Michael J. Fox (left) and Bill Lawrence.Photo:Terry Wyatt/Getty; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Terry Wyatt/Getty; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Bill Lawrencefound inspiration forShrinkingfromMichael J. Foxand his journey withParkinson’s.
At the Dec. 12 “An Evening withShrinkingat PaleyLive” event, Lawrence, 55, told PEOPLE that he and co-creatorBrett Goldsteinboth have a “deep history” with the disease, citing how both their fathers have Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s is “a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination,” per theNational Institute of Aging.
“It’s cool to get to write about things you care about now," he said. “And Michael J. Fox is my first mentor. So we wanted to represent it in hopefully an inspiring and not sad or tragic way.”
Fox, 63, starred in the first show Lawrence co-created:Spin City.During the series' six-season run from 1996–2002, Fox publicly revealedhis Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1998.
Bill Lawrence on December 12, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Lawrence explained that for the upcoming third season, he became “obsessed with showing the portrait of living with it.”
“I found the first mentor in my life and career, Michael J. Fox, to be so inspiring with the way he took it in stride and continues to work harder than anybody I know,” he said. “And we want to kind of carry that spirit if we can into the show.”
“I suck in the inspiring people around me, and I steal from them as much as I possibly can,” he added before crediting Fox as the first collaborator he pulled from.
Michael J. Fox on November 16, 2024 in New York City.Noam Galai/Getty
Noam Galai/Getty
Lawrence also noted that audiences’ reaction to the series’ uplifting tone “means the world to [him] that people find it emotionally affecting and uplifting.”
Ford also spoke with PEOPLE at the Dec. 12 event and explained that he takes the responsibility of telling the story about someone diagnosed with Parkinson’s“deadly f—ing seriously.”
“There are people that absorb these kinds of experiences with grace and courage and a little bit of wisdom,” he said. “It’s just to say that this is a person particularly equipped to communicate what it’s like, and that is something that I feel that is worth sharing with our audience.”
“I feel like I’m telling a story,” Ford explained. “The story I’m telling is a story that I know, and so I can just simply feel it.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
source: people.com
