July 16, 1989
Michael J. Fox & Tracy Pollan

Michael J. Fox & Tracy Pollan

Twenty-one years ago, on a wooded hillside in rural Vermont, Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan exchanged vows.  Surrounded by family and a few close friends, they began a life together based on love, strength, and a sense of humor.

In fact, they claim the secret to their successful marriage is the ability to laugh, especially when things get tough.  Michael adds to this, “We give each other a break. It’s not how our similarities work together; it’s how our differences work together.”
Michael and Tracy met on the ’80s sitcom Family Ties.  He played the conservative teenager, Alex P. Keaton; she played Ellen Reed, Alex’s girlfriend for two seasons.  But in real life, both actors were romantically involved with other people.  Two years later when Tracy auditioned for a part in one of Michael’s film, they learned that they both were single and the rest is history.

They were engaged within the year.  Michael is quoted as saying “When we married, we married, and that was it.  We were in love then, as we are now, and we planned to stay married.”

Michael and Tracy’s marriage is a source of inspiration to any couple.  They both have busy, successful careers.  They’re devoted parents to their son and three daughters.   And they are activists in helping people, like Michael, who battle Parkinson’s disease.  The Michael J. Fox Foundation has raised over  $100 million dollars to help patients receive better treatments and, ultimately, find a cure for this neurodegenerative disorder.

The Fox family lives on a 100-acre estate in rural Vermont.