Leonardo DiCaprio Inspired Michael J. Fox to Retire

The actor credits DiCaprio for his decision to retire.

Moving On

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At 61, Fox revealed that he had been inspired to retire from acting after watching DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Fox was shooting The Good Fight in 2021 when he realized that his Parkinson’s disease contributed to the difficulty of reciting his lines.

The actor talked about that moment during an interview with Empire magazine. He talked about how Dicaprio’s character, Rick Dalton, couldn’t recall his script.

“I thought of ‘Once Upon A Time in . . . Hollywood,’ ” Fox shared. “There’s a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character can’t remember his lines anymore.”

“He goes back to his dressing room, and he’s screaming at himself in the mirror. Just freaking insane. I had this moment where I was looking in the mirror and thought, ‘I cannot remember it anymore. Well, let’s move on.’ It was peaceful.”

A Glimpse On Film

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MichaelJFox, 61, diagnosed with early-onset #parkinsons at 29, finds living with the incurable disease increasingly challenging. #actor #cbssunday

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Earlier this month, Fox released his documentary on Apple TV+ titled Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie earlier this month. He opened up about his mental health as well as the physical trials that come with Parkinson’s disease. He was initially diagnosed in 1991 and went public about the illness in 1998.

In a recent cover story with Variety, Fox chatted a bit about the documentary. “It’s just a nice way of people letting me know they are moved by my acceptance of things and by the way that I’ve tried to make a difference. But no matter how much I sit here and talk to you about how I’ve philosophically accepted it and taken its weight, Parkinson’s is still kicking my ass. I won’t win at this. I will lose. But, there’s plenty to be gained in the loss.”

He went on about when they “make the call” for when it’s time for him to pass on. “Yeah, it’s, it’s banging on the door. I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher.”

“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” he stated, So — so I’ve been — I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it.”

Read More: Michael J. Fox Opens Up About Parkinson’s Disease (rare.us)