MICHAEL J FOX - FOX SHOWS FULL EFFECTS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE ON TV

FOX SHOWS FULL EFFECTS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE ON TV

Movie star MICHAEL J FOX showed the full extent of how his Parkinson's Disease medication affects his speech and movement on US TV last night (02NOV06) when he sat for an hour-long interview with talk show host DONNIE DEUTSCH. Fox, who was accused of acting and exaggerating his symptoms for a recent political campaign ad by political radio host RUSH LIMBAUGH, started off the chat on THE BIG IDEA by telling Deutsch he was waiting for medication to "kick in a little bit more". The BACK TO THE FUTURE star, who is publicly supporting political candidates who are backing his stem-cell research fight, began the TV interview speaking clearly and mildly trembling and finished it slurring speech and flailing wildly as he fidgeted in his chair. Fox told Deutsch that the idea he can control his symptoms to gain sympathy in a TV ad is ridiculous. He explained, "The whole idea that it could be an affectation is just crazy. You wanna be able to speak and that's the whole notion, it's the whole goal. It's not something I manipulate, it manipulates me. "You never know when it's gonna hit... When I'm in my life, without certain pressure - I'm hanging out with my kids and TRACY (POLLEN - wife) - it's a lot different, it's a lot easier to manage. "It's kinda like a bunch of teenagers taking the car for a ride and you're in there and you're just waiting to get it back... and you're like, 'This is cool, just take me home.'" When the actor's medication kicked in 15 minutes into the interview Fox clearly lost control of his movement and his speech became fractured and breathless. He explained, "I'm getting the car back, it's back in the garage... A lot of times I'm oblivious to it. "What I sometimes say to people when they ask me about it is, 'It's like the weather in New England; if you don't like it, hang on a minute. It's gonna change.'"