Michael Andrew Fox, known professionally as
Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American activist and retired actor. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom
Family Ties (1982–1989) and Marty McFly in the
Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). Fox went on to star in films such as
Teen Wolf (1985),
The Secret of My Success (1987),
Casualties of War (1989),
Doc Hollywood (1991), and
The Frighteners (1996). He returned to television on the ABC sitcom
Spin City in the lead role of Mike Flaherty (1996–2000).