Michael J. Fox felt ‘like a prostitute’ while filming ‘Teen Wolf,’ memoir discloses

Michael J. Fox Reflects on His Rise to Fame

In his new memoir, “Future Boy,” Michael J. Fox, now 64, revisits 1985—a pivotal year in which he filmed two iconic projects simultaneously. Among these was “Teen Wolf,” a film that he admits felt, at times, a bit less than rewarding.

Fox shared a notable moment from the set, recalling how he once had to pose with a chocolate bar for a prop guy to prove the candy was used in the film. He humorously remarked, “I felt like a prostitute doing this,” to which the prop guy responded, “Well, you’re a prostitute.” Such candid reflections highlight the strange dichotomy of working in Hollywood.

While already known for his role as Alex Keaton in “Family Ties,” Fox found legendary status with “Back to the Future.” A month later, “Teen Wolf” hit theaters, achieving a respectable $80 million at the box office from a mere $4 million budget. It’s interesting, though, how he perceives “Teen Wolf” in light of his subsequent successes.

Fox elaborated on his “prostitute” comment as indicative of a tough experience when juxtaposing the two films. His agent, he explains, encouraged him to take on the role of a teenage werewolf after recognizing an opportunity, even mentioning that the filming schedule could have disrupted his work on “Family Ties.”

Continuing his career, Fox starred in “Spin City” from 1996 to 2001 before announcing his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 1991 at the age of 29. In his memoir, he discusses the challenges of living with the disease while maintaining his acting career, sharing that this recent role is his first in five years. He described the experience of returning to set as liberating; he didn’t have to think about his ailments like fatigue or coughing—he just acted.

Fox is set to appear alongside Jason Segel and Harrison Ford in the upcoming season of “The Shrinking” on Apple TV+. When he learned that Ford’s character also has Parkinson’s, he humorously reached out to the show’s co-creator, teasing that they should have contacted him for the project.

In a recent interview, Fox expressed some frustrations about the unpredictable nature of Parkinson’s, noting that it lacks a clear progression or timeline. He candidly shared, “There aren’t many people who have Parkinson’s disease for 35 years. I’d like to not wake up at some point, which would be really nice. I don’t want to be dramatic.”