Fox Leaves Spin City

Actor Michael J Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, has decided to quit his hit sit-com Spin City in order to spend more time with his family, and to focus on coping with his illness. In a written statement issued after the news broke on Tuesday the diminutive actor said, "I could not be more proud of the show, our cast, writers, crew, and all that we have accomplished over the last four years, yet I feel that right now my time and energy would be better spent with my family and working toward a cure for Parkinson's disease. This does not mean I am retiring from acting, producing or directing, only that I want to relieve the strain of producing and performing a weekly network series." He will leave after the show has completed shooting its forth season, which airs in the US later this year. Also, both Fox and his co-star Heather Locklear are nominated for Golden Globes at this weekend's ceremony. Fox has campaigned for research funds to investigate Parkinson's disease more closely ever since he went public with the news of his own condition. Now he intends to up the ante, using his status to raise both awareness and money. He explained, "What celebrity has given me. Is the opportunity to raise the visibility of Parkinson's disease and focus attention on the desperate need for more research dollars."