CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Michael J. Fox
Award-Winning Actor, Author & Philanthropist, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Born in Canada, Michael J. Fox is an award-winning television and film actor whose enduring career as a performer has made him an icon to countless fans around the globe. In 1991, at age 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, news he shared with the public in 1998. In 2000, to help advance scientific progress toward a cure for Parkinson's disease, he established The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Today Michael is as famous for his advocacy as for his acting. Sitting on the Foundation's Board of Directors and serving as its inspirational leader, Michael travels and speaks frequently on behalf of the organization described by the New York Times as "the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world." He is admired for his commitment to raising awareness about Parkinson's disease research, his dedication to scientific freedom, and his appreciation of the need for new strategies to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into practical therapies on pharmacy shelves.
Fox is the bestselling author of three books. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, a compendium of wisdom for graduates, was published in April 2010. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, published in April 2009, debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list. It was accompanied by an ABC-TV prime time special that was nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special; additionally, its audio recording by Fox won the 2010 Grammy award for Best Spoken Word Album, an honor for which all three books were nominated. His first book, the 2002 memoir Lucky Man, also was a New York Times and national bestseller.
Fox remains in demand as an actor. He is currently thrilling audiences with his multi-episode guest arc in the CBS hit drama "The Good Wife" starring Julianna Margulies, which earned him a 2011 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He also guest-starred in Larry David's acclaimed HBO comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm." In September 2009 he received his fifth Emmy award for his portrayal of Dwight, an embittered, drug-addicted paraplegic, in a multi-episode guest arc on the network drama "Rescue Me."
Fox and his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, have four children.
Photo Credit: Mark Seliger
