Michael J. Fox Says 'It's Hard' to Maintain His Dark Sense of Humor, but 'I Gotta Keep It Intact'

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Michael J. Fox admitted that maintaining his legendary dark sense of humor is actually a bit of work. The actor told People that it’s “hard for me” but “I gotta keep it intact.”

Fox spoke to the outlet at his annual A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s fundraiser Saturday. He also said that his brand of humor helps him break through barriers with others when conversations get difficult. “That's true. And it's okay,” he explained. “Let's embrace that and make a difference.”

This year’s gala event was hosted by Denis Leary and featured a performance by Stevie Nicks. Fox made it clear how much he appreciated their work for the event. “I can't believe — a lot of these people I've known for years and years — they're so kind to me,” he said. “I think because they see an opportunity for a win, for a big advancement, and that's what we're working toward.”

The event helps fund the work of the Michael J. Fox Foundation throughout the year. The organization has raised $2 billion toward Parkinson’s research since it was founded in 2000.

Fox went public with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s in 1998.

In 2023 the actor participated in the nonfiction movie “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.” Editor Michael Harte told TheWrap that Fox “has such a specific way of moving when you watch his movies, he leans into his movement,” something that he and his team wanted to incorporate into their own movie.

“I was worried there would be a lot of shots in our movie with the back of an actor's head, walking you through scenes. And after a while that can be distancing if you use too much. I sometimes describe it as being in a movie theater with somebody very tall in front of you,” he explained.

In the end, they used a combination of stand-ins shot from behind and interviews with Fox in which the actor spoke candidly about how Parkinson’s has impacted his day-to-day life. “Normally when you interview a person over and over again, you get the sound bites that you want, but the energy of the interview starts to deteriorate over the course of time. But with Michael, it got better every time. And it got funnier,” Harte also said.

The post Michael J. Fox Says ‘It’s Hard’ to Maintain His Dark Sense of Humor, but ‘I Gotta Keep It Intact’ appeared first on TheWrap.