There are many celebrities with Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s is a common enough disease, that it does not discriminate between celebrities and non-celebrities. Here is just a short listing of people who have come out with their Parkinson’s diagnosis.
- Surely, the celebrity everyone thinks of when talking about Parkinson’s is Michael J. Fox. Over the years, he has done a lot for the PD community, And I am proud to have him as our disease ambassador (for lack of a better term).
- Alan Alda. You may remember Alan from his role in MASH, but he is also a writing and director. He was diagnosed in 2015 and says he has lived a full life since then.
- Muhammad Ali. The famous boxer was diagnosed in 1984 and had been an outspoken activist in the Parkinson’s community until his death. My favorite moment with Ali is when he lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta in 1996. It was such an emotional moment, even before I new anything about my own Parkinson’s.
- Brian Grant. A former professional basketball player, Grant was diagnosed in 2008 at age 36, just two years after retiring from basketball. He founded his own foundation to help those diagnosed with the disease, and is involved in activism and advocacy.
- Leonard Maltin. Maltin, a movie critic, was diagnosed in 2015.
Other notable celebrities include Ozzy Osbourne, Pope John Paul II, Bob Hoskins, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Neil Diamond, George H. W. Bush, Davis Phinney, Janet Reno, Linda Ronstadt, and Robin Williams, among other local celebrities.
