1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, I'm Kitty Kuric, and this is next question. 2 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: So I have a confession to make. I love Michael J. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Fox and I love Tracy Pollin. I have known this 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: couple for several years now. I've interviewed Michael many times 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: through the years, and I have to admit both of 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: them are my personal heroes. But when I saw Still, 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: the newly released documentary that chronicles his life, I felt 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: like I got to know Michael in a whole new way. 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: The film is part eighties movie featuring Michael as the 10 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: unlikely hero and is charming, supercharged, always on the move way, 11 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: but it's also such a deeply, profoundly personal story because 12 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: it features Michael as another kind of unlikely hero, as 13 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: someone who's fighting a battle every second of every day 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: with Parkinson's disease. 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: It seem to a dance you do in this this 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: thing that I'm doing that I'm playing with his pill. 17 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 2: I'm moving this same movement. I said, I'm finding ways 18 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 2: to negotiate with this thing that's with me all the time, 19 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 2: and so I'm having a conversation with you, but I'm 20 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 2: also having this this WCO Roman wrestling match with his 21 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 2: monster is my Brain. 22 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: Academy Award winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, who I also admire 23 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: a ton, spent three years making this documentary, capturing Michael's struggles, 24 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: but also getting up close and personal with what motivates Michael, 25 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: and that is a deep connection to his family, a 26 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: gigantic heart, and the knowledge that he is encouraging so 27 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: many other people dealing with Parkinson's. 28 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 3: He's actually the sweetest guy, the most wonderful guy I've 29 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 3: ever worked with. 30 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: On today's episode of Next Question, you'll hear how the 31 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: filmmaker and the subject of Still came together to create 32 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: an unforgettable portrait of a dear friend and an incredibly 33 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: courageous man who has so much to teach us about 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:19,119 Speaker 1: what it means to live and appreciate every single day. 35 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: I'll yeah, is it okay, okay, good? 36 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 2: All right. 37 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: First of all, Hi guys, I'm so happy to see 38 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: you both. Davis. It's been a long time, Mike, less long, 39 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 1: but always love being with you. I finished watching the 40 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: documentary and I have one word for both of you, 41 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: which is wow. I loved it. I thought, I mean, 42 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: I love Michael, so I was predisposed, but there's so much. 43 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you all about and I 44 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: guess the first question is is for Mike, why now? 45 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: Why did you want to do this documentary? Now becos? 46 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 4: He asked me. 47 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 2: I think really I was just hanging out, not doing anything, 48 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 2: and kind of like the air was ripe with the 49 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 2: opportunity united and what the opportunity was to do something 50 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 2: interesting and and Davis called me, and I think I 51 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: said some things that he liked, which, as I said, 52 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: if we do this, I'm not interested in editing you. 53 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 4: I'm not interested in making a. 54 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: Movie about how I got you to make a movie 55 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 2: I want to make Yeah, I want you really just 56 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 2: so you are at it and so it happens. And 57 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: as far as why now, the more complicated answer, which 58 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: is that I broke my hand. 59 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 4: Can't play histar anymore, my handshakes. 60 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: I can't draw anymore. I can't paign anymore. I can't 61 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: I can't all this stuff. I can't do that I 62 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: ever could, but things I enjoyed and things that gave 63 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: me peace, and he gave me a sense of doing 64 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 2: doing something and now and my life has become my clay. 65 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 2: And I was like, throw it back, were going to 66 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: make something else of it, and that's what this is. 67 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: It really was an opportunity for you to be creative 68 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: in another way and to look back on your life. 69 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: And Davis, before I talk to you about the really 70 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: unique way that you made this film, which is a 71 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: visual amalgamation and audio amalgamation of Michael's life, why did 72 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: you decide you wanted to do a documentary about Michael J. Fox. 73 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 3: I was on Martha's vineyard during COVID and feeling pretty low, 74 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 3: feeling in a personal rut and a professional rut, and 75 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 3: feeling like I just made the same movie over and 76 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 3: over again. 77 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: And I was. 78 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 3: Looking not just for a movie, but just for some lifeline. 79 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 3: And I started reading his book No Time Like the Future, 80 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 3: and there was wisdom in it for me in an 81 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 3: unexpected place. I didn't think I was going to find 82 00:04:59,120 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 3: wisdom from a. 83 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: Movie, he says dismissively. He's written four books. Did you 84 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: read all four of them? Davis? Ultimately, Yeah, the. 85 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 3: Deep dive into all his stuff and it's easy to 86 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 3: sort of say, oh, that's a that's a famous person 87 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 3: just writing something. First of all, he's a great writer. 