Michael J. Fox's bittersweet love story with wife Tracy Pollan as he praises her 'sacrifices and patience' during his decades-long Parkinson's battle - and why he would have 'forgiven' her for leaving him

The start of Michael J Fox's love story with wife Tracy Pollan could've been lifted from the script of a romcom. 

Yet what started out as a fairytale story soon became a tragedy when Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years into their marriage. 

The couple met in 1985 on the set of NBC sitcom Family Ties, when Tracy was cast as Michael's love interest. 

Yet it was far from love at first sight, with Michael insulting his wife-to-be when he made a joke about the smell of her breath. 

Two years later they were reunited for the film, Bright Lights, Big City, where Tracy was able to see a different side to Michael and they quickly fell in love. 

They got engaged just seven months later and were soon married in a small ceremony in Vermont, going on to welcome their first child the following year. 

But just as the pair seemed to have the world at their feet, their lives were shattered by the revelation Michael had Parkinson's disease - a progressive neurological condition that affects movement, balance and other body functions. 

Just 29 years old at the time and at the height of his acting career, Michael chose to keep his diagnosis secret, with Tracy, then 30, quickly becoming his carer and confidant.

In the years that have followed, Tracy, 66, has continued to be a pillar of support for Michael, 65, and their four children, with the Back To The Future star making a point to praise her when he was honored with The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at Monday night's Primetime Emmys. 

After discussing his Parkinson's diagnosis and why he wanted to keep it secret, Michael then said: 'Now's the part where I thank Tracy and our kids for their sacrifices, for their patience, and for their love. You have no idea.' 

Indeed despite the struggles with Michael's health, he and Tracy have gone on to build one of Hollywood's strongest marriages. 

Michael previously revealed that he developed a secret crush on Tracy shortly after meeting her, because he loved that she wouldn't stand for his nonsense. 

Speaking in his Apple TV+ documentary, Still: A Michael J Fox Movie, he recalled one encounter on the set of Family Ties. 

He mused: 'One day, we broke for lunch. After lunch, we picked up where we left off.

'The moment she said her first line, I detected a hint of garlic and sensed an opportunity to have a little fun at her expense. "Whoa, a little scampi for lunch, babe?"

'At first she said nothing. Her expression didn’t even change. But looking me dead in the eyes she said slowly, "That was mean and rude, and you’re a complete and total f***ing a**hole."

'Nobody talked to me that way. This woman was completely unintimidated by whoever I thought I was. A pig is a pig no matter how many hit movies he’s just had.

'She was joking, but I didn’t get it because no one would ever joke with me like that. I was not the butt of any jokes. She just poked through that, like, you’re a scared little kid and I’ll just call you out. 

'In that moment, I fell in love with her.'

Yet with both Tracy and Michael in relationships at the time, it wasn't until they went to New York City together to work on their film, Bright Lights, Big City, that they started their relationship.

'We’d hang out on the set together,' Michael said in his documentary. 'She had a front-row seat to view the whirlwind that my life had become. Tracy appreciated the toll I was taking.

'Once we got together, I just was the most in love person. I still am.'

Their intimate wedding took place with just 50 guests at the West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont, with the couple determined to keep the nuptials private despite intense interest from the public. 

They went on to welcome a son, Sam; twin daughters, Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances; and another daughter, Esmé Annabelle, with Tracy lessening her acting workload to focus on her marriage and family.

While their lives changed forever when Michael received his Parkinson's diagnosis, Tracy stayed strong. 

'We didn't know what to expect,' Michael said previously as he recalled learning of the diagnosis. 

'One of the things I'll always love Tracy for is that at that moment, she didn't blink.'

Speaking on CBS, Michael shared: 'For better or worse, in sickness, she was going to stick with me, and she has.

'At any time she would have been forgiven to say, "I'm just gonna step out." But, she didn't do that.

'I love Tracy obviously and she's an amazing person and has gone through a lot. 

'I realise she has a life separate from me having Parkinson's, from me being Alex Keaton or Marty McFly, she's a person. I think that's why it's gone okay.

'We can find ways to just give ourselves a break, give ourselves credit for getting through life on life's terms. 

And in order to do that, you have to stop and say, "It's not that bad; it's not that bad"... they say the absence of fear is faith.

'We knew the bus was coming and we knew it was going to hit, but we didn't know how far away it was or how fast it was going,' he said.

Michael has also acknowledged how his wife supports him and their children, musing: 'Tracy gives our family everything that we need. Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her.' 

Meanwhile, when asked about the secret to their marriage, Tracy told PEOPLE: 'I think we really listen to each other, we are there for each other when we need each other. 

'And then we also give each other space when that’s needed. Just feeling off of what’s needed at the moment and trying to be there.' 

After three decades together, Michael and Tracy looked as loved up as ever as they attended the Primetime Emmys on Monday. 

The couple were supported by their children, Sam, 37, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 31, and Esme, 24, as they posed on the red carpet ahead of Michael receiving the prestigious Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

The award was established in 2002 to honour a member of the telecommunications industry whose philanthropic efforts exemplify Bob Hope’s own decades-long altruism and positive impact on society.

Michael received the honour in recognition of his transformative contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy. 

He also received his 19th Emmy nomination this year for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Shrinking, which marked his return to acting after retiring in 2020. 

In the series, he portrays the character Gerry who becomes friends with Harrison Ford's character Dr Paul Rhoades, who is also navigating a Parkinson's diagnosis. 

He missed out on the honour to Rob Reiner, who was honoured posthumously for his role in The Bear. 

Michael received a standing ovation when he made his speech for the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, having been taken onstage in a wheelchair. 

The emotional actor said: 'Thank you to everyone involved with the television academy for this amazing, humbling honor. First, a few words about Bob Hope. My parents were born during the Great Depression.

'To them, Bob was more than an entertainer. He was a selfless champion of soldiers and military families like mine for decades. Christmases, Thanksgivings, other holidays he could have been celebrating with his family.

'He was showing up for the troops in Berlin, Saigon, with a Turkey leg and a golf club, and maybe if you're lucky, Lola Falana - he embodied everything I came to believe in years later.

Michael added the lessons he learned from Hope ultimately prepared him for his devastating diagnosis, saying: 'I couldn't have known how these lessons would resonate in my own life, until my late 20s, when my life handed me a role I wasn't looking for.

'Initially I kept my Parkinson's diagnosis a secret. I worried it would affect my work and relationships with audiences.'

He heartbreakingly admitted he questioned whether fans would 'laugh if they knew I was sick?'

But Michael admitted his fans all over the world were what inspired him to keep going, saying, 'I was stunned by the support from all of you, so uplifted and I hadn't lost what I do.

'They couldn't take it away from me. And it's because you stood up for me. I appreciate it.

'I understood that accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant I had to do everything I could for everyone living with this disease.

'I set out to advocate for Parkinson's disease and raise money. I found brilliant people to start - sorry, I'm losing it.

'I found people to lead the effort for me and vowed to fund the best science in the world,' he said.

'I'm proud of the progress we've made to benefit Parkinson's patients and families. We move closer to eradicating this disease forever.

'I'm deeply grateful to our staff, donors, researchers, and most of all the patient community who make our work at the Michael J. Fox foundation.'