Michael J. Fox has long lived with complications from his Parkinson’s disease battle, but he remains as stubborn as ever in the face of great difficulty.

Since his diagnosis in the early 1990s, the now-retired actor has become the face of the struggle against the crippling disease, dedicated himself to encouraging research and understanding.

Recently, the Back to the Future star has spoken openly about his difficulties with the condition, acknowledging that his health is deteriorating and declaring that he does not expect to live to be 80 years old.
Historically, the 61-year-old has projected positivity about his Parkinson’s diagnosis, but he has never hidden the toll it has had on his health and well-being.

In a recent interview, Fox addressed his mortality, noting that living with Parkinson’s disease was “getting tougher.”

“I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher,” Fox told CBS Sunday Morning anchor Jane Pauley.

“Every day it’s tougher. But, but, that’s, that’s the way it is. I mean, you know, who do I see about that?”

He also mentioned that he recently underwent spinal surgery after a tumor on his spine was discovered. While it was harmless, it impacted his ability to walk and caused him to tumble.: “[I] broke this arm, and I broke this arm, I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand,” Fox told Pauley.

“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” Fox concluded. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”