88 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 3: There's a great storytelling in it, and there's humor and 89 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 3: wisdom in it that I personally needed. 90 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: So you decided to tackle this project, and you had 91 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: some challenges because there was limited footage of Mike as 92 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: a little boy. Although God blessed those class photos. They 93 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: killed me. Honestly, they are priceless. I'm so glad you 94 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: kept those. So there were some things from Michael's childhood. 95 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: But there were also limitations in terms of how you 96 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: got the visual vocabulary to tell Michael's story. So put 97 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: together the pieces of the puzzle, because I know it 98 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: was sort of a conversation between you and your editor 99 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: and you were trying to figure out, like, how do 100 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: we tell this story? 101 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 3: Right? So with the glue of all this is Michael's 102 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 3: great writing and his voice carries the movie. But then 103 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 3: there's part, like you say, they're parts of his life 104 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 3: that were there weren't cameras, and so my my solution 105 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 3: was re enactments. But Michael Hart, this brilliant editor from 106 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 3: Donegal Ireland, Michael Fox's clapping right now quietly and and 107 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 3: and his solution was to use some of Michael J. 108 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 3: Fox's movies. 109 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: It was brilliant. 110 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 3: I'm not period in ways that I would never have. 111 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: Imagined, right, So you give me an example when. 112 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 2: I was falling a little Tracy, I was so in 113 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,119 Speaker 2: love with the schirl and we were seeing other people 114 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 2: in it. She just only did the show for short 115 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 2: any time, so I thought, he's just gonna go away? 116 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 4: Person, Am I just going to see you anymore? 117 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 2: And and a great moment our car is really a 118 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 2: nice metaphor when when she was leaving the show for 119 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 2: the last time and Mike car was parked next to 120 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 2: her car at parking lot, her rental rabbit in my Ferrari. 121 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: That yeah, I mean, doesn't that say it all? 122 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 2: By the way, Mike, Oh my Ferrari, you get in 123 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 2: my Ferrari to get into a rabbit to talk about 124 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 2: about and I guess she's really worried about me. He's 125 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 2: just girl, I'm only in love with this one and 126 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: see her again she thinks I'm gonna die in partying 127 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 2: to her and a you have the job, bab having 128 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: lunch and she we got married two years later. So 129 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 2: so it was this amazing moment. We shot the big 130 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 2: scene down in a Grance village walking through the streets 131 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 2: and the characters. 132 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: Falling in love from bright lights, big city, big. 133 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 4: City and I was the person who was living in 134 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 4: that and I felt the. 135 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 3: Same, but on a date in the movie, but they're 136 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 3: also dating and lit by Gordon Willis, the guy who 137 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 3: shot The Godfather. So it's like beautiful, beautiful there in silhouette, 138 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 3: and her first line is I was looking at the 139 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 3: other night. She goes, I guess I'm supposed to be 140 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 3: impressed by your big, fancy job, which is true for 141 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 3: the characters in that movie, but it was also true 142 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 3: in their life. He had just done back to the 143 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 3: future and he's he's she's still not impressed. 144 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: But that's but it's true in so many cases. You've 145 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: found a place for art imitating life and it really 146 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: works so well. I was curious where this came from 147 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: the beginning of the film, Michael wakes up and he 148 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: notices his his pinkiest fluttering. I think you showed Michael 149 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: in bed, so you you intercut a reenactment. Tell me 150 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: about that scene and why you chose to start with that. 151 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 3: Why do we start there? It cuts to Michael present 152 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 3: time in bed as well, right, and this is great line, 153 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 3: which is, uh, he's about what pinky is, and it's 154 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 3: like this, this is a message from the future, right, 155 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 3: which is obviously incredible reference to Back to the Future, 156 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 3: but also gave me this incredible optunity to jump forward 157 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 3: in time to Michael. 158 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 2: Now and double time. 159 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: There really are And obviously the title of the film 160 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: is still, but you use that in contrast with Michael, 161 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: who was for so long just and still is in 162 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: constant motion, right, you know. And you you allude to 163 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: that Michael towards the end about sort of always moving, 164 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: always moving, And it's amazing how many of those shots 165 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: that you all found beautifully illustrated sort of the frenetic 166 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: energy of Michael. 167 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a feeling that and this is in your 168 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 3: book because all these go back to Michael's writing. But 169 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 3: for a long time, you're running towards something, which is 170 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:01,479 Speaker 3: what what you said, that would be the destiny, future, future, fame, Hollywood, 171 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 3: you know. And then of course he's running away from 172 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 3: Parkinson's always running, always running, always running. 