Transcript: Michael J. Fox

In Exclusive Interview, Fox Talks To Katie Couric About His Parkinson's Disease Advocacy

(CBS)  Katie Couric: How are you?

Michael J. Fox: I’m fine, thank you.

KC: You've been very busy these days. You've been campaigning for Claire McCaskell in Missouri, you have ads out for the Wisconsin governor’s race. Tell me why you've decided to do this.

MF: It’s a long story. It goes back to 2000 when we first became aware of the potential of this science. I remember in 2000, I wrote a letter to then Governor Bush asking him to come through on his promise of compassion when he got to the office. And then he did limited stem cell in 2001…This summer when then president vetoed the HRA10, which is the legislation (for) stem cell research, with one veto of his presidency chose to veto that, it really stung the hearts of a lot of people counting on this. I knew I'd be involved in 2006

KC: When you did the campaign ad for Claire McCaskill...I've interviewed you on a number of occasions. Tell us what you were experiencing that day and what we're seeing as a result?

MF: Well, on any given day I have a thousand different things I can feel. I go through a million cycles. For example, right now this is a dearth of medication, not by design. I just take it and kicks in when it kicks in. Sometimes it kicks in too hard and then you get what you call dyskinesia, which is that rocking motion.

KC: When you go from side to side… and that’s actually caused by the medication?

MF: That’s caused by the medication. What happens is when you I'm 15 years out from diagnosis, one of the problems with medication, one of the reasons they are looking for cures particularly for Parkinson’s is that the medication only has an efficacy that lasts so long and then at a certain point it ceases to, or it works with horrible side effects, which is the dyskinesia that you see. But on any given day, I can’t design where I'm going to be at any given time. You just take the medication and hope for the best. If it’s humid that day, if you get stressed that day, if you eat the wrong thing, if you have too much protein, it doesn't kick in. It’s just part of living with this. It’s funny the notion that you could calculate it for effect. People with Parkinson’s out there, we're just kind of go...would that we could.

KC: In fact, Rush Limbaugh suggested you had failed to take your medication intentionally so when you did that ad you’d be more symptomatic and therefore, more sympathetic.

MF: The irony of it is, I was too medicated …The thing about being symptomatic is it’s not comfortable. Nobody wants to be symptomatic. It’s like you want to hit yourself with a hammer, you know, you want at all times to be as comfortable as you can be. And at this point now, if I didn’t take medication I wouldn't be able to speak. I’d have a mask face and I wouldn’t be able to speak and I'd lock up and freeze and not be able to move. So there's no time I'm not medicated. It’s just a matter of titrating the medication to make sure it works as best it can. It’s constant throughout the day.. I’m saying, well, I'm going to do something at 2 o'clock so from about ten o’clock on it’s all towards getting to where I need to be at 2. It’s the kind of stuff that people with Parkinson’s live with everyday.

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Watch The Entire Interview
Watch Fox's Political Ad
Stem Cell Crusader
Why Fox Is 'Grateful'
Couric & Co. Blog: My Interview With Michael J. Fox

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KC: Could you have waited to do that ad when you had less dyskinesia, for example?

MF: Well, when do you know that’s going to be? You don’t know when that’s going to be….Funny, my mother was visiting that day, was in the backroom and she was saying throughout the filming of it -- and she was talking to my friends back there-- and she was saying "he's trying so hard to be still" and so she was the one actually when the comments were made, she was the only who was really angry and she said "I can’t even see straight." I said ‘Mom, just relax, it’s okay, don't worry about it. But, it’s just not that simple. That’s why we're doing this. Not only people with Parkinson’s. People who have spinal cord injuries. People who have the ticking clock of ALS, where they waste away, kids who are born with juvenile diabetes, I mean, potentially there’s answers for those people and we're not interested in being exhibitionists with our symptoms or asking for pity or anything else. We're just resolved to get moving with this science. It’s been a long time. It’s not a time neutral observation. It’s not something we can sit back and abstractly talk about. While people are talking about it, there are people attached to this issue, which is one of the reasons I did this. It’s not necessarily the most comfortable thing for me to do and necessarily what I want to be doing. I’ve got 4 kids. I like to be spending time with them, but if it takes seeing a face that people recognize and say ‘hey, I know that guy,’ maybe they'll realize that they know other people. There's 100 million Americans that are either touched by an incurable illness, or know somebody who has incurable illness, or love somebody who has incurable illness. There’s 100 million Americans and most of the American population -- 70 percent -- favor this research because they know what it means. But what happens is you get to an election time and things fall away. And what I hoped was by being that guy that people would say, ‘Hey, I know that guy,’ that we'd 14 days out from an election, be talking about stem cells. And we are. And I'm greatly gratified. And if that means taking a beating from that faction of the media, you know, that’s fine. If bringing the message means the messenger gets roughed up a little bit, I'm happy to be that guy.

