Michael J. Fox Gets Emmy Nom for 'Shrinking' Role
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Michael J. Fox earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his guest-star role on Apple TV's "Shrinking," ending a five-year acting retirement he announced in 2020.
- The 78th annual Emmy Award nominations were revealed Wednesday, placing Fox in a category that also includes Brett Goldstein (another "Shrinking" actor), Hamish Linklater ("Widow's Bay"), Christopher McDonald ("Hacks"), Rob Reiner ("The Bear") and Connor Storrie ("SNL").
- Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 and publicly disclosed it in 1998, told the LA Times his 2020 retirement decision was "non-emotional and kind of ok" shortly before "Shrinking" Season 3 debuted in late January.
- It was Fox who initiated his return, reaching out to "Shrinking" co-creator Bill Lawrence and saying, "You did a show about Parkinson's, and you didn't call me?" — after which Lawrence developed a role specifically for him.
- Fox first retired from acting in 2000 during "Spin City" Season 4 when Parkinson's symptoms made set work difficult; he was later lured back by Lawrence for "Scrubs" and built a niche playing characters whose conditions were written into the parts.
- Cross-coverage from Deadline flags Apple TV+ as posting its most Emmy nominations ever this cycle, contextualizing Fox's "Shrinking" nod as part of a record-setting awards haul for the streamer while a separate Deadline piece spotlights first-time nominee Connor Storrie.
Why it matters: Fox's nomination closes the loop on a career arc in which Parkinson's symptoms forced him off "Spin City" in 2000 and ultimately led to his 2020 retirement — making a comeback role his most viable path back to award recognition. Cross-coverage shows the nomination lands within Apple TV+'s strongest Emmy cycle on record, while the guest-actor category pits two "Shrinking" performers against each other.
