifteen years old. He starred in the Canadian television series “Leo and Me”, produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The show was initially produced and filmed in 1976, but it did not air until 1981. It had a total of 12 episodes. He had his American television debut in the TV film “Letters from Frank” (1979). It was at this time, when he tried to register with the Screen Actors Guild, that he discovered that there was already an actor registered under the name Michael Fox. He did not like the sound of “Michael A. Fox”, and he also did not like the names “Andrew” or “Andy”, so instead he chose to adopt a new middle initial. He settled on “J.” as a tribute to the actor Michael J. Pollard.
Family Ties
Fox’s first feature film role was in the 1980 film “Midnight Madness”, followed by the 1982 film “Class of 1984”. Then, in 1982, he was cast as “Young Republican” Alex P. Keaton in the NBC show “Family Ties”. The series aired for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The original focus of the show was supposed to be the parents of the family, but after widespread positive reception of Fox’s character, NBC made him the main character after the fourth episode. The show was extremely successful. At the height of its popularity, it drew one-third of American household in as viewers every week. For his performance on “Family Ties”, Fox won three Emmy Awards (in 1986, 1987, and 1988) and a Golden Globe Award (in 1989).
Back to the Future
In January 1985, Fox was cast as Marty McFly in the time travel film “Back to the Future”. The director Robert Zemeckis wanted to cast Fox as Marty right from the beginning, but Gary David Goldberg, the creator of “Family Ties”, refused to allow Zemeckis to approach Fox because he needed Fox to carry the show in the absence of Meredith Baxter, who was on maternity leave at the time. Zemeckis cast Eric Stoltz as Marty instead, and began production on “Back to the Future”, but eventually replaced Stoltz with Fox after Baxter returned to “Family Ties”, which freed up Fox’s schedule a little bit.
Back to the Future Salaries
For the first “Back to the Future” movie, Michael J. Fox’s salary was $500 thousand. After adjusting for inflation that’s around $1.4 million in today’s dollars. For both the second and third installments, which were filmed back-to-back between Feb 1989 and January 1990, Michael earned $5 million. So, in total he earned $11.4 million from the the three movies.
Other Film Work
During and immediately after working on the “Back to the Future” trilogy, Fox starred in the films “Teen Wolf” (1985), “Light of Day” (1987), “The Secret of My Success” (1987), “Bright Lights, Big City” (1988), and “Casualties of War” (1989). In 1991, Fox starred in the films “Doc Hollywood” and “The Hard Way”. That same year, a private diagnosis confirmed he had Parkinson’s disease. After being told he likely had “ten good working years left”, Fox hurriedly signed a three-film contract. This resulted in the films “For Love or Money” (1993), “Life With Mikey” (1993), and “Greedy” (1994). Fox’s last major film role was in Peter Jackson’s 1996 film “The Frighteners”. He has made appearances in more television shows and series over the years, including “The Good Wife,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Designated Survivor,” and “The Good Fight.”
Spin City and More
Later in his career, Fox starred in the ABC show “Spin City”, which began airing in 1996. He left the show after the fourth season. One of the major projects he has worked on since then includes “The Michael J. Fox Show”, which aired on NBC from 2013 to 2014.
Other Work
Since 2000, Fox has released four books: “Lucky Man: A Memoir” (2002), “Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist” (2009), “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned” (2010), and “No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality” (2020).
Personal Life
Fox married actress Tracy Pollan in July 1988. Together, they share four children. He is the founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to help advance research work with embryonic stem cell studies with a goal of finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. To date, the foundation has raised over $300 million for Parkinson’s research. Fox battled alcoholism during the onset of his Parkinson’s diagnosis but has been sober since 1992.
What is Michael J. Fox’s Net Worth and Salary?
Michael J. Fox is a Canadian-American retired actor, comedian, author, film producer, and activist who has a net worth of $65 million. Michael J. Fox has enjoyed one of the most successful careers of any 80’s-era star. He became a household name, and a heartthrob, appearing on the hit sitcom, “Family Ties”. His status as a major star was cemented after he starred in the wildly successful, “Back to the Future” movie franchise.
FAQs
What is Michael J. Fox’s net worth?
Michael J. Fox has a net worth of $65 million.
What are some of Michael J. Fox’s most famous roles?
Some of Michael J. Fox’s most famous roles include Alex P. Keaton in “Family Ties” and Marty McFly in the “Back to the Future” trilogy.
What is the Michael J. Fox Foundation?
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Michael J. Fox that aims to fund research for finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
Has Michael J. Fox retired from acting?
Yes, Michael J. Fox retired from acting in 2020 due to his struggles with Parkinson’s disease.