Michael J. Fox Says His Parkinson's Disease Limits His Acting: 'I Couldn't Remember the Lines'

Jason Merritt/Getty Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox is opening up about how Parkinson's Disease continues to impact his acting career.

During a recent appearance on Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast, the Back to the Future star, 60, said that memorizing lines has become much harder than it once was.

"When I did the spinoff from The Good Wife, which is The Good Fight, I couldn't remember the lines. I just had this blank, I couldn't remember the lines," he said.

Fox said his struggle to remember lines is something he did not experience as a young actor. He reflected on his time on Family Ties which Fox starred on during its run from 1982 to 1989.

RELATED: Michael J. Fox Says 'Gratitude Makes Optimism Sustainable' While Living with Parkinson's Disease

"I'd go, 'I'm in. Mallory, get off the phone.' And I knew it, like in an instant, and it continued to be that way for me," Fox said on the podcast.  "I have 70 pages of dialogue on a [Brian] De Palma movie, and knowing that a hugely expensive Steadicam shot depends on me knowing the lines — not a trickle of sweat on my brow."

Fox starred in director Brian De Palma's film Casualties of War alongside Sean Penn in 1989.

Everett Michael J. Fox on Family Ties

These days, he said, he knows his limitations and does not let it get him down.

"I can't remember five pages of dialogue. I can't do it," he said. "So I go to the beach."

In 2020, Fox spoke to PEOPLE about his ongoing Parkinson's symptoms, including tremors, rigidity and memory issues.

"My short-term memory is shot," Fox said.

RELATED VIDEO: Michael J. Fox Jokes About the Benefits of Being an Empty Nester with Wife Tracy Pollan: 'We Get More Food'

Though memorization has become more difficult over time, Fox is dedicating his talents to another arena that he enjoys: writing.

"I'm down to this," he said of writing becoming his primary creative outlet. "My guitar playing is no good. My sketching is no good anymore, my dancing never was good and acting is getting tougher to do. So it's down to writing. Luckily, I really enjoy it."

RELATED: Michael J. Fox Opens Up About His Health, Life with Tracy Pollan: 'I'm in a Really Good Groove'

In November 2020, Fox released his fourth memoir, No Time Like the Future.

The actor was first diagnosed with Parkinson's, a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, in 1991. After going public with his diagnosis in 1998, he continued acting, notably appearing on Spin City from 1996-2001 and later, The Good Wife.