173 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 4: The biggest thing was me watching movies. You sucked me in. 174 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 4: I felt I was watching a movie and like, even 175 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 4: though it was about me, I just. 176 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: When you saw all those scenes, did you feel like 177 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 1: you were watching your life flash before your eyes in 178 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: a way. 179 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 4: Very much, very much. It was amazing. 180 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 2: We all have this fantasy where someone takes your life 181 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,439 Speaker 2: and goes, this is it. You look at some total 182 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: of what you've done and what you've accomplished, what you 183 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 2: haven't accomplished, who you love, who loves you, and it 184 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 2: was all there. I had this gift, he and me, 185 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 2: this is really amazing, and I guess I am who 186 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 2: I thought I was, which kind of nice. 187 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: When we come back, you'll hear what really happened when 188 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 1: Michael was told off by his now wife Tracy on 189 00:10:54,720 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: the day they met. We're back with Michael J. Fox 190 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: and Davis Guggenheim. 191 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 3: Can I ask that question, Katie, because yeah, you make 192 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 3: your film, it's over, and then you have a new question. 193 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 3: And I don't think I ever asked this, but because 194 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 3: now I see Michael as this incredible role model, he's 195 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 3: become the spectacular human. Did you have any intention of 196 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 3: being this person? Now? 197 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 2: No, I just wanted to drag all the beard and 198 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 2: going to their girlfriends. 199 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 3: It's always said, you know, in in forty years, you're 200 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 3: going to be this guy who starts a foundation. 201 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 4: In this That's that's that's weird. 202 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 3: That's weird. 203 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 4: I'm telling you what you know because you did it. 204 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 4: But but this is moving towards. 205 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 2: Something and moving away from something, moving towards the signing 206 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 2: of his kid is gonna leave Canada? 207 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 4: Who does that? 208 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: Right? 209 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 2: You don't move from Canada to California at seventeen is preposterous. 210 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: I thought one of the great things about the film 211 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: was I didn't realize how hard it was when you 212 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: first got to La I got you illustrated that really well. 213 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: You know when when Michael had to sell his sectional couch, 214 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: you know, bit by bit, how you know you were 215 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: living on McDonald's and you were eating I think you 216 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: said you would get those little jam or jelly packets 217 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: and eat those. I mean, yeah, yeah, I mean talk 218 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: about like a starving artist. But that was really fun 219 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: to watch those family ties moments, and particularly because Gary 220 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: David Goldberg did not want him. I remember reading about 221 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: this in any way, shape or form. He didn't want you, 222 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: Brandon Tartakoff didn't want you. Said you were never going 223 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: to be on the front of a lunch box, and 224 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: you send him a lunchbox with something like here I 225 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: am love Michael or whatever you're crowing. Oh yeah, oh 226 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:01,079 Speaker 1: this is this is to put your crow in. Well, 227 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: you were kind of a dick a little bit, you know, 228 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,199 Speaker 1: doing family ties. You got, as my mom would say, 229 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: a little big for your breeches, and you would admit that. 230 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 4: And that footage. 231 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: Very demanded shot and you could even tell that Justin 232 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: Bateman was like rolling her eyes, like this guy is 233 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: so annoying and obnoxious, right, and yeah, no, I saw 234 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 1: how many shots and I saw it? Yeah, exactly, and 235 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: she's rolling her eyes. So you were being kind of 236 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 1: a tool and and got a little full of yourself. 237 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: And you talk about a scene you were in with 238 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: Tracy Coolin, who is also a friend who I adore, 239 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: and she had garlic breath, and you made some joke 240 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: about how was that trump scampy, a. 241 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 3: Little scampy for lunch, babe scampy when the documentarian has 242 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 3: to do the one liner, you're in trouble. 243 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:07,719 Speaker 4: The baby. 244 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: Tracy looked you in the eye and said that was 245 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: really mean, that was cruel and you were. 246 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 4: A complete fucking asshole. 247 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that really since you were the golden boy. 248 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: In fact, you saying the documentary nobody had really ever 249 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: talked to me like that. 250 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, got a little chubby got a little chubby in 251 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: that moment, little turned on by how cool she was was. 252 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: Oh, you got a little chubby. Sorry, I didn't know 253 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: what you were talking about. That took me a few minutes. Okay, 254 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: well thanks for that. So but I was going to 255 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: ask you, is that one of many things that attracted 256 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: you to her that she just like was direct and 257 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: told you exactly what you needed to hear it that time. 258 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, she's brilliant that way. She just can see things clearly. 