Making his professional acting debut in Leo and Me (1981), at the age of 15, Michael J. Fox bagged some attention and fame throughout his career. Although he hasn’t acted since 2020 because of his Parkinson’s disease, Fox recently spoke with PEOPLE magazine to reflect on today’s entertainment industry and compare it to his rise to fame in the ‘80s.
Making his opinions clear during his interview, Michael J. Fox seemingly sparked some controversies with his comments about newer celebrities. Stating that people who became famous during the 1980s were much “tougher” than today’s actors, Fox’s comments about older stars being more talented seemingly upset GenZs.
Michael J. Fox Compares 80s Hollywood with Today’s Industry
Rising to stardom in the 80s, Michael J. Fox recently appeared for an interview with PEOPLE magazine for its 50th anniversary. Leaving behind his acting career in 2020 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the actor shared some controversial opinions during his interview, as he reflected upon the entertainment industry.
Comparing today’s film industry with 80s Hollywood, Michael J. Fox began by stating that the celebrities who rose to fame during the 1980s were much “tougher” than the recent ones. Blaming social media for giving people access to easy fame, Fox claimed that newer celebrities are not as skilled as their predecessors.
“There’s an expression I referred to when they gave me an honorary Academy Award — somebody said to me the day before, they were talking about getting this award and being famous and they said ‘You’re ‘80s famous’. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’ ‘80s famous.”
“Right, we were different. We were tougher. We didn’t have social media, we didn’t have any of that crap. We were just famous. Left to our own resources. And it was an amazing time.”
Appearing to be grateful to be able to differentiate himself from the newer generation of actors, Michael J. Fox seemingly sparked controversies as his blatant comments appeared highly disrespectful to GenZ.
Fox Believes Older Actors are More Talented Than the New Ones
During his interview with PEOPLE, Michael J. Fox further opened up about the hardships of being an actor during the 80s. Asked about his journey towards fame, Fox claimed that people had to be “talented” back then to be able to succeed, unlike today’s social media-fueled entertainment industry.
“Well, you had to be talented. That helped. We used to bust our ass, our acting muscles, and watch other actors and sit around with other actors and talk about acting and talk about it.”
Discussing how tough it was back in the 80s to earn fame and propel one’s career, Michael J. Fox seemingly mocked today’s actors. Claiming that the industry today has become more focused on fame rather than real talent, Fox appeared to discredit the abilities of the younger actors. Shifting the spotlight entirely towards his generation of stars, Fox implied that old actors were more talented than the new ones.
“And now you’ve got people who just go like, ‘Who’s your sweater? What’s your sweater you’re wearing? And what’s that dance step?’ And you’re the most famous person in the world.”
No matter how valid Michael J. Fox’s comments are, they appear crude enough to upset GenZ, because of his absolute disregard towards the ones who are actually working hard, even in today’s world. It seems Fox’s opinions might later spark a debate about Hollywood’s evolution and the change in the definition of talent.