KC: What was your reaction when you saw Rush Limbaugh pretty much imitating you on his radio show.

MF: I didn’t see it.

KC: You haven’t seen it?

MF: No, I heard about it. You know, it's one of those things I heard about. My first thought was no, are you kidding me? And then I thought, well, you know I knew there'd be a swift reaction from some reporters and I knew there'd be that celebrity tag, which always kills me because the people who throw that celebrity tag around are themselves such huge celebrities and incredibly well paid celebrities, and you know, really have no more God-given right to have a platform than I do or any American does. We all have a right to speak up and say what we think is right and we all have a right to fight for things that we believe in, and I believe that science should move forward in this country. Science is a big part of the American story, and we need to start writing a new chapter. We've sat on our hands for years and ignored some really critical science, and I just think it’s time we had a conversation about it and said, ‘What are the implications of this?’ What kind of faith do we have in our scientists? Why are we not trusting them? Why are we not trusting our own morality as a nation, our own sense of ethics, to oversee this, to do the right thing (by it?) and to move forward and help people.

KC: Rush Limbaugh, I contacted him because I wanted to fairly represent what he was saying because he believes that that clip was played and his real issues were not represented. So he told me, I called Rush Limbaugh and he told me, "I believe Democrats have a long history of using victims of various things as political spokespeople because they believe they are untouchable, infallible. They are immune from criticism". He went on to say "Michael J Fox is stumping for Democrats in the political arena and is, therefore, open to analysis and criticism as we all are."

MF: Well, first thing, he used the word victim, and in another occasion, I heard him use the word “pitiable. And I don’t understand, nobody in this position wants pity. We don’t want pity. I could give a damn about Rush Limbaugh’s pity or anyone else’s pity. I'm not a victim. I'm someone who’s in this situation. I'm in this situation with millions of other Americans, whether it’s like I said, for Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s, or ALS, or diabetes or spinal cord injury or what have you. And we have a right, if there’s answers out there, to pursue those answers with the full support of our politicians. And so I don't need anyone’s permission to do that. As far as democratic politics go, you know it’s kind of funny, because the argument that I heard from that quarter, was first, that I was manipulating it, that I was a con-man essentially, and I didn’t have the symptoms and was putting them on, so I was perpetrating fraud. And when he backed off then, then it became that I was a dupe of the, a shill for the Democrats, that I was being exploited. And the truth is, I've been involved with this issue since 2000. And in the meantime, separate and apart from my political involvement, I've started a foundation that’s raised $85 million for research and is the second leading fundraiser for Parkinson’s research after the federal government. And um, you know, I'm not a Johnny-come-lately. No one plucked me off the apple cart to come and do this. I mean, I believe in this cause. I’ve put a lot of my life and energy into it, and we're serious about it.

KC: You have said before, this is a bi-partisan problem that requires a bi-partisan solution.

MF: Disease is a non-partisan problem that requires a bi-partisan solution.

KC: Would you support a Republican candidate?

MF: I have. Arlen Specter is my guy. I've campaigned for Arlen specter. He's been a fantastic champion of stem cell research. I've spoken alongside Mike Castle, who's a Republican Congressman. Absolutely. This is not about red states and blue states. This is not about Democrats and Republicans. This is about claiming our place as the scientific leader in scientific research and moving forward and helping our citizens. That’s all it. It’s that simple.

[bttf4444]

I agree that it's not right to bash all Republicans. Not all Republicans are as hateful and intolerant as Rush Limbaugh. Also, let's not forget that Michael J Fox played a Republican on Family Ties. I think Alex P Keaton would be horrified by the hatred and intolerance that some extreme Republicans spew out.

