The 'Back to the Future' star and his wife of 30 years opened up to ET at a charity gala benefiting Parkinson's research on Saturday.
Michael J. Fox has been a cultural icon for decades, and a father for nearly as long. So the celebrated actor and his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, put in a lot of effort to stay connected with their kids.
ET spoke with Fox and Pollan at A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's, a star-studded evening of comedy and music to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, at the Hilton in New York City on Saturday, and they opened up about how they have fun with their children.
"Honestly, we travel a lot. We go out to dinner a lot, they do like the shopping a lot," reflected Pollan, who shares three kids with Fox -- 29-year-old son Sam, 23-year-old twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, and 17-year-old daughter, Esmé.
According to Fox, one of the things they all like to do as a family the most is dine together, nearly all the time.
"They like to eat, a lot. None of them are huge but they like to eat," Fox joked. "They must burn a lot of calories doing something because they eat copious amounts of food."
While Fox has had a long career making people laugh playing the roguish mischief maker, and both of the proud parents met and fell in love after playing an on-screen couple in the 1980s sitcom Family Ties, that legacy of comedy hasn't necessarily earned them a lot of cred with their kids.
"They don’t think we’re funny at all," Pollan admitted. "They roll their eyes and think we tell stupid mom and dad jokes."
"I do tell stupid jokes, but you tell clever jokes," Fox added. "I tell the same stupid joke over, and over, and over again."
However, Fox's legacy is well-respected at the A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's gala -- even if Fox himself is the brunt of some of the jokes, especially from close friend and one of the night's special guests, Denis Leary, who usually opens the gala with a few jokes at the actor's expense.
"He does that every year," Pollan said. It’s amazing! And then, you think he’s going to run out of material, but apparently there’s a lot of material and things that you can say to make fun of Michael."
"I’m very mockable," Fox quipped.
The Back to the Future star and his wife were joined by a slate of big celebs and former co-stars for this year's event, including Jennifer Grey, Jim Gaffigan, Katie Couric, Chrisopher Lloyd, Clark Gregg, John Mulaney, and John Slattery to name just a few. And while the aim of the event is to raise money for a charitable cause, it's also a chance to celebrate life and show appreciation for those who have supported the foundation.
"The thing that’s really special about tonight is it’s also a way for us to say thank you to all of the people who support us and to have a really fun time and listen to amazing music and comedians," said Pollan. "Although it’s a very serious business, it’s a real celebration of what everybody’s contributing."
"It’s not an extension of fundraising, it’s a thank you for the fundraising and it’s a party for all the people that support us," Fox added.
Recently, the couple welcomed ET into their home for a candid interview about their lives and their family. Tune into Entertainment Tonight on Monday for a look at our exclusive sit-down with Fox and Pollan. Check here for local listings.
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