Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan share what makes their 34-year marriage work
After 34 years of marriage, Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan have learned quite a few lessons about love, but their secret to maintaining a strong relationship is quite simple.
The couple attended the SXSW premiere of Fox's documentary, "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie," this week and told People what really fuels their enduring bond after all these years.
“I think we really listen to each other. We are there for each other when we need each other,” Pollan said.
The 62-year-old also explained that time together needs to be balanced with time apart.
“And then we also give each other space when that’s needed. Just feeling off of what’s needed at the moment and trying to be there,” she said.
The couple has four children together: a 33-year-old son named Sam, 28-year-old twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, and a 21-year-old daughter Esmé.
Fox, 61, also gave his wife a lot of credit for their family's tight bond.
“Tracy gives our family everything that we need. Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her,” he said.
It's a sentiment that Fox has echoed many times in the past, most recently in November 2022 when he accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
During his speech, the actor said Pollan "made it clear she was with me for the duration" after he received his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Fox then invited his wife up onto the stage and said, “I cannot walk and carry this thing (the award). But I ask Tracy to once again carry the weight.”
While promoting his new documentary, Fox also sat down for an interview with EW and recalled what it was like to watch his iconic film "Back to the Future" a few years ago.
“A few Christmases ago, we were in the living room decorating the tree. I went to the kitchen to get some cookies or something, and when I didn’t come back after like 20 minutes or so, they said, ‘Michael, where the hell are you?’ And I had stopped in front of the TV because I saw the opening scene from ‘Back to the Future,’ and I hadn’t watched it since 1986,” he explained.
“So, I watched the movie. All the kids came in and watched me watch ‘Back to the Future.’ Then they got bored and left,” he added.
The father of four then told his wife why it was such a special moment for him.
“I said to Tracy — it’s the first time I ever said, ‘You know what? I’m pretty good in this movie,’” he recalled. “She said, ‘Yeah, no s---. Welcome to the admiration club.’”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