[aplfalcon]

It's really frustrating for me to watching people like Rush Limbaugh try to politicize these things at the expense of others who are directly affected by them. Really sad. And inflammatory. And polarizing. I mean, look at the other comments on this page! People are posting about how they hate Republicans and how the so-called "Liberal" media is all but gone. It serves no purpose to start or continue hating Republicans and other groups of people, especially when it comes to making choices about issues like Stem-Cell research. It only bogs down the process and makes finding solutions and cures to these problems more difficult. Thanks for conducting this interview.

[gstark31047]

Smooth move MJF.
Not a victim, but playing it to the hilt.
State your case all day and night why you support stem cell reseach and no one, even Rush Limbaugh, would have commented one bit.
But you crossed the line when you attacked Jim Talent saying that he wants to criminalize research. He supports adult stem cells, but not embryonic stem cells research. Spend all the money you want from your foundation on this type of research. Just don't ask overtaxed voters to spend government money on research they find immoral and unethical, and to-date worthless in finding a cure for anything. Your Democratic friend started a war on Poverty in the 60's that has yet to won. Why should we expect better results this time?

[tcanter2005]

I was outraged by the comments from Mr. Limbaugh regarding Michael's movements were faked and he was acting! I seen some of the interview with Michael and was mesmerized by the movement because my husband has involuntary movement of his body exactly like Michael and suffers daily from a disease called Dystonia and has choriform movement which is associated with Parksisons. For Limbaugh to mimick and say Michael was faking or acting sickens me because I felt he was bashing my husband as well. Just imagine Mr. Limbaugh if it were your loved one -spouse, child, grandchild that needed a cure for such disabling diseases that have no cure...Would you look at them and mimick and tell them Oh, your faking or acting? I would think not, I would think that you would want to tap into every available resource-research and have a powerful spokesperson to find a cure and help your loved ones or someone that needs a cure. If you Mr. Limbaugh or a loved one or someone you knew had Parkinsons or a movement disorder or other diseases that stem cell research could help that had no cure on a daily basis and know that when you take them to the doctor that they are not going to get better EVER without research to help find a cure then I bet you would change your tune then! Your ignorance sickens me and god help you if you ever need to find a cure for some disease that you would develop.

[sjh755]

If you do not support stem cell research, you are ignorant and need to do some research of your own. MJF is right on the money...through in-vitro fertilization (which I've never heard anyone have a problem with), there are always left-overs that are thrown away. Stem cell research simply gives embryos a chance to make a difference (a HUGE difference) before they are thrown away anyway.

[bttf4444]

Dear Michael,

My heart really goes out for you. Just keep your faith. I hope that one day a cure for PD can be found. I really enjoy watching you in the Back to the Future Trilogy. I feel so bad that Rush Limbaugh and some of the others feel the need to take shots at you. You are such a sweet man, and you do exude peace and harmony. You definitely have my support.

Hugs! :)

[fgcarter]

I have Parkinson's disease and was infuriated when I saw the commercial and then heard Mr Limbaugh's remarks; but I relented when it occurred to me that there is just no telling what kind of pills Mr. Limbaugh may have been on.

[t_thibaud]

A pleasant surprise. I'm not a fan of TV news, have never particularly cared for Ms Couric and generally find celebrities' political views risible. But this interview was fair, solid, thorough and gave Mr Fox a chance to presnt his case. Which he did, coherently and with grace under pressure. This was a service to the nation. Please do more such interviews.

[madashell7]

If you want fair and balanced, watch PBS for the evening news. It is the bane of the Republican party. They do not have corporate advertisers, ie: Republicans telling them what they can report. Go PBS!

[smallpint]

The people out there that just judge and don't even know that facts on a certain illness. I am glad they have done research on alot of things because I would not be here today if they didn't. I was dignoised with hodgekins lymphoma in 2003. I am glad that research is as far as it is. I am now on my third year of remission. I have my first grandson and I am going to be able to watch him grow up now,thanks to all the research people. Thank You michael for speaking out. For one thing michael is not a pitty person at all. I believe his reason is to teach and learn from his misfortune. Which I install on alot of kids about smoking and telling them the what chemo is all about the pain the discomfort and all the goery stuff to get through at least one child not to smoke. Kids hear chemo but no nothing about it at all. thank you katie for doing this interview.

[bobcratchett-2009]

Ok maybe it%u2019s just me but does anyone else see the Ebenezer Scrooge & Tiny Tim parallel here. Well do you?

