Michael J. Fox joins Tracy Pollan and daughters at gala
Fox and Pollan were joined by their three daughters at the New York fundraiser, where he also reunited with Christopher Lloyd.
Michael J. Fox, 65, joined his wife, Tracy Pollan, and their three daughters on the red carpet Saturday at his foundation's 26th annual Parkinson's gala in New York.
The fundraiser, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's, supports research into the disease Fox was diagnosed with in 1991, when he was 29. His foundation is the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research worldwide and has devoted more than $3 billion to understanding it.
"It's all about the amazing work that the foundation has done," Pollan, 66, told People at the Waldorf Astoria gala. "It celebrates everybody who's worked with us for 20-plus years."
Pollan said the funds go straight to scientists and added, "We really are seeing so much progress."
When asked how she and Fox remain positive, Pollan said they take each day as it comes. "You have to look at what's in front of you … and you have to stay in the moment — and if the moment is OK, that's where you are," she said.
"Michael is so optimistic, which is wonderful and really helps him, but it's really important to also understand that this is a huge challenge," Pollan said, according to the Daily Mail. She said the disease is hard on the family, caregivers and the patient, and described their children as "just incredibly supportive" of Fox.
Fox smiled for photographers and chose not to use his wheelchair at the appearance, the Daily Mail reported, describing it as rare. He reunited inside with Christopher Lloyd, his Back to the Future co-star, and later sat for a photo with guests including John Mayer and David Letterman.
Denis Leary hosted the evening, with Mayer and Brad Paisley performing music and Josh Johnson and Tom Papa delivering comedy sets.
Esmé, 25, and twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 31, accompanied their parents, whose outfits were coordinated in all black.
Fox and Pollan met while filming Family Ties and married in 1988. They also have a son, Sam, 37.
At the 2025 gala, Fox said that seeing friends and family on the red carpet surprised him each year, though he questioned why it would. "They've always been there for me, and they continue to be for me, year after year," he said.
Acting return and Emmy honor
Fox returned to acting this year in Apple TV's Shrinking, playing Gerry, a man with Parkinson's who bonds with Harrison Ford's character, Paul. Fox received an Emmy Awards humanitarian honor named for Bob Hope and thanked his family for their "sacrifices," "patience" and "love."
Fox said in his September 2026 acceptance speech, according to the Daily Mail, that he initially concealed his diagnosis because he feared its effect on his work and how audiences related to him. "I understood that accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it," he said.
In a September interview, Fox said nobody knows precisely when a cure will arrive. "Science is hard. It's astronomically expensive. It takes time and collaboration," he said. "But as long as we stay focused, we stay hopeful, we'll get there. And the science is showing we're getting close."
