RATINGS: Cast & Crew

DOB: June 9, 1961

Background: Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and was raised in several Canadian cities due to his father's career as a member of the Canadian Forces. After starring in a local show called "Leo and Me" at age 15, he moved to Los Angeles in 1979 at age 18. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991 and disclosed the illness to the public in 1998. He has since become an activist for research to find a cure and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for education and donations.

Filmography: He found early work on American television with the TV movie "Letters from Frank" and guest roles on "Lou Grant," "Family," and "Trapper John, M.D." before being cast on his first but short-lived series "Palmerstown, U.S.A." His big break occured when Matthew Broderick turned down the role of Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties," and Fox was offered the part, which resulted in three Emmy Award wins over its seven seasons. He only starred in two movies ("Midnight Madness" and "Class of 1984") before being cast in the blockbuster film "Back to the Future" (replacing Eric Stoltz after several weeks of filming). Other films have included "Teen Wolf," "Light of Day," "The Secret of My Success," "Bright Lights, Big City," "Casualties of War," "The Hard Way," "Doc Hollywood," "The American President," "The Frighteners," and "Stuart Little." He returned to television for a four-year run on the comedy series "Spin City," which also earned him an Emmy Award for the final season. He has had guest roles on TV series such as "Scrubs," "Boston Legal," and "Rescue Me," which earned him his fifth Emmy Award.


Emmy Awards: Wins - Best Drama Guest Actor ("Rescue Me," 2009); Best Comedy Actor ("Spin City," 1999); Best Comedy Actor ("Family Ties," 1988); Best Comedy Actor ("Family Ties," 1987); Best Comedy Actor ("Family Ties," 1986)

Best Comedy Actor Nominations
"Spin City" (1999); lost to John Lithgow ("Third Rock from the Sun")
"Spin City" (1998); lost to Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier")
"Spin City" (1997); lost to John Lithgow ("Third Rock from the Sun")
"Family Ties" (1989); lost to Richard Mulligan ("Empty Nest")

Best Comedy Supporting Actor Nomination
"Family Ties" (1985); lost to John Larroquette ("Night Court")

Best Drama Guest Actor Nominations
"The Good Wife" (2012) - episode "Parenting Made Easy"; lost to Jeremy Davies ("Justified")
"The Good Wife" (2011) - episode "Real Deal"; lost to Paul McCrane ("Harry's Law")
"Boston Legal" (2006); lost to Christian Clemenson ("Boston Legal")

Best Comedy Guest Actor Nomination
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2012) - episode "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox"; lost to Jimmy Fallon ("Saturday Night Live")

Best Nonfiction Special Nomination
"Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" (2009); lost to "102 Minutes That Changed America"

Grammy Awards: Win - Best Spoken Word Album ("Always Looking Up," 2009)

Golden Globes: Wins - Best TV Comedy Actor ("Spin City," 2000); Best TV Comedy Actor ("Spin City," 1999); Best TV Comedy Actor ("Spin City," 1998); Best TV Comedy Actor ("Family Ties," 1989)

Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor Nomination
"Back to the Future" (1986); lost to Jack Nicholson ("Prizzi's Honor") 

Best TV Comedy Actor Nominations
"Spin City" (1997); lost to John Lithgow ("Third Rock from the Sun")
"Family Ties" (1988); lost to Dabney Coleman ("The Slap Maxwell Story")
"Family Ties" (1987); lost to Bruce Willis ("Moonlighting")
"Family Ties" (1986); lost to Bill Cosby ("The Cosby Show")

SAG Awards: Wins - Best TV Comedy Actor ("Spin City," 2000); Best TV Comedy Actor ("Spin City," 1999)