New York – The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease that all but ended Michael J. Fox’s acting career are making him a powerfully vulnerable campaign pitchman for several Democrats who support stem-cell research.
In 30-second TV ads for Rep. Benjamin Cardin, running for the Senate in Maryland, Senate candidate Claire McCaskill in Missouri and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, Fox shakes and rocks as he directly addresses the camera, making no effort to hide the effects of his disease.
He also was planning to appear at events for Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Tammy Duckworth, a candidate for Congress from Illinois.
Fox revealed his condition publicly in 1998. In 2000, the “Spin City” and “Back to the Future” star quit full-time acting because of his symptoms.
