Michael J Fox has revealed that he first fell in love with his now wife, Tracy Pollan, when she called him out for being a “f***ing a**hole”.
In his new Apple TV + documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, the actor recalled how he first met Pollan in 1985, when they worked together on his hit show, Family Ties. He confessed that while they were on set at the time, he made a joke about the smell of her breath.
“One day, we broke for lunch. After lunch, we picked up where we left off,” Fox said. “The moment she said her first line, I detected a hint of garlic and sensed an opportunity to have a little fun at her expense. ‘Whoa, a little scampi for lunch, babe?’”
The Back to the Future star said that Pollan wasn’t amused by his comment, before he explained how she called him out for being unkind.
“At first she said nothing. Her expression didn’t even change,” he continued. “But looking me dead in the eyes she said slowly, ‘That was mean and rude, and you’re a complete and total f**king a**hole.’”
He also noted how surprised he was by Pollan’s remarks towards him.
“Nobody talked to me that way,” he added. “This woman was completely unintimidated by whoever I thought I was. A pig is a pig no matter how many hit movies he’s just had.”
When asked if he was a d*** at the time, Fox responded: “I was a bit of a d***.”
Fox went on to reveal that during this moment when he thought Pollan was insulting him, that’s when he knew that he had fallen for her.
“She was joking, but I didn’t get it because no one would ever joke with me like that,” he said. “I was not the butt of any jokes. She just poked through that, like, you’re a scared little kid and I’ll just call you out. In that moment, I fell in love with her.”
In 1987, the pair went to New York City together to work on their film, Bright Lights, Big City, and started their relationship.
“We’d hang out on the set together,” he said in his documentary. “She had a front-row seat to view the whirlwind that my life had become. Tracy appreciated the toll I was taking.”
The Spin City star acknowledged how his feelings for Pollan continued to get stronger, adding: “Once we got together, I just, was the most in love person. I still am.”
Fox and Pollan officially tied the knot in 1988, before welcoming their son, Sam, in 1989. They also share 28-year-old twins, Schuyler and Aquinnah, and a 21-year-old daughter, Esmé.
Earlier this year, the pair opened up about their marriage of 34 years. During an interview with People, Pollan describe what one of the keys to her successful relationship has been,
“I think we really listen to each other, we are there for each other when we need each other,” she said. “And then we also give each other space when that’s needed. Just feeling off of what’s needed at the moment and trying to be there.”
Fox also acknowledged how his spouse has supported him and their children.
“Tracy gives our family everything that we need. Any good in our family, anything good that we do, comes from her,” he said.