Life has been tough for Michael J. Fox recently.

The beloved actor has been fighting Parkinson’s disease for many years, and as you can imagine, it’s not an easy battle.

But did you know that Michael’s childhood was also difficult?

He faced many challenges when trying to make it in Hollywood.

Overall, Michael J. Fox’s life has been very successful, even though Parkinson’s disease has had a big impact on him.

First of all, Michael had a unique upbringing.

He was born on June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Canada. His father worked in the Canadian Armed Forces, which meant that the family moved around a lot during his childhood.

Michael’s mom worked as a payroll clerk, so the family had a stable income, but Michael grew up in a typical blue-collar home. Eventually, they settled in Burnaby, British Columbia, where Michael J. Fox discovered his love for acting in junior high school.

He joined the Drama department at school, and it was clear that he had a talent for acting. According to his website, his theater teacher encouraged him to audition for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation show called *Leo & Me*, and he got the role.

He took on several television roles while also working at a local theater in Vancouver. At this point, Michael J. Fox realized that acting was his true passion. At just 17 years old, he packed his bags to chase his acting dreams in Los Angeles.

“I knew that if I wanted to be someone, I couldn’t just sit on my parents’ porch and think, ‘If I had been born in the States and my parents weren’t living paycheck to paycheck, I could do something with my life,’” he said.

Fox decided to drop out of high school, and his parents always supported his big dreams. His father even drove him all the way to Los Angeles. Recently, while speaking on *LIVE with Kelly and Mark*, Fox said he still doesn’t know how he convinced his father to do it.