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Michael J. Fox confident about acting return

Jan 11, 2013, 15:01 GMT

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox believes as long as he plays a character with Parkinson's disease, he can do 'anything'.

The 51-year-old star, who has the degenerative illness, has opened up about his as-yet untitled sitcom for NBC and joked he's still interested in acting - especially if the role requires him to deal with the same health problem.

Speaking on 'The Late Show With David Letterman' on Thursday (10.01.13), Michael mused: 'I wasn't doing a lot of work ... I just thought, 'As long as I play a guy with Parkinson's, I can do anything,' ' which resulted in a roar of laughter from the audience.

The Canadian actor has made cameos on 'The Good Wife' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' since he retired from hit show 'Spin City' 12 years ago due to his ill health and admits he is 'excited' to make his return to TV - playing a character who suffers from the same disease.

He recently said: 'I wake up every day and I feel good and if I don't go forward with something like this, it's another day wasted when I should be doing what I'm doing.

'I'm really excited about [the show]. It's a great idea and it's a great group of people I'm working with and NBC has been really supportive of the idea.'

Michael - who has son Sam, 23, twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 17 and 11-year-old daughter Esme with wife and 'Family Ties' co-star Tracy Pollen - has been a keen fundraiser in helping Parkinson's research over the last decade and while he is coping with it, he feels sorry for those who are struggling.

He said: 'It's a really devastating illness for some people. We'd really like to figure it out.'