259 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: And this is a really difficult time for her right 260 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 2: now with me getting all this attention for this film, 261 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 2: because because she's not me, she's her and like to 262 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: this day, I mean that, I love that. It makes 263 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 2: me full of love for her. I just think, yeah, absolutely, 264 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 2: she hadn't have partisans. 265 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 4: I have partisans. 266 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 2: She has experienced it every day and she has to 267 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 2: and I have to make sure I find the room 268 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 2: for her to be her separate from this. And that 269 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 2: was kind of like what you were saying that the 270 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 2: first thing I was saying, I'm not here to play 271 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: your game and I don't have. 272 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: To put up with your being a jerk. I'll just 273 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: scrap Davis. I'm just curious as an outsider, as a filmmaker, 274 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: someone who has spent time with both of them now 275 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: a lot of time, what have you observed about their relationship, 276 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: because they are just quite remarkable. 277 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 3: I agree, And one thing they share is devotion to family. 278 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: Michael is a complete open book and making this movie, 279 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 3: but both Tracy and Michael were protective of their family. 280 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 3: It's like, not just to keep them off camera, but 281 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 3: just to they have their own lives. I'm not I 282 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 3: don't speak for you, guys, but that's what Tracy and Hey, 283 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: this film shouldn't even remotely detract from what they're doing. 284 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 3: What they're doing in their own lives is more important 285 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 3: that devotion to family. I think is is really really beautiful. 286 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: But let's let's talk kids. 287 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 2: Up. 288 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 4: People said, said ask about Parkinsons. 289 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 2: They would not they didn't get it, they wouldn't get 290 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 2: the connection, they wouldn't like it was never a big 291 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 2: part of our lives. Are my fame with a big 292 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 2: part of their lives their own lives are really interesting 293 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 2: people for sweet people, the very kind. 294 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: People, very unpretentious and they're not of themselves. They never 295 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: right on your celebrity or trac and it's amazing that 296 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: all of your kids turned out to be such normal, good, hardworking, 297 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: kind people. There's so many great stories and obviously the 298 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: foundation of the documentary is Michael talking. And how many 299 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 1: days did you spend doing those interviews? 300 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 3: I almost didn't do them at all. So my first 301 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 3: idea was no interviews. I wanted just to make a 302 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 3: movie where you get lost in the footage. 303 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: Uh huh. 304 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 3: What I pitched to Apple was I wanted to make 305 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 3: a documentary that felt like an eighties movie. And then 306 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 3: I did this commercial. This dpiece showed me the shot 307 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 3: where the camera's right here and Michael and I are 308 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 3: like look at each other, like really really close. Usually, 309 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 3: you know, sometimes you're ten feet away, right, and there's 310 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 3: lots of people and a guy geting a sandwich, and 311 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 3: you know, and this one angle, Michael could look me 312 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 3: in the eye, but it looks like he's looking into 313 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:01,719 Speaker 3: the camera, right. I said, that's I'm going to try that. 314 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 3: And we went to your office on Fifth Avenue and 315 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 3: we did that one interview and it was just electric. 316 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 3: Like you see in the movie. He's just so winning, 317 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 3: he's so charismatic, he's so funny, so. 318 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 1: Intimate and so honest and so so. 319 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 3: Really honest, and I go, wow, this is the core 320 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 3: of the movie. And so that one setup we did 321 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 3: six days over a year. 322 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 4: Wow. 323 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 3: So the last thing we shot was that last one 324 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 3: with your last therapy session with Ryan. 325 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: The process of even doing that interview was probably pretty 326 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: tiring for Michael. 327 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 3: A lot happened in that year we're shooting. It was 328 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 3: you call it, we tell your doctor. It was a 329 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 3: festival self abuse. 330 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 4: I kept breaking him in. 331 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: You broke your hand. 332 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 4: I broke both arms. I broke my shoulder, hit my 333 00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 4: shoulder replaced. I brought my face. I broke my elbow 334 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 4: and it was really painful. It was in the hospital. 335 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 4: I'm down for a good time. 336 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 2: I don't want to be a jerk anybody, but it's constantly, constantly, 337 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 2: I always say, what do you think I'm doing? 338 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 4: And doing something else, and it's just the fact of 339 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 4: your life. 340 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 2: Everything that I do, Like the movie, everything happens in 341 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 2: the context of Negoshi with this thing. 342 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: You know, I want to talk about three moments in 343 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: the movie that really affected me. So you were diagnosed 344 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: at twenty nine and nineteen ninety one, is that right? 