“Hook” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” actor Bob Hoskins recently announced that he will be retiring from acting due to his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
The condition, which affects as many as 1 million people in the United States, causes symptoms that can grow more severe with time and include tremors, stiffness, and balance and movement problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.
While there is no cure for the condition, some treatments — like drugs and surgical options — can help with symptoms.
Hoskins, who is 69, is not the only public figure to be touched by the disease. Here is a list of big names who have been affected.
Michael J. Fox
Fox, known for his roles in “Spin City” and the “Back to the Future” trilogy, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 30 in 1991, according to his foundation’s website. However, he didn’t share his condition publicly until 1998, and he officially retired from “Spin City” in 2000.
That same year, Fox launched The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is dedicated to raising awareness and funding.
Muhammad Ali
The boxing champion first started experiencing symptoms of Parkinson’s shortly after he retired from the sport in 1981, but The Guardian reported that he wasn’t officially diagnosed until 1984. By that time, he was already experiencing symptoms of tremors, slow movement and slurred speech, according to The Guardian.
The Associated Press reported that today, Ali, now 70, is largely left unable to speak, save for several whispers in the mornings.
“The Parkinson’s has affected him a lot, one of [the] things he has is a lot of difficulty speaking,” Dr. Abraham Lieberman, director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Centre in Phoenix, told the Associated Press. “But he’s never downbeat about it … He’s a tremendous inspiration to everyone.”
Mao Zedong
While the Chinese Communist leader’s cause of death in 1976 is not 100 percent confirmed, Mao was believed to have suffered from Parkinson’s disease, the New York Times reported.
Deborah Kerr
Kerr, who had roles in “The King & I,” “From Here to Eternity” and “An Affair to Remember,” passed away from Parkinson’s at age 86 in 2007, People magazine reported.
TCM reported that the actress was diagnosed with the condition in 1994, and had to use a wheelchair.
Johnny Cash
The iconic country music singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee publicly announced his diagnosis in 1997, CNN reported. At the time, his condition spurred cancellations of book promotions and concert tours.
Cash ultimately died from diabetes complications in 2003 at age 71, USA Today reported.
