Born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, he adopted the "J" as an homage to character actor Michael J. Pollard. Moving several times during the course of his childhood, Michael and his family settled in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver. At the age of 15 he made his professional acting debut in the situation comedy "Leo and Me" (1981). Moving to Los Angeles at the age of 18, Fox appeared in several small parts and a television series, "Palmerstown, U.S.A." (1980), before landing the role that would bring him to prominence in "Family Ties" (1982). Some of his other films include Bright Lights, Big City (1988), The Hard Way (1991), Light of Day (1987), Doc Hollywood (1991) and the three "Back to the Future" films.
| Movie | Michael Caton-Jones: This Broxburn Boy's Life | Self (archive footage) | 2026 |
| Movie | STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie | Self | 2023-01-20 |
| Movie | Lynch/Oz | Marty McFly (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2023-05-15 |
| Movie | Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe | Self | 2023-09-08 |
| Movie | See You Yesterday | Mr. Lockhart | 2019-05-03 |
| Movie | Cola Wars | Self [Archival Footage] | 2019-08-18 |
| Movie | A.R.C.H.I.E. 2: Mission Impawsible | A.R.C.H.I.E. (voice) | 2018-07-17 |
| Movie | A.R.C.H.I.E. | A.R.C.H.I.E. (voice) | 2016-04-19 |
| Series | Designated Survivor | Ethan West | 2016-09-21 |
| Movie | Back To the Present: The Special | 2015-10-18 | |
| Movie | Being Canadian | Self | 2015-09-18 |
| Movie | Back in Time | Self | 2015-10-20 |
| Movie | Mr. Calzaghe | Himself | 2015-11-20 |
| Movie | Annie | Himself | 2014-12-18 |
| Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
| Series | The Michael J. Fox Show | Mike Henry | 2013-09-26 |
| Movie | Drew: The Man Behind the Poster | Self | 2013-07-19 |
| Movie | Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen | (archive footage) | 2012-02-04 |
| Movie | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | Gary Heffley (uncredited) | 2011-03-25 |
| Movie | Synchronize | Marty McFly (uncredited) (archival footage) | 2011-09-12 |
| Movie | The Love We Make | Self | 2011-09-10 |
| Movie | Tales from the Future | Self | 2010-10-26 |
| Series | The Good Wife | Louis Canning | 2009-09-22 |
| Movie | Looking Back to the Future | Self (archive footage) | 2009-02-10 |
| Movie | VH1 Rock Honors: The Who | Self | 2008-07-17 |
| Movie | Looking Back at the Future | Himself | 2006-06-16 |
| Series | The Reichen Show | 2005-11-11 | |
| Movie | Saving Milly | Self (uncredited) | 2005-03-13 |
| Movie | Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild | Stuart Little (voice) | 2005-07-14 |
| Series | Boston Legal | Unknown | 2004-10-03 |
| Movie | Comedy Central Roast of Denis Leary | Self | 2003-08-10 |
| Movie | 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment | Self (archive footage) | 2003-07-18 |
| Movie | Interstate 60 | Mr. Baker | 2002-04-13 |
| Movie | NBC 75th Anniversary Special | Self | 2002-05-05 |
| Movie | The Making of 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire' | Self | 2002-01-29 |
| Movie | Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy | Self | 2002-12-17 |
| Movie | Stuart Little 2 | Stuart Little (voice) | 2002-07-19 |
| Series | Clone High | Unknown | 2002-11-02 |
| Movie | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Milo James Thatch (voice) | 2001-06-02 |
| Series | Scrubs | Unknown | 2001-10-02 |
| Movie | The Concert for New York City | Self | 2001-10-20 |
| Series | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Michael J. Fox | 2000-10-15 |
| Movie | Stuart Little | Stuart Little (voice) | 1999-12-17 |
