Michael J. Foxhas opened up about the changing face of Hollywood, and in particular how it was much harder to be famous in the 1980s than it is now. Taking aim at the way social media has impacted what is seen as “famous,” the much-loved actor candidly reflected on the difference between being famous now and being “80s famous.”
Speaking toPeople, Fox compared the way actors had to really work to get their breaks back when he first appeared in the likes ofFamily TiesandBack to the Future. Recalling something said to him when he received his honorary Oscar, Fox said:
“There’s an expression I referred to when they gave me an honorary Academy Award – somebody said to me the day before, they were talking about getting this award and being famous and they said ‘You’re ’80s famous.’ I thought, wow, that’s cool. ’80s famous. Right, we were different. We were tougher. We didn’t have social media, we didn’t have any of that crap. We were just famous. Left to our own resources. And it was an amazing time.”
Back to the Future
Back to the Future follows teenager Marty McFly as he is inadvertently sent back to 1955, where he disrupts his parents’ meeting. With the assistance of eccentric inventor Doc Brown, Marty must restore the timeline by ensuring his parents fall in love and find a way back to 1985.
Of course, there have been many changes in the world since the 1980s, but the incredible advances in communication technology, the rise of the internet and the introduction of social media has played an important role in the changes that Fox has seen in the world of fame. However, his most critical comments are aimed at those who find fame on apps like TikTok without needing any talent.
“Well, you had to be talented. That helped. We used to bust our ass, our acting muscles and watch other actors and sit around with other actors and talk about acting and talk about it. And now you’ve got people who just go like, who’s your sweater? What’s your sweater you’re wearing? And what’s that dance step? And you’re the most famous person in the world.”
Michael J. Fox is Open to an Acting Return in the Right Role
Despiteretiring from acting, mainly due to his health battles with Parkinson’s Disease, Fox has not completely ruled out returning to screens again. Speaking toEntertainment Tonight, Fox admitted that he would definitely get back in front of the camera on one condition.
[I would] if something came up that I could put my realities into it – my challenges – if I could figure it out.
Originally diagnosed with the disease at the age of 29, Fox spent many years working in the industry without ever telling anyone about the ticking clock that he carried with him. However, as his health condition worsened, the actor explained that he had to be more selective about the roles he chose to take on. Previously he said:
“When I did the spinoff from [The] Good Wife, which is [The] Good Fight, I couldn’t remember the lines. I just had this blank. But what [was] really refreshing was I didn’t panic. I didn’t freak out. I just went, ‘Well, that’s that. Moving on. A key element of this process is memorizing lines, and I can’t do it.'”
Michael J. Fox Shares His Candid View On His Mortality; “I’m Not Gonna Lie, It’s Getting Hard.”
Michael J. Fox gets candid about how he sees his mortality in a clip from an upcoming CBS Sunday Morning interview.
In 2023, Fox releasedthe Apple TV+ documentary,Still. The film allowed Fox to tell his story, warts and all, and as well as garnering great acclaim, the project allowed him to see that the right role could still be out there for him in the future.