345 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 2: Yeah? 346 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: And then you told the world you had it ninety 347 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:49,120 Speaker 1: eight and you're dealing with so much and then you're 348 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 1: dealing with having to keep this a secret. And I 349 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: was curious, looking back on it, now, do you have 350 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: any regrets about not telling the world? Was you were 351 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 1: really afraid? And you talk about this in the film 352 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: if people would accept you, if they would find you funny, 353 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: you know what the reaction would be. But at the 354 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: same time, harboring this secret must have been so much 355 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: pressure on you as well. 356 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was. It was hard. 357 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 2: I'm Tracy was amazing during that time, and she got 358 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 2: me too, like like I had to figure out how 359 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 2: to keep a secret and I quit drinking, So that 360 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 2: was that was interesting. And then and then I was 361 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 2: I was she was dangerous losing my marriage and losing 362 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 2: my family. One of the things really affected me in 363 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 2: a great way and paid off downline was when I 364 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 2: said I had Parkinson's and all this fuss happened on 365 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 2: tabloids and stuff, and I got these chat rooms with. 366 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,880 Speaker 4: The Parkinson's patients who didn't know it was me, and I. 367 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 2: Talked to him and said, what about this Michael fun 368 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 2: And they said, I love that he had Parkinson's. And 369 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 2: when I got over the shock these people celebrating the 370 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 2: fact that I had parties. 371 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 4: So I got it. 372 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: I went, I get it, and then my goal began 373 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 2: to get to the point where eventually got to I 374 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 2: could step into that and saying here's what I can't do, 375 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,719 Speaker 2: here's what I can't do, let's talk about it. 376 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: So that's when you started the fat Foundation. You know, 377 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: I did have to laugh when you used that sort 378 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: of cloying Barbara Walters interview, May She Rest in Peace? 379 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: That was sort of unctuous and inappropriate. What did she say, Davis. 380 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,360 Speaker 3: You're in the fight for your life. 381 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: It's almost the way she said it more than her words, right, 382 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: because you were afraid that audiences would treat you differently. 383 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: And I love the line when Michael said, oh my god, 384 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: what have I done, because he was now being subjected 385 00:21:53,680 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: to that kind of maudlin pitying kind of interaction, and 386 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: you were like, holy shit, was it better when I 387 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: kept it a secret just for that nanosecond. The other 388 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: moment that I was very taken by was when you 389 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 1: were with your physical therapist. You said something along the 390 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 1: lines Michael, of people are looking to me, they're looking 391 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: to me fighting this disease, and I can't let them down. 392 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: Your physical therapist said, you know, you don't always have 393 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 1: to be Michael J. Fox, And it made me think 394 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 1: what a huge responsibility and how unfair in many ways 395 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: that was to you. And I wondered, Gosh, does Mike 396 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: ever think I don't want to be the goddamn poster 397 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: child for Parkinson's disease. I wondered about that, because you've 398 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: got so much you're dealing with already, as you said, 399 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: simultaneously navigating what's happening in your brain every moment while 400 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: trying to carry on a conversation while trying to walk 401 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: down the street in New York City and trying not 402 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: to fall. And then I'm like, this guy feels like 403 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: he can't let people down. 404 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 4: It's a schnauz around your pant leg. 405 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 2: But no I think about that is that I'm fool 406 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,679 Speaker 2: enough and ready enough to take that and and and 407 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,719 Speaker 2: to move forward with it. And if it's a role 408 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 2: for me to play, I'll play because God damn, and 409 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 2: know all that's been said and done, I'm gonna lucky him. 410 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 4: I'm like, I just keeps from Canada. I have his 411 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 4: beautiful wife, these great kids. 412 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 2: I'm a multimillionaire, I've got I got like this life 413 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,719 Speaker 2: I've lived that should yes for me to step up 414 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 2: and do something. And and and so I started a 415 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 2: great privilege, great great opportunity, and and and I just 416 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 2: menasgued to running to great people along the way, and 417 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 2: and just just focus on what we needed to do. 418 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 2: And I guess the answer all your questions is just 419 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: not personal. It's not personal circumstance. It's a circus of circumstance. 420 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 2: And I just walk in the line, and I thought, 421 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 2: you know, there's something I can do here. And what 422 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 2: I could do was I could rally people. And I 423 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 2: don't take credit for I've done. I'm glad that I'm 424 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 2: part of a group of people that get this done. 425 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 2: Where I will take credit for, or I'm proud of 426 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 2: at least is there's a woman that's going to the grocery. 