Ted McGinley opened up about his experience working with actor, Michael J. Fox on the series, 'Shrinking'. With his professional life in the spotlight, read on to know about his wife, Tracy Pollan.
Michael J. Fox is one of the most renowned Canadian-American actors and activists. He began his career as a child actor in the '70s, with his first starring role in the Canadian television series, Leo and Me. However, it wasn't until he began playing the role of 'Alex P. Keaton' in the show, Family Ties, that he started to gain nationwide recognition. Reportedly, he played the character for all seven seasons of the show, which aired on NBC from 1982 to 1989. Eventually, Michael J. Fox went on to appear in a number of hit films and series such as Teen Wolf (1985), The Secret of My Success (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991), The Frighteners (1996), and Spin City (1996-2000).
In 2020, he decided to retire from acting due to the unreliability of his speech, which kept on increasing owing to his Parkinson's disease. In his memoir, No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael wrote that “if this is the end of my acting career, so be it.” Thankfully, for his fans, he returned to acting in 2025 after being cast in the third season of the comedy-drama series, Shrinking. Recently, during an appearance on Today, actor, Ted McGinley, who played ‘Derek’ on the show, recounted some of his most memorable moments sharing the screen with Michael J. Fox. It is worth noting that while the actor has been battling Parkinson's disease, the one person who has constantly supported him is his wife, Tracy Pollan. If you are interested in learning more about her, keep reading.
According to reports, Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox first met on the set of the actor's hit series, Family Ties, in 1985. Apparently, their relationship started out as a platonic one. It took them a few more years to realise their fondness for each other after they crossed paths for the second time during the filming of Bright Lights, Big City. Later, People reported that Michael and Tracy got engaged seven months after they started dating. They went on to tie the knot in 1988. It is worth mentioning that before they got together, Tracy had previously dated Kevin Bacon in the 1980s. On the other hand, Michael was in a relationship with Nancy McKeon.
During their marriage, Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox welcomed four children. Their first child, son, Sam Fox, was born on May 30, 1989. Later, they welcomed twin daughters, Aquinnah and Schuyler, on February 15, 1995. Five years later, Tracy and Michael's youngest child, daughter, Esmé, was born on November 3, 2001. If reports are to be believed, Michael describes all four of his and Tracy's children as “beautiful, sensitive, intelligent, empathetic, independent, compassionate, adventurous, lovely people.”
Tracy Pollan, just like her longtime beau, Michael J. Fox, is also an actor. She rose to fame playing the role of ‘Ellen Reed' on the NBC series, Family Ties, from 1985 to 1987. As you might have already noticed, this is the same sitcom which also helped significantly propel Michael's career. Some of her more recent works include Netflix's Inventing Anna, Nightcap and the TV show, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
If reports are believed to be true, cooking is something which runs in Tracy Pollan's family. This is why she put the knowledge she gained while growing up into her first cookbook, The Pollan Family Table: The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious, Healthy, Family Meals. It is worth mentioning that Tracy wrote the book in collaboration with her mother, Corky, and her sisters, Lori and Dana, back in 2014. The overwhelmingly positive responses which they received after releasing the book prompted Tracy and the group to realise a second cookbook. Published in 2019, the book is titled Mostly Plants: 101 Delicious Flexitarian Recipes from the Pollan Family.
The year 2023 marked Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox's 35th wedding anniversary. For the occasion, Michael took to his official Instagram account and penned a sweet note for his wife. The note can be read as:
“35 years!!! Happy anniversary, my love. Here's to many more glorious adventures together. I could not love you more.”
Michael J. Fox is quite well known for being an activist in the industry, and his wife, Tracy Pollan, is no different. Both of them actively support research towards noteworthy causes. For the unversed, back in 2001, Michael founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. As of 2023, it has reportedly raised over USD 1.75 billion. The same was also claimed by the foundation where Tracy has served on the board since its inception. On the foundation's website, Michael shared:
“Parkinson’s patients are the experts on what we have. We have a responsibility as patients to share our experience – what works for us, what we respond to, what we can contribute to research.”
What are your thoughts on Michael J. Fox's wife, Tracy Pollan? Let us know.
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