Michael J. Fox joined Apple TV comedy “Shrinking,” portraying a character who helps Harrison Ford‘s Dr. Paul Rhoades come to terms with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
Together, the two actors brought viewers an unusually frank and often funny look at life with Parkinson’s.
Now, the pair are joining forces to bring the same candor and chemistry to a new Parkinson’s brand awareness campaign from The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
‘So… Your Friend Has Parkinson’s’
In a just-released PSA, the two tackle a deceptively simple question: How do you show up for someone living with Parkinson’s?
In the video, titled “So…Your Friend Has Parkinson’s,” Fox and Ford engage in “a candid conversation about showing up for a friend with Parkinson’s — from navigating changes in handwriting to staying connected and helping counter social isolation,” notes a press release.
“The video taps into the chemistry Michael and Harrison share in the Apple TV Emmy-nominated series ‘Shrinking.’ It uses gentle humor to bring the urgency — and tremendous promise — of Parkinson’s research to a broad audience,” the release continues, noting that Parkinson’s is the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease, affecting more than 6 million people worldwide.
Honesty and Humor
EntertainmentNowIn a statement, the “Star Wars” icon explained why he felt it was important to take on this new endeavor.
“Michael has a remarkable way of making difficult things easier to talk about, and that’s part of what makes working with him and being his friend so special. We wanted to bring some of that honesty and humor to a conversation that a lot of people may not know how to have,” Ford said in a statement.
“Parkinson’s affects millions of people, and sometimes the best thing you can do is simply be there,” Ford added. “I’m glad we can use this campaign to help people feel a little more comfortable having those conversations, and to support the important work of The Michael J. Fox Foundation.”
Ryan Reynolds’ Connection
Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for DisneyThe PSA was conceived and created by Maximum Effort, the advertising agency founded by Fox’s fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds.
The spot, states Maximum Effort, “uses humor and the genuine chemistry between Fox and Ford to make conversations around Parkinson’s feel more approachable and get people talking about what it actually means to support someone living with the disease.”
The Michael J. Fox Foundation
GettyThe “Back to the Future” star was diagnosed with Parkinson’s back in the 1990s.
Ever since then, he’s worked tirelessly to find a cure by raising money for research through the foundation that he launched.
“The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today,” states the foundation’s website. “The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) exists for one reason: to accelerate the next generation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatments.”
In a February 2026 interview with Time, Fox explained why he felt the need to create his foundation.
“I was motivated by what I heard from the science people who said that the science is ahead of the money,” he said. “They said, ‘If you can direct money toward the right research, we can speed things along.’ And then I was touched and motivated by the patient community. They just needed someone to step in and push things along.”
