Michael J. Fox has earned countless accolades over the years for his groundbreaking acting career, but when you ask him, none of them compare to being a father. The Back to the Future star proudly claims that fatherhood is his most rewarding role to date. Despite decades of fame and recognition, it’s his family that truly fills him with pride.

In a candid interview with Reader’s Digest, Fox joked about life at home with his wife of over 30 years, Tracy Pollan. Together, they share four children, but Fox laughs that sometimes it “feels like five.” The actor’s humor about parenthood is matched by his heartfelt commitment to his role as a dad.

When asked about his parenting philosophy, Fox shared some simple yet powerful advice: “Always be available to your kids.” He elaborated, saying that telling your child, “Give me five minutes” usually turns into ten, fifteen, or more. By then, he warns, “whatever it was they wanted to share with you will have faded.” In his experience, dropping everything for those moments has always paid off. “I have never awoken to see something my children have wanted to show me and not been rewarded,” Fox emphasized.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 but didn’t reveal his condition publicly until seven years later. In a 2009 Good Housekeeping interview, he opened up about how his family responded to his illness. He shared that his children instinctively step up without hesitation. “They’ll just do it and carry on if I’m reaching for something,” he explained. “They’ve learned empathy, resilience, and how to distinguish what’s important from what’s not—things like vanity.”

His family has always remained at the center of his life, and his four children are frequently featured on his social media. In a heartfelt Mother’s Day tribute in 2022, Fox praised Pollan, crediting her for their children’s best qualities. “Our children are beautiful, sensitive, intelligent, empathetic, independent, compassionate, adventurous, lovely people,” he wrote. “You are to blame for that. We all adore you incredibly. Cheers to Mother’s Day!”

Fox’s family even appears in his 2023 documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Speaking with PEOPLE about the project, he revealed that his kids had mixed feelings about the cameras. “They all granted me their consent,” he said. “And after that, on several occasions, they withdrew their consent.” Ultimately, though, they stood by his decision to share his story.

Meet Michael J. Fox’s Four Children

Sam Michael Fox (35)
Born May 30, 1989, Sam is the eldest of the Fox children. Fox once shared that he and Tracy were thrilled about becoming parents for the first time. In December 1989, Fox recalled, “We did the whole womb music thing, where we put headphones on Tracy’s stomach and played everything from Vivaldi to the Allman Brothers.”

Sam is often seen side-by-side with his dad, and the resemblance is uncanny. In a birthday message from 2021, Fox wrote, “From my POV, you’re not getting older, you’re just getting taller.” He affectionately called Sam “@palekidd” and added, “I cherish you.”

Like his father, Sam works in the entertainment industry. His credits include producing the short film Good Grief, Ben Barnes’s music video 11:11, and Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. For Sam’s 34th birthday in May 2023, Fox shared photos of the two on a boat, captioned, “You are the greatest, my big, bouncy baby boy. I’m glad to be your father.”

Aquinnah Kathleen Fox (29)
Aquinnah and her twin sister Schuyler were born on February 15, 1995. According to her LinkedIn, Aquinnah graduated from Duke University with studies in psychology, visual and media studies, and art history. She also participated in Duke’s ballet program.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Aquinnah works as an assistant at Annapurna Pictures. Previously, she worked as a brand and marketing consultant in New York City. Fox frequently posts photos of his twins, and on their 29th birthday, he captioned a photo, “Twice as much affection. Greetings on your birthday. You’re doing well. I love you, Doods.”

Schuyler Frances Fox (29)
Schuyler, Aquinnah’s twin, pursued a degree in psychology from Pomona College. She worked as a project coordinator at Columbia University Medical Center before earning her Master of Education from Harvard University. She’s now an assistant producer in Massachusetts.

Both sisters prefer a low profile and keep their social media accounts private. However, they joined their parents on the red carpet in June 2023 at the Spring Moving Image Awards, where Fox received a lifetime achievement honor.

Esmé Annabelle Fox (22)
The youngest of the family, Esmé Annabelle Fox, was born on November 3, 2001. She’s the most private of the siblings but made headlines when Fox mentioned in 2019 that she was heading off to college. “We will be empty nesters because our youngest is off to college, so we’re going to travel some!” Fox shared during a Michael J. Fox Foundation event.

Fox’s social media occasionally features Esmé. In September 2020, he posted a photo of her with her sisters for National Daughters Day. On her 20th birthday in 2021, he wrote, “20 years of joy, happy birthday Ezzie! In the cosmos, you are a positive force.”

Esmé is currently attending Duke University, just like her older sister Aquinnah.

Despite the highs and lows, Fox’s love for his family remains unwavering. In 2022, he shared the heartbreaking news of his mother Phyllis Fox’s passing at 92, marking a difficult time for the entire family.

Michael J. Fox has dedicated his life to Parkinson’s disease research, raising over $2 billion toward finding a cure. But his greatest legacy, without a doubt, is the close-knit family he’s built with Tracy Pollan.