Michael J. Fox, the award-winning actor, considers fatherhood his most cherished role. Married to Tracy Pollan for over 30 years, they share four children. Fox humorously mentioned to Reader’s Digest that it sometimes feels like five.
Fox emphasizes the importance of always being available for his children: “Always be available to your kids. Because if you say, ‘Give me five minutes, give me 10 minutes,’ it’ll be 15, it’ll be 20. And then when you get there, the shine will have worn off whatever it is they wanted to share with you.”
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, Fox praised his children for their empathy and resilience. His Instagram often features his close bond with them. On Mother’s Day 2022, he wrote to Pollan, “Our children are beautiful, sensitive, intelligent, empathetic, independent, compassionate, adventurous, lovely people. That’s your fault.”
Fox’s eldest son, Sam, works in entertainment, and his twins, Aquinnah and Schuyler, have careers in media and education. His youngest, Esmé, is a Duke University student. Fox continues to dedicate his life to Parkinson’s research, raising over $2 billion.
Award-winning actor Michael J. Fox has a plethora of roles to his name, but perhaps his proudest one to date is being a father.
The Back to the Future star shares four kids with his wife of over 30 years, Tracy Pollan, but he once joked to Reader’s Digest that it sometimes “feels like five.”
He also spoke with the outlet about his best parenting advice: “Always be available to your kids. Because if you say, ‘Give me five minutes, give me 10 minutes,’ it’ll be 15, it’ll be 20. And then when you get there, the shine will have worn off whatever it is they wanted to share with you.”
He continued, “I’ve never gotten up to see something one of my kids wanted to show me and not been rewarded.”
The actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and went public with his diagnosis seven years later. In 2009, he spoke with Good Housekeeping about how the disease had affected his family life.
“If I’m reaching for something, they’ll just do it and carry on,” he said of his kids. “[They have learned] empathy, resilience, and also sorting out what’s important from what’s not — things like vanity.”
Fox has a close bond with all four of his adult children, and they are frequently featured on his Instagram account.
“Our children are beautiful, sensitive, intelligent, empathetic, independent, compassionate, adventurous, lovely people,” he captioned a Mother’s Day tribute to Pollan in May 2022. “That’s your fault. We all love you so much. Happy Mother’s Day.”
Fox’s kids were featured in his documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. In May 2023, the Family Ties alum talked to PEOPLE about the project and what his family thought about letting cameras into their lives. “They all gave me their permission. And then, at various times, they retracted their permission,” he said.
Keep reading for everything to know about Michael J. Fox’s kids.
Sam Michael Fox, 35
Fox and Pollan welcomed their first child, Sam Michael Fox, on May 30, 1989. Sam is the couple’s only son, and Fox expressed their excitement about becoming first-time parents to PEOPLE at the time.
“We did the whole womb music deal, where we put the headphones on Tracy’s stomach and played everything from Vivaldi to the Allman Brothers,” he said in December 1989.
Sam is nearly identical to his dad, with their striking similarities evident when they pose side-by-side in photos.
“Sam from my POV you’re not getting older, you’re just getting taller,” Michael wrote in a 2021 birthday tribute to his son. “Happy birthday @palekidd Love you.”
Another similarity Sam shares with his dad? He also works in the entertainment industry. Sam has produced a variety of media, like Ben Barnes’ 11:11 music video, the short film Good Grief and his dad’s documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.
On Sam’s 34th birthday in May 2023, Fox shared another sweet tribute on Instagram. The proud dad posted a photo of his eldest blowing out his birthday candles as well two photos of the father-son duo embracing on a boat, including one of Fox planting a kiss on the side of Sam’s head.
“Happy Birthday to my big bouncing baby boy @palekidd you are the best. Proud to be your pops. Love you!” he captioned the post.
Aquinnah Kathleen Fox, 29
The couple welcomed twin daughters, Aquinnah Kathleen Fox and Schuyler Frances Fox, on Feb. 15, 1995.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Aquinnah studied at Duke University, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, visual & media studies and art history. During her time in college, Aquinnah was also a member of the Duke University ballet program.
She previously worked as a brand and marketing strategist in New York City, and now resides in Los Angeles working as an assistant at Annapurna Pictures.
In an adorable tribute to his twin girls, Michael posted a series of snaps of Aquinnah and her sister in honor of their 29th birthday.
“Double the love. Happy birthday. You’re crushing it. I love you, Doods ❤️,” he captioned the post.
Schuyler Frances Fox, 29
Schuyler Frances Fox makes up the second half of Fox and Pollan’s twin girls.
Schuyler attended Pomona College and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, per her LinkedIn profile. After college, she worked as a Project Coordinator at Columbia University Medical Center before going back to school and graduating with a Master of Education from Harvard University. Currently, she works as a producer in Massachusetts.
Both girls maintain a low profile, and most of their social media accounts are set to private. However, they stepped out in June 2023 to support their dad at the Spring Moving Image Awards, where Fox accepted a lifetime achievement award. The twins posed on the red carpet ahead of the event, smiling as they stood with their mom and dad.
On June 22, 2024, Schuyler and her longtime partner wed in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in New York.
“The weather was absolutely perfect, despite the heat wave,” an onlooker told PEOPLE. “It really looked like a picture-perfect garden party. They seemed like such an adorable, gentle family.”
Esmé Annabelle Fox, 22
The Family Ties actor and his wife welcomed their youngest child, Esmé Annabelle Fox, on Nov. 3, 2001.
While Esmé also stays out of the spotlight, Michael confirmed to PEOPLE in 2019 that his youngest daughter was moving out of the family home and heading to college.
At a benefit for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the actor revealed the couple’s plans now that their kids had all moved out.
“Our youngest is going off to college, so we are going to be empty nesters, so … we are going to do some traveling!” he said.
While her own social media accounts are set to private, Esmé is often featured on her dad’s Instagram page.
“It’s #nationaldaughtersday and I have 3 amazing daughters,” Fox wrote alongside a photo of Esmé smiling for the camera while standing in between her two sisters, shared in September 2020.
In November 2021, Michael honored his daughter’s 20th birthday with an Instagram post that revealed her sweet nickname: Ezzie. “20 years of joy,” he captioned the post. “Happy birthday Ezzie! You are a force for good in the universe. Thanks for that. I love you, Xoxo.”