427 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 4: Store right now. 428 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 2: Twenty years I wouldn't have done a grocery store, wouldn't 429 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 2: fumble with the change first, wouldn't have risk the guy 430 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 2: in the part of I think she was drunk, but 431 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 2: she got into your car. 432 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 4: It was a horrible life. 433 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 2: And now, perhaps because of me, to a certain extent 434 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 2: she could say, yeah, person like Michael Fox, But. 435 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you. I mentioned three parts of 436 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 1: the doc that really affected me, and one is when 437 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:42,640 Speaker 1: you're talking to Michael and one of the interviews over 438 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 1: those six days. During one of those interviews, there's a 439 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,959 Speaker 1: point in the film where you guys deal with what 440 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: you call shitty stuff, and Davis, you imply that Michael 441 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: darts away when you ask him how he feels and 442 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: you talk to him about are you in pain? 443 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 3: So the film was finished. I mean I had a 444 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 3: version of the film that you could show someone and 445 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 3: it worked. It was great. But I remember watching it 446 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 3: with the editor, Michael Hart, and I go, just there's 447 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 3: something missing here because with all of Michael's optimism and 448 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 3: with all his insistence not to be pitied, which is 449 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 3: an important thing for me too, not to do that, 450 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 3: I realized that he didn't actually tell us the full 451 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 3: story of the year he's been through, and that he 452 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 3: wasn't pain. And of course the way you say it's 453 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 3: pretty funny, but it's like it's like it never came up. 454 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 3: I said, talked to you for hours and hours and hours, 455 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,679 Speaker 3: you never talked about your pain. The first thing you 456 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 3: say is I'm in a tremendous amount of pain. And 457 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 3: I was actually really shocking when you said it to me, 458 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:55,119 Speaker 3: because I was like, oh, like, you're really good at 459 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 3: hiding it. You really not only do not talk about it, 460 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 3: but you don't exhibit it, you know. And it's it's 461 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 3: a flip side of this optimism, right, And he just goes, well, 462 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 3: I'm not going to lead with it. 463 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 1: Are there moments, Michael when you're not not so brave? 464 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 2: I'm brave as brave as I hear we're brave and 465 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 2: courage And I had no choice. I No, I mean like, like, okay, 466 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 2: let's be brave. So I guess the fall back is 467 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 2: I'm brave? 468 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: Well, I guess. I mean, do you ever allow yourself 469 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: to be furious? You know, to rage? 470 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 2: Wage away? 471 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 4: I used to rage when I was younger. I like 472 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 4: when Tracey talks about I say, what was it? 473 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 3: Tack? 474 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 4: Because I can see the pain in her face. I 475 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 4: can I can see how hard that was. AH like rage. 476 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 2: I don't feel rage now. I think the thing that 477 00:26:55,040 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 2: I feel now that that is not pleasant is I 478 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 2: haven't got a trick for it. There's no easy answer. No, 479 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 2: I can't I can't content. 480 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 4: I can't charm it. I can't I can't bush it 481 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 4: into the cornfield. You know, it's just it's just there. 482 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 4: I think a word. 483 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,479 Speaker 2: I'm cops a certain amount of wisdom, hard and wisdom, 484 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 2: and I want to look at something and say, Okay, 485 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 2: I can look at this this way ten times and 486 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 2: never get anywhere and get pissed off and get frustrated, 487 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 2: or I can just go yeah, move on. 488 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,959 Speaker 1: It's more like, uh, acceptance, acceptance. 489 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 4: Acceptance is huge. Acceptance and gratitude. Well, everything I've ever 490 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 4: written is one one that I kind of go, well, 491 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 4: that's good. 492 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 2: If that's that's my one one one that I write 493 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 2: in my life, I'm happy with that, which is with gratitude, 494 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 2: optimism and sustainable. If I can, I I'm something to 495 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 2: be grateful and every day I can win that day. 496 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:13,880 Speaker 1: That's great advice for everyone, honestly and so true. Up next, 497 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: how Michael's Foundation helped bring a game changing breakthrough in 498 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: Parkinson's research. If you want to get smarter every morning 499 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: with a breakdown of the news and fascinating takes on 500 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: health and wellness and pop culture, sign up for our 501 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 1: daily newsletter Wake Upcall by going to Katiecuric dot com. 502 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: We're back with Michael and Davis. Although Parkinson's disease is 503 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the US after Alzheimer's, 504 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: the only course of action for patients is to treat 505 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: their symptoms, and unfortunately, by the time those symptoms are visible, 506 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: the disease is already well underway. That's why a major 507 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: goal for researchers has been to diagnose Parkinson's earlier and 508 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: develop interventions to slow it down or stop it altogether. Now, 509 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: the results of a major news study are in and 510 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: with monumental help from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, it 511 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: looks like earlier diagnosis may actually become a reality. The breakthrough, 512 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: announced this month in the journal Lancet Neurology, involves the 513 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: discovery of a biomarker called alpha sinnucleon. I talked with 514 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: Michael all about this important step. I wanted to talk 515 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: to you about the research for Parkinson's because you know, 516 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: as somebody who saw my dad's succumbed to the disease 517 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: and my dad died in twenty eleven, you were diagnosed 518 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety one. So much money, so much research, 519 00:29:55,960 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 1: so many brilliant scientists. Why has it been so so 520 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: hard to come up with better medication to control the 521 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: disease or even god willing a cure. 522 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 2: Talk to me about that diagnosis. You move funny and 523 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 2: you can't keep your hands still or whatever. And so 524 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 2: we run through a series of tests and it kind 525 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 2: of a subjective way till you get part with a 526 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 2: lot of times you're right. 