Michael J Fox Is A Proud Father Of Four Children—Glimpse Inside His Large Family

Nov 19, 2020

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, Michael has had the support of his wife and fellow actress Tracy Pollan.

In fact, the couple has four beautiful children together. Read on to learn more about their gorgeous and happy big family.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1961, Michael J. Fox took an interest in acting early on in his life, and after filming 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 Michael, because before long he was cast as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties, which ran from 1982-1989. 

It was actually on the set of the series that Michael first met his would-be wife Tracy Pollan—their characters even played on-screen romantic interests! But as they were both in relationships at the time, they wouldn't begin dating until later on. In the meantime, Michael's career only continued to rise, and by the mid-'80s he was a star and teen idol, appearing in movies such as Back to the Future and Teen Wolf. 

Not long after, Michael and Tracy would be reunited on the set of their 1988 movie Bright Lights, Big City, and finally, their love blossomed. Within seven months of dating, on December 26, 1987, they were engaged, going on to get married the following year at the West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont on July 16, 1988. 

One year later in 1989, Michael and Tracy welcomed their first child, a son named Sam. But before they could continue their family, Michael received the devastating diagnosis that he had Parkinson's disease in 1991. He didn't go public with the news immediately and instead continued working throughout the '90s, appearing in another hit show, Spin City.

By 1995, the family of three had grown to a family of five, after the arrival of twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler. A few years later in 1998 Michael went public with his Parkinson's diagnosis and semi-retired from acting in 2000, as his symptoms became worse. The following year another daughter was born, Esmé, turning their already large family into an even bigger one.

Surrounded by his family and wife of 32 years, Michael seems to be doing very well in the last few decades, choosing to spend his time with family and philanthropic efforts, and a few occasional guest-acting roles thrown in for good measure. On their wedding anniversary this year, Michael posted a picture to Instagram of him and Tracy when they were younger alongside a simple but beautiful caption. It said:

"32 years. I think it’s working. Love of my life. ❤️"

Their bond is clearly very strong and Michael even revealed some of their secrets in a recent interview with People Magazine. He said: "Every day we have something we laugh about for a good two minutes." Humor has often been touted as something that keeps the spark alive, but it's also the support that they have in their marriage that helps. He explains: 

"The kind of support she gives me, I feel like a husband, a father, and a friend first, and then somewhere way down the line, I’m someone with Parkinson’s."

It's touching to know how much of a support Tracy has been for Michael over the years, and undoubtedly their four beautiful children are as well. Both parents frequently post family pictures on their Instagram feeds, including holidays overseas together, as well as local everyday things like going for walks.

Back in 2018, the couple revealed another reason their relationship and family is so successful—despite their different religious upbringings, they're both the middle children from large families in which humor was an important factor. Tracy told People Magazine at the time: "That's exactly what we've created." She gave further advice about sustaining a good marriage, saying:

"Just give each other the benefit of the doubt. He assumes I’m doing the best I can."

Their happiness is reflected as a family and through their children, who are all adults now. Michael told People in his recent interview while promoting his latest memoir titled No Time Like the Future: 

"I’m actually having a really good time. People don’t believe me, but I love life. I love being with my family. I love being with Tracy. I love that I don’t do a lot of useless stuff that I used to do, because I don’t have the energy or the time."

Not only have Michael and Tracy defied the common course for couples in Hollywood, but they're also living their best lives as a strong family unit, and are undoubtedly inspiring many others too.

Did you know about Michael J. Fox's large family? Let us know what you thought about this story in the comments, then be sure to pass it on to your friends and family.