Michael J. Fox calls daughter Esmé 'our renaissance gal': 'You do it all'
Michael J. Fox is best-known for acting roles on hits including "Back to the Future" and "Family Ties," but at home, his biggest role is being a dad.
Fox and his wife Tracy Pollan are the parents of four children: Sam, Aquinnah, Schuyler and Esme.
When Fox, a longtime advocate for Parkinson's disease research, received the Medal of Freedom at the White House on Jan. 4, his entire family was present to watch him receive the prestigious honor
"WOW. Did this happen? Lots of thanks to everybody including Tracy and the kids. I am truly humbled," Fox captioned a photo he shared on Instagram of himself and his family posing at the White House with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 and, after going public with his diagnosis several years later, went on to found The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
In November, all four of Fox's kids and Pollan were by his side to raise money for Parkinson's research at the foundation's annual gala in New York City.
In 2013, the actor spoke with Good Housekeeping about the lessons he hopes his kids have learned from him.
"... What I have taught them is an appreciation for their life, respect for other people, and a curiosity about what's possible and what they can do," he said. "And that's enough. They don't have to take a beating just because I took a beating, and they don't have to dance on the roof of a limo just because I did. They can have their own experience and learn from that."
Get to know the Fox family below.
Tracy Pollan
Fox opened up during that interview about the first time he met his wife and revealed it wasn't the friendliest of encounters from the get-go.
"Tracy just started the show and we were doing a scene, and we'd come back from lunch ... we met during the scene and I noticed she had … a little garlic breath," Fox recalled at the time. "And I said, 'Scampi for lunch, babe?' And it was this girl from New York who said 'You're an a------.'"
Despite the rocky start, the two hit it off, and the couple married in 1988. Pollan called her husband "the love of my life" in a July 2020 Instagram post celebrating their anniversary, and in 2023, they marked 35 years together.
"Here's to many more glorious adventures together. I could not love you more💗," Pollan wrote in part in another July 2023 Instagram post.
In addition to acting, Pollan is also a cookbook author and released "Mostly Plants: 101 Delicious Flexitarian Recipes from the Pollan Family" in 2019, which she co-authored with her siblings and mother Corky Pollan.
Sam Michael Fox
A year after marrying, Fox and Pollan welcomed their first child -- son Sam -- in May 1989.
The actor celebrated his only son and called him his "best friend" in a May 2024 birthday tribute on Instagram.
"Sam, what a trip it's been. From the boy who had questions about everything to the man who has so many answers and still more questions. I love you," he wrote in a caption next to a photo of Sam Fox blowing out four candles on a chocolate-frosted birthday cake.
"Oh yeah, thanks for all the laughs. You are my best friend and only son. Happy birthday!" he concluded.
Aquinnah Kathleen Fox and Schuyler Frances Fox
In February 1995, Fox and Pollan welcomed twin daughters Aquinnah Fox and Schuyler Fox.
In a June 2020 Instagram post, Michael J. Fox shared a group photo of his entire family together and referred to himself in the accompanying caption simply as a "lucky dad."
When Aquinnah and Schuyler turned 25 in February 2020, Pollan called herself "the luckiest mom in the world" in a celebratory Instagram post.
Esmé Annabelle Fox
They youngest of the Fox kids, Esmé was born Nov. 3, 2001.
Fox told Good Housekeeping in 2013 that he sees a lot of himself in Esmé.
"My littlest one, Esmé, is the most like me. She's always reading a book, editing a movie on her computer, or dressing up; when we go on vacation, she writes a book about what she has seen," he told the magazine. "She's got that curiosity and that joy that I had, in spite of some of the things I've had to deal with. And I still have that now. "
On Nov. 3, 2024, Fox celebrated his daughter's 23rd birthday with a series of photos of her on Instagram, writing, "Esme, Happy birthday to our renaissance gal. You do it all. Your Dood loves you very much..Who doesn’t? Keep living your best life. 😍♥️"
Pollan wrote also celebrated their daughter's birthday, writing on Instagram, "I love you @esmeannabelle Happy Birthday!!! I love absolutely everything about you and I am blessed to be able to explore the world with you! You are my heart 💜"