527 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 4: But that's what it is. 528 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 2: We've never had a biological way to say, yes, you 529 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 2: have these markers. So because that takes a lot of work, 530 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 2: because you got to take this common cohort of people 531 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 2: that have similar symptoms and problems and eliminate them. And 532 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 2: that's again that takes billions of dollars. Luckily we came 533 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 2: into billions of dollars. Yeah, and we found a way 534 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 2: to do it. 535 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: And this was like over a thousand patients from. 536 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 2: Right. We needed to get spinal taps, we needed to 537 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 2: get spinal fluid, which is hard to extract, it's very painful. 538 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 2: We get to get people who didn't have Parkers to 539 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 2: do small. 540 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 1: Tabs wow, which is like that's hard to do. 541 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 4: Let's take a needle in his fine. So but we 542 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 4: found enough people to do it. 543 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 2: We found family members that love their family, love their 544 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 2: their and their uncle, their mom and their dad, and 545 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 2: subjected to themselves to this and that was a key thing. 546 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 2: So when I when I go through, when I thank 547 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 2: people for this, it really it takes a metropolis. It 548 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 2: takes a billion people to get this done. It's huge 549 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 2: what's happened because now we can get to the point 550 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 2: where where a four year old gets a swamp and 551 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 2: we found out they're gonna have Parkinsons in twenty years 552 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 2: and then we give them a pill and send them 553 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 2: on their way. 554 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: And so this was the Parkinson's Progression Markers initiative. Yeah, 555 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: and basically it found. 556 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 4: Out disc everything we could isolate this. 557 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: Protein, isolate a protein that is present in Parkinson's patients. 558 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and we can we can find a way to 559 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 2: isolate it and to see it laid bare and say 560 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 2: that's why. 561 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: You have parking And does that mean you could potentially. 562 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 2: The gate's opening and drug companies flooding in because they're 563 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 2: gonna make a billion jillion dollars How to stop the progression? 564 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 2: And imagine if you're just going to have a standard task, 565 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 2: because it's as easy as to swab or blood and 566 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 2: they say blood tests, you're about forty years away from it. 567 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 2: But you need to at Parkinson. So let's take this 568 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 2: tablet that the good people that this just came up 569 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 2: with it to the great financial glee, but but but 570 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 2: certainly to also to the benefit of mankind. 571 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: So instead of treating it, it's preventing it. By diagnosing it, 572 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 1: even way way before you become symptomatic, you're preventing it. 573 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 3: Tell me if I have this right. But you know 574 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 3: when Michael seeing is doctor doctor Brestman is amazing doctor 575 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 3: at Mount Sinai incredible that this thing where she's having 576 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 3: him open and close his fingers, this is what someone 577 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 3: told me that that that thing is what doctors. 578 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: Have done for years, where you basically do that. 579 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 3: Because they have no other way of really seeing what 580 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 3: the parkins. And finally, this breakthrough is they can say 581 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 3: you have it with a test, and that, like Michael says, 582 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 3: opens up all this doors for more testing, for more tracking, 583 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 3: for more treatment. 584 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: Yes, is that right? 585 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 4: It's huge? Yeah, exactly right. It's a huge game changer. 586 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 4: It's massive. 587 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 2: We have this one benefactor who's give us gigantic, gigantic 588 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 2: sos of money. And he when he first gave us 589 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 2: the money, I had a conversation with him, very differential 590 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 2: and very grateful, but I said, please tell me that 591 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 2: you might give me all this money, you come in 592 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,719 Speaker 2: and run your agenda. He had to run our agenda, 593 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 2: he said. He said, no one else is going to 594 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 2: do it but you guys, And he gave us the money. 595 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 1: He just more I can step back and said, please 596 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: do this important work. I mean, science moves so painfully slow. 597 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,359 Speaker 1: Because I think about this took over nine years. As 598 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 1: you said, you had to find patients to do spinal 599 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: taps who didn't have Parkinson's. You had to I mean, I. 600 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 4: Think I really intendivize them and get me out of 601 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 4: their office. But we got it done, cure them quickly. 