The public wants things to work out for Tiny Tim. The public empathizes with Tiny Tim & the public sympathizes with Tiny Tim. Moreover this is even deeply embedded in the cultural psyche of the country & its people via the tales of Charles Dickens.

Additionally, it%u2019s simply human nature. The public simply wants everything in the world to go well for Tiny Tim. The public is pulling for Tiny Tim to get off those crutches & walk. The public wants Tiny Tim to have a wonderful life and a bright future and for everything in the world to go well for Tiny Tim. The public yearns for Tiny Tim to be able to run, and jump, and play just like the other children and to have a happy childhood, and, a full life.

If we can say one thing about the fictional character that Charles Dickens wrote into history in that of Ebenezer Scrooge in that while Scrooge may have been self centered and greedy he certainly was not as obnoxious, arrogant, egotistical, cold hearted, and, out rightly utterly despicable & disgusting as one Rush Limbaugh.

-The End-

[madashell7]

The Liberal Media? It no longer exsists. The Bush Regime took care of that. Rupert Murdoch, need I say more? Liberal stands for freedom of speech and the filthy Republicans can't have that. They need the cloack of darkness to do their evil dirty work. Shed light on them and they run like roaches for cover. Filthy things they are just filthy.

[sarumcastle]

Michael J. Fox has shown himself to be intelligent, effective, articulate and passionate. He has done more for cogent discussion on stem cell research in this interview than we have seen for a long time from our politicians. Congratulations to Michael J. Fox and Katie Couric on a great interchange. Fantastic! This type of news reporting is wonderful, and I really appreciated being able to see the whole interview after the snippets on the main news program. Michael is right. We have wasted eight years, let's not waste any more time on this. Let the scientists have at it by releasing the required Federal funding. The States and the private companies can't do it alone.

[kgoss227]

I was so pleased to see your interview with Michael J. Fox concerning his endorsement of stem cell research on recent political commercials.
My family knows first hand how devastating the effects of Parkinson%u2019s Disease can be. My husband%u2019s brother developed the symptoms of Parkinson%u2019s when he was in his thirties. When he was incarcerated for a non-violent crime, both the trial judge and his jailers believed that he was faking the symptoms. For a time they denied him his medication and we believed hastened his death.
Recently another brother has been diagnosed with Parkinson%u2019s Disease.
Michael J. Fox is undoubtedly brave to put himself before the camera to advocate stem cell research.
Thanks to him and to Katie.

[cholerica]

Only thing I can say: This add should be shown in Europe as well. The more support there is from sane people with the right basis for judgigng it the faster the right decision pro stem cell research will be taken. People with difficulties in supportting this but rather hide behind some religious thinking shoukld really sit down, close their eyes and try to imagine what it is like.

[gr8malaprop]

It never ceases to amaze me how far the liberal media will go to defend their bias. No wonder you are loosing such a large share of the news. M.J. Fox should be ashamed of himself. He has done so much harm to the cause of Parkinson's Disease. How do you think people view those who have Parkinson's Disease now. They probably think that people with Parkinson's Disease don't think that those who do not have the disease do not care for their plight. I know that is the way that I feel. M.J. Fox thinks I don't care aboutr his plight because I do not believe in killing the innocent to save his life. That is what it amounts to.

[joeshields56]

transcript error:

MF: "...%u2018No, I think this is the right thing to do,%u2019 to very carefully tread these waters, to save these lives, then you have to respect that too. And I don%u2019t resort to name-calling or inflammatory language or, mocking, or whatever you need to do to just have a discussion about it. And we%u2019ll see what happens. "

should be "And don%u2019t resort ..." NOT "And I don%u2019t resort ..."

it was a very impressive remark and should be quoted correctly.

[helpself1]

What's the diffrents between people like myself that are organ donors that offer ourselves to help other people,when something was to happen to myself so they can harvest the parts to save my fellow americans in need. Stems cell research is the beganing of life, where being a organ donor is at the end of life. I myself has a diease of the brain called (bi-polar)i would love to be cured of this myself.But it takes research, we must learn how to find the ways to correct these and many more medicial problems that this nations faces on daily bases.i salute Mr. Fox for his bravery to stand up for the rest of us that stand in the shadows.

[saddennison]

Great interview. The fact that we are all free to say and do as we like, this interview was very emotional for me and I can understand the difficulties people have with Parkinson's. I support stem cell research.