- Michael J. Fox is an actor known for his role as Marty McFly in the 1985 classic Back to the Future.
- The star has been married to Tracy Pollan since 1988 and they share four kids
- The Emmy winner opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s in a tell-all documentary titled, Still, via Apple TV+ on May 12, 2023.
Michael J. Fox became a legend in Hollywood by ruling the 1980s in both television and film. After his starring role in the sitcom Family Ties, the Canadian artist cemented his status as a matinee idol with Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, and Casualties of War. He would then settle back into the small screen with a successful run on the sitcom Spin City from 1996 to 2000.
The critically acclaimed actor — who won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy — is also well-known for his years-long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Nine years after he was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder at the age of 29, Michael opened up the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000. In 2023, Michael released his movie, Still, which is a documentary about his life and living with the condition.
Fortunately, Michael has had an amazing family by his side during the upsides of his career and the downsides of his diagnosis. In 1988, he married his former Family Ties and Bright Lights, Big City co-star, Tracy Pollan. The pair would go on to welcome four children during their marriage! Keep reading to find out all about Michael and Tracy’s beautiful brood, below.
Sam Michael
Michael and Tracy’s first child, son Sam, was born on May 30, 1989. “Tracy had a really good pregnancy, and it was a good delivery. Thank God, she was healthy and Sam was healthy,” Michael recalled to People in a 1989 interview. “We did the whole womb music deal, where we put the headphones on Tracy’s stomach and played everything from Vivaldi to the Allman Brothers,” he added.
Sam is a total mini-me of his famous father, although he didn’t follow in Michael’s Hollywood footsteps. On his Instagram, however, he loves sharing snaps with his dad. In one recent post celebrating his father’s birthday, Sam wrote, “Happy birthday Pops! Bummed I’m missing it this year but excited to celebrate with you next week!”
He also helped his dad stand up to a hater on Twitter recently in the most epic way. “Somebody said something nasty about Parkinson’s and I usually let that stuff just go by me. It doesn’t happen that often (and) when it does I don’t really care about it,” Michael explained on The Graham Norton Show in 2021. “But I wanted to answer this guy in some way.” The star said Sam told him to respond with “SMH” (shake my head). “[The troll] answers me back ‘That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read in my life. You’re the king of the internet. I apologize for anything I said to you,’ blah blah blah,” Michael added.
Aquinnah Kathleen
Aquinnah, like her twin sister Schuyler, was February 15, 1995. She has stayed away from the Hollywood limelight, as well as the public’s spotlight, keeping quite the low profile, including a locked Instagram. Michael has spoken about having a handful of children and is proud of his kids. “Big families, middle children,” he told PEOPLE in 2018. “Sense of humor. Both our families had that.” Tracy also added, “It was us against the world. That’s exactly what we’ve created.”
Schuyler Frances
Much like her twin sister and older brother, Schuyler keeps her private life very private. Little is known about the 27-year-old other, as she keeps Instagram on private, but she has shown up for red carpet events with her famous parents every now and then. The actor shared that a few of his children have always known their dad with Parkinson’s. “My youngest [children] never knew me without Parkinson’s,” he told PEOPLE in Oct. 2022. “Sam was 2 or 3 when I was diagnosed. So they never knew anything else. And there’s a certain latitude you have to give someone who has Parkinson’s. You can choose how nice to be and how much to do — and how much to know not to do. That’s all about empathy.”
Esmé Annabelle
Michael and Tracy’s youngest child, daughter Esme, was born on November 3, 2001. In 2019, Esmé turned 18 and went to college. “Our youngest is going off to college, so we are going to be empty-nesters, so… we are going to do some traveling!” Michael revealed to People at the A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s Gala. Esme had her Instagram on private at the time of publication.