602 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:25,720 Speaker 2: We got to get. 603 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 4: Going back to Canada. 604 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: Well it's very exciting, but how far are we, Michael, 605 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:37,800 Speaker 1: now that this breakthrough has happened, is it up to 606 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: the drug companies to figure out how to identify this 607 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: protein and how to figure out how to what to 608 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: do with it? And when you think about the future, 609 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: how long will that be you think? 610 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 4: I think realistically at twenty years. Stick to this point, 611 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:56,760 Speaker 4: I think that five or ten two or its marketable, viable. 612 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 1: And what's so exciting too, is you know, I've done 613 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: a lot of work in ALS as well. I had 614 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: a friend who died of ALS. I have a friend 615 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: who's dealing with ALS right now. And all these neuro 616 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 1: degenerative diseases are connected ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and so 617 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 1: unlocking some of these mysteries will have such a huge 618 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: impact on all of these diseases. 619 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 4: My favorite phrase is a rising tigless about and there 620 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 4: there'll be a lot of boats. 621 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 1: Slowly, which is so exciting. 622 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 4: They laid it out for me and they said, this 623 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,520 Speaker 4: is what we're looking for, and it was so preposterous. 624 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 2: I said, the amount of people you got to have 625 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 2: to do this, It just did, you know, authentically get 626 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 2: people in the world they care about Parkinson's. 627 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 4: It's a lot of people. 628 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 2: And I just leaned across the table to remember and 629 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 2: they said, he's not us who And that's really what's 630 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 2: few of us? 631 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 1: Well, thank god you did the simple way of putting 632 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:02,439 Speaker 1: it is. It's a huge break through. Well, I want 633 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 1: to say that Michael J. Fox Foundation, as you found out, 634 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: Davis is just incredible and I've been a proud supporter 635 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: of it in honor of my dad, but also in 636 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: honor of Michael, because he's one of my personal heroes 637 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: and the fact that you know, he's very humble and modest. 638 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 1: But people have contributed two billion dollars to Parkinson's research 639 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 1: because of this guy, and because of my dad, and 640 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 1: because of their uncles and brothers and sisters and all 641 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,280 Speaker 1: kinds of personal connections as well. But he has become 642 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,240 Speaker 1: such a leader in this field. 643 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 2: It's a zoo ras and out side of my family, 644 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 2: it is a best sator. I say when I'm my 645 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 2: corny things, it's a gift. It's a gift that keeps 646 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:52,399 Speaker 2: on taking. 647 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: But it's a gift. It's a gift that keeps on 648 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: taking and a gift that keeps on giving. Right. Yeah, Well, 649 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,760 Speaker 1: I'm so happy that you all came in. Thank you Davis. 650 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: It's great to see you again. Michael. I mean, I 651 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 1: just want to I want to take you home, But 652 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,600 Speaker 1: I don't think Tracy would love like you. 653 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 4: Haven't. 654 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:18,319 Speaker 1: Hey, come on, that's gonna die. That was between us, Bonnie, right, 655 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:22,799 Speaker 1: let to die about anyway? This was great. Is there 656 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: anything that you feel like you wanted to talk about that, 657 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: I didn't bring up. 658 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 4: I wanted to thank him. 659 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 1: Go ahead for. 660 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 4: Putting this in my life right now. 661 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 2: It's a great way to express myself and tell my 662 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 2: story and tell other people's story. And you're freaking gifted. 663 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 2: You just you an eye and a heart and mine 664 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 2: and I am passion and empathy that just is present 665 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 2: only in the best artists, and you're wanted them. 666 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 4: You're one of the best artists. 667 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 2: I thank you. 668 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 3: That's fun, great, just a wonderful three years of my life. 669 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,480 Speaker 3: Thanks for Katie, This is really fun, of. 670 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:07,439 Speaker 1: Course, thanks for listening everyone. If you have a question 671 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 1: for me, or want to share your thoughts about how 672 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: you navigate this crazy world reach out. You can leave 673 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 1: a short message at six h nine five P one 674 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 1: two five five five, or you can send me a 675 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 1: DM on Instagram. I would love to hear from you. 676 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:27,800 Speaker 1: Next Question is a production of iHeartMedia and Katie Kuric Media. 677 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:31,840 Speaker 1: The executive producers are Meek, Katie Kuric, and Courtney Ltz. 678 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: Our supervising producer is Marcy Thompson. Our producers are Adrianna 679 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,880 Speaker 1: Fazzio and Catherine Law. Our audio engineer is Matt Russell, 680 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,400 Speaker 1: who also composed our theme music. For more information about 681 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:47,439 Speaker 1: today's episode, or to sign up for my newsletter, wake 682 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,279 Speaker 1: Up Call, go to the description in the podcast app, 683 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: or visit us at Katiecuric dot com. You can also 684 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,800 Speaker 1: find me on Instagram and all my social media channels. 685 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 686 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,