5. Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox may be one of the better known Canadian actors out there who have had a substantial and sustainable career in the entertainment industry, but that’s not why he’s on this list. When he finally announced that he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in the late 1990’s, he decided not to wallow in his own misfortunes but rather do something about it. So, he stepped away from the acting business for a small while and put his time and effort into something greater than himself. After he finally announced that he was stepping away from his current project, Spin City, in January 2000 because he needed to refocus his time and efforts, the result was something great. Later that same year he was proud to announce that The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research was up and running! In addition, it was receiving praise from all around which was just the cherry on top. What this led to was honorary degrees from The Karolinska Institute in Sweden, New York University, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the University of British Columbia as well as multiple humanitarian awards. Through his efforts, there has been over $450 million dollars made to help fund a cure and that number is growing daily. He has since returned to acting thanks to medical treatments but is still a strong advocate for the cause.
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