| Movie | Stuart Little: Making It Big | Self | 1999-01-01 |
| Movie | The Making of 'The Frighteners' | Himself | 1998-11-24 |
| Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
| Movie | The Frighteners | Frank Bannister | 1996-07-18 |
| Series | The Daily Show | Unknown | 1996-07-22 |
| Movie | Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco | Chance (voice) | 1996-03-08 |
| Series | E! True Hollywood Story | Unknown | 1996-08-21 |
| Movie | Mars Attacks! | Jason Stone | 1996-12-13 |
| Series | Spin City | Unknown | 1996-09-17 |
| Movie | Blue in the Face | Pete Maloney | 1995-09-15 |
| Movie | Your Studio and You | Curious Guy on the Porch | 1995-02-01 |
| Movie | The American President | Lewis Rothschild | 1995-11-17 |
| Movie | Coldblooded | Tim Alexander | 1995-09-15 |
| Movie | Greedy | Daniel | 1994-03-04 |
| Series | Inside the Actors Studio | Unknown | 1994-08-14 |
| Movie | Don't Drink the Water | Axel Magee | 1994-12-18 |
| Movie | Life with Mikey | Michael Chapman | 1993-06-04 |
| Movie | Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey | Chance (voice) | 1993-02-03 |
| Movie | Where the Rivers Flow North | Clayton Farnsworth | 1993-06-14 |
| Movie | For Love or Money | Doug Ireland | 1993-10-01 |
| Series | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Unknown | 1993-09-13 |
| Movie | Time Machine: The Journey Back | Himself | 1993-08-25 |
| Movie | James Cagney: Top of the World | Self - Host | 1992-07-05 |
| Movie | Doc Hollywood | Benjamin Stone | 1991-08-02 |
| Movie | The Hard Way | Nick Lang | 1991-03-08 |
| Movie | The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy | Self | 1990-06-12 |
| Movie | Back to the Future Part III | Marty McFly / Seamus McFly | 1990-05-25 |
| Series | Tales from the Crypt | Unknown | 1989-06-10 |
| Movie | Casualties of War | Private Eriksson | 1989-08-18 |
| Movie | Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation | Himself | 1989-11-17 |
| Movie | Back to the Future Part II | Marty McFly / Marty McFly Junior / Marlene McFly | 1989-11-22 |
| Movie | Bright Lights, Big City | Jamie | 1988-04-01 |
| Movie | Mickey's 60th Birthday | Alex P. Keaton (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1988-11-13 |
| Movie | Citizen Steve | Self - Actor | 1987-01-01 |
| Movie | Light of Day | Joe Rasnick | 1987-02-06 |
| Movie | The Return of Bruno | Michael J. Fox | 1987-02-07 |
| Movie | Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood | Self | 1987-05-18 |
| Movie | The Secret of My Success | Brantley Foster aka Carlton Whitfield | 1987-04-10 |
| Movie | Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam | Raymond Griffiths (voice) | 1987-10-01 |
| Movie | The Making of Back to the Future | Self | 1986-10-25 |
| Movie | Family Ties Vacation | Alex P. Keaton | 1985-09-22 |
| Movie | Poison Ivy | Dennis Baxter | 1985-02-10 |
| Movie | Night of 100 Stars II | Self | 1985-03-10 |
| Movie | Back to the Future | Marty McFly | 1985-07-03 |
| Movie | Teen Wolf | Scott Howard | 1985-08-23 |
| Movie | High School U.S.A. | Jay-Jay Manners | 1983-10-16 |
| Movie | Class of 1984 | Arthur | 1982-08-20 |
| Series | Family Ties | Alex P. Keaton | 1982-09-22 |
| Series | This Week | Unknown | 1981-11-15 |
| Series | Here's Boomer | Unknown | 1980-03-14 |
| Movie | Midnight Madness | Scott Larson | 1980-02-08 |
| Movie | Trouble in High Timber Country | Thomas Elston | 1980-06-27 |
| Series | Palmerstown, U.S.A. | Willy-Joe Hall | 1980-03-20 |
| Movie | Letters from Frank | Ricky | 1979-11-22 |
| Series | Trapper John, M.D. | Unknown | 1979-09-23 |
| Series | Leo and Me | Jamie | 1978-01-05 |
| Series | Saturday Night Live | Unknown | 1975-10-11 |
| Series | The Emmy Awards | Unknown | 1949-01-25 |