Michael J. Fox of Back to the Future and Family Ties fame spoke with The Guardian about his most recent project, The Michael J. Fox Show among other things. The 52-year-old spoke about his desire to “entertain people” as motivation for his return to mainstream television.

“Denis [Leary] told me after I did Curb that I should get back to work, and I wanted to, to create a world and entertain people. There is also a satisfaction in knowing that maybe you’re doing something bigger, but that’s not for me to ponder,” Michael said.

The following video is the official trailer for NBC’s The Michael J. Fox Show.

Many believed Michael’s career was over after his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease; however, he has continued working on such shows as Phineas and Ferb as well as Rescue Me. Michael explained the reason behind his perseverance as wanting to go against the grain.

“If you pick me last, I will do everything I can to make you look like a fool,” Fox said.

His innate desire to rise against adversity is not the only reason for the actor’s continued success. Michael credits his supportive wife of 25 years, Tracy Pollan, with being the main driving force.

Michael spoke candidly about their relationship. “I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for Tracy, I don’t doubt that. People picture Tracy as this paragon of stoicism, this long-suffering wife, and that’s all b******t. This is my situation and she deals with it, and I never feel like, ‘I’m sorry you have to put up with this’ – it’s nothing like that. When I told her about the Parkinson’s I said to her, ‘Are you in for this?’ and she said, ‘I’m in for it.’ And that was it. It was still a struggle but that was a really great moment. She is so funny and she puts up with my happy idiot persona,” he said before adding, “She is so HOT! Sometimes I look at her and I just can’t believe it!”

The following picture of Michael and his wife is from the 40th Emmy Awards.

Michael J. Fox has been an activist for stem cell research, and open about his hopes to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, his interest has not been in vain.

“Finding a cure? I don’t view that as something that will happen in my lifetime. That’s – that’s not my purpose, to find a cure for myself, and that’s not noble of me, that’s just the way it goes. But I know somebody will one day figure it out,” Michael J. Fox said.

He has fought to ensure that the disease does not restrict his enjoyment of life as shown from the following interview.

[Images Via Wikimedia Commons And Courtesy Of Paul Hudson and Alan Light]