Celebs Who Have Been Open About Their Experience With Parkinson's Disease

When a celebrity is honest about what it's like to live with Parkinson's disease, they make numerous positive changes. To get the biggest one out of the way: A celebrity's influence can go a long way in raising awareness about the condition. About 1.1 million people in the U.S. have Parkinson's disease, and it's commonly discussed in the media, so it's definitely more widely known than some other diseases. In fact, a 2025 survey published in BMC Public Health showed that 92.9% of respondents correctly recognized Parkinson's disease as a neurological disorder, and many were even aware that tremors and difficulty in movement are among its symptoms. 

However, respondents had limited awareness of non-motor symptoms like chronic fatigue, and a meager 42% said they knew of treatments that help manage the symptoms of the incurable condition. It's easy to see how a celebrity can bridge both of those gaps by being candid about their experiences with Parkinson's disease. Additionally, hearing a celebrity talk about their symptoms can encourage people who have similar experiences to have conversations with their doctors. 

Of course, the benefits of celebrities talking about the condition don't just extend to awareness. Many celebrities have used their influence to raise money for Parkinson's disease. One of the most notable philanthropic names in this regard is Michael J. Fox, whose namesake foundation has raised over $2.5 billion for Parkinson's disease research in the two decades following its inception. Over the years, Fox and numerous other celebrities, like Valerie Perrine and Billy Connolly, have also used their influence to shine a light on the lesser-talked-about aspects of living with Parkinson's disease. 

In the 2023 documentary "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie" (via Entertainment Tonight), Michael J. Fox recalled how he had first noticed a tremor in his pinky finger one morning in 1990 after going out drinking with Woody Harrelson the night before. After some testing, he was officially diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease the following year at the age of 29. As the years went by, Fox remained vocal about what life is like for him as a celebrity who has been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

The "Back to the Future" star described the pain that comes with the condition to The Times the same year, saying, "It's not so much pain from the movement, but from the not moving." He continued, "It's when you freeze, and in that freezing that not-movement becomes infused with all this energy and it becomes this burning, impending thing that never happens." Fox also revealed that he's broken numerous bones over the years, including his elbow, shoulder, facial bones and both of his humeri. 

During an April 2023 chat with CBS News, the comedian shared that many of his falls had been due to the balance issues he endured following a spinal surgery for the removal of a tumor. Fox then said that falling, aspirating food, and getting pneumonia are some of the biggest problems that come with the disease for him. After going through the many stages of Parkinson's disease over the years, Fox couldn't help but reflect on his mortality and ultimately feels that he won't live to see his 80th birthday.

During a July 2018 appearance on "CBS Mornings," Alan Alda revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease around 2015. Two years later, the "M*A*S*H" alum recalled to AARP how he had read an article suggesting that one of the early symptoms of Parkinson's disease is physically performing what you're doing in a dream while you're asleep. After reading the article, Alda realized that he had experienced that exact symptom when he had thrown a pillow at his wife while dreaming that he was launching something at someone. 

Although his doctor initially deterred him from undergoing tests because he had no other symptoms, Alda stood his ground, and his suspicions were soon confirmed. The "Tower Heist" star adopted a positive attitude from the get-go, and shortly after receiving his diagnosis, he prioritized exercising to stave off the symptoms. But even as his symptoms have progressed, Alda has remained positive. 

During a May 2025 chat with People, Alda offered an update on his condition, saying, "Almost every day I'm finding a new way to do something." He added, "It's a little like a game. I've found whatever the little problem is, if I keep at it, I can eventually solve it, and then I feel like a million bucks." According to Alda, remembering all these nifty solutions is a full-time job in and of itself, but he doesn't seem to mind it because it helps him find the humor in his health issues.

The late "Superman" actor Valerie Perrine, who died in March 2026 at age 82, shared during a July 2025 chat with Parkinson's Europe that while she was carrying plates for a scene in a film, the crew noticed that her hands were constantly shaking. Initially, she was diagnosed with essential tremors, a non-life-threatening disease that causes uncontrollable trembling. It would take several years for doctors to realize that the "Lenny" star had Parkinson's disease. 

For a long time thereafter, Perrine kept her diagnosis under wraps because she wanted to continue working. In the 2019 documentary short "Valerie," she shared that she'd decided to open up about her diagnosis because she wanted people to know that she had no choice but to retire due to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. As her condition progressed, Perrine was unable to walk, talk, write, or do her own makeup. She retired from acting in 2015 when she was in her early 70s. 

During her chat with Parkinson's Europe, Perrine said that she had been able to deal with the symptoms with the help of medication, deep brain stimulation, marijuana, and her longstanding mindset. "I've always lived in the moment," Perrine said. "I don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. I try to live for today, and Parkinson's hasn't changed that." According to a December 2017 Inside Edition clip, Perrine had successfully undergone brain surgery to reduce her tremors, and she'd required dental surgery because her Parkinson's disease medication had caused her teeth to fall out.

Ed Begley Jr. is likely one of the many celebrities you never knew had Parkinson's disease. During a February 2024 appearance on the "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast, the "St. Elsewhere" star shared that his first Parkinson's disease symptoms showed up in 2004 in the form of balance issues and a loss of taste and smell. However, at the time, doctors wrote off his symptoms as brain lesions. In 2016, over a decade later, he developed tremors and speech issues, which prompted him to go to a speech therapist, who brought up Parkinson's disease. 

Speaking to People in March 2026, the "She-Devil" star admitted that he initially saw his diagnosis as a "death sentence" and had asked his neurologist if he would live for another five years. Begley Jr. even told his wife and adult children that they wouldn't see him around for much longer. However, nearly a decade after his diagnosis, Begley Jr. was admittedly coping with his diagnosis well.

The environmentalist shared with Ability Magazine that he had been able to manage some of his symptoms through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes like eating a nutrient-rich diet and working out every day. Begley Jr.'s treatment had worked well enough that people he had worked with had no idea that he had Parkinson's disease. Ultimately, he had a few simple words to say about his condition: "You can't make it go away, but you can keep it from taking over your life and your body in a bad way."

During a February 2014 US Radio interview (via The Times), Billy Connolly recalled how he was walking through a hotel lobby when a fan, who happened to be a surgeon, encouraged him to get checked for Parkinson's disease because he had noticed that he was sporting an unusual walk. The "Brave" voice actor revealed in a chat with the Radio Times (via The Guardian) two months later that he had learned he had Parkinson's disease only hours after receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis. 

While he became cancer-free after surgery, his Parkinson's disease symptoms only worsened in the years after his 2013 diagnosis, and he had no choice but to retire from stand-up comedy. In a 2019 episode of his BBC documentary "Made in Scotland" (via Metro UK), Connolly said that the condition has affected his balance, energy levels, speech, hearing, thinking, memory, personality, and more. Additionally, during a 2021 chat with The Radio Times (via The Guardian), he revealed that the tremors from Parkinson's disease have made it impossible for him to continue one of his favorite pastimes: letter-writing. That said, he revealed to BBC's Radio 4 in late 2023 that his tremors haven't deterred him from continuing to practice another one of his favorite hobbies: drawing.

Ultimately, he couldn't deny that the constant falls from his condition and his other symptoms had taken their toll, as he admitted, "I'm fed up with it." However, his optimism and sense of humor shone through in his next sentence: "I think I have a good attitude to it. I say to the disease 'I'll give you a break if you give me a break.'"