Michael J. Fox claims it was “tougher” to achieve fame in the 1980s
Actor Michael J. Fox has opened up on what it took to achieve fame in the 1980s, admitting that it was harder to gain a following and that one had to be genuinely talented rather than just rely on social media.
Discussing his career journey in an interview with People, Fox remembered the moment he was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2022 and said that at that point, someone referred to him as being “‘80s famous”.
He said, “I thought, wow, that’s cool. ‘80s famous. Right, we were different,” Fox said. “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.”
Pressed for an answer of whether or not it was harder to achieve fame four decades ago than it is now, Fox noted, “Well, you had to be talented. That helped.” Clearly, the Back to the Future star thinks that young actors have it far easier than he did when he was coming through the tanks.
Hard work seemed to be at the forefront of a young Fox. “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,” he said.
Reflecting on the modern method of fame in light of online social media influencers, Fox noted, “And now you’ve got people who just go like, ‘Who’s your sweater? What’s the sweater you’re wearing? And what’s that dance step?’ And you’re the most famous person in the world.”
Fox first came to the public’s attention with his role as Alex P. Keaton in the sitcom Family Ties before shooting into stardom with the Back to the Future Movies. However, at the age of 29, Fox’s career was greatly affected by a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Rather than fade into the background, though, Fox became an advocate for raising awareness of Parkinson’s and trying to find a cure for the disease. He continued to act in the likes of The Frighteners and the sitcom Spin City whilst also providing the voice for the lead role in the Little Stuart movies. He also gave a handful of guest appearances on the likes of The Good Wife and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Fox officially retired from acting in 2020 following the worsening of his health condition.
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