GUEST BLOG #16: Diane Holloway Salutes Michael J. Fox's Fierce, Fiery Stint on FX's "Rescue Me"

Bianculli here: Michael J. Fox just completed a fabulous guest stint on FX's Rescue Me. New TVWW contributor (but veteran TV critic) Diane Holloway loved what she saw -- and wants more. Here's a taste of her reaction:

"It has been the most unsympathetic portrayal of a handicapped person I've ever seen. And coming from the boyish-looking Fox, whose incredible spirit in his battle with Parkinson's has endeared him to millions, it's been breathtaking."

For her full column, read on.

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Acting Crazy Like a Fox -- Brilliantly

By Diane Holloway

How do you turn a lovable actor best-known for playing lovable, squeaky-clean preppies into a thoroughly unlikable wretch?

The answer lies somewhere between the remarkable talent of Michael J. Fox and the brilliant writers of FX's Rescue Me. If you've been watching the fifth season of Denis Leary's scorching fireman drama, you know what I'm talking about.

Fox's Emmy-worthy performance has been bold and stunning. It has also been, at times, hilarious and downright ugly.

Fox recently wrapped up a scheduled five-episode run as Dwight, the handicapped, alcoholic and drug-addicted boyfriend of Tommy's ex-wife Janet. But since the series is scheduled to run through most of the summer, there's a chance he could return. Fingers crossed.

In the role of Tommy's latest annoyance, Fox used his own twitches and slurs, brought on by his long bout with Parkinson's disease, to devastating effect.

When Tommy first discovered Janet had a new live-in guy, he didn't know the beer-swilling Dwight was wheelchair-bound, and challenged him to a fight. Dwight eagerly accepted, swinging his fist from the couch while Janet brought him his wheelchair. A shocked Tommy tried to back off when he saw the chair, but Dwight was having none of it.

The best Bad Dwight scene of the season found Tommy on a reluctant outing with his ex's aggressively grumpy lover. Popping pills and downing entire cans of beer in a single gulp, Dwight drove his car through the streets of New York like a certifiable madman, spewing foul language and bragging about the non-handicapped status of his wildly active (yet unpredictable) sex life with Janet.

It has been the most unsympathetic portrayal of a handicapped person I've ever seen. And coming from the boyish-looking Fox, whose incredible spirit in his battle with Parkinson's has endeared him to millions, it's been breathtaking.

Most of us know Fox, now 47, from his youthful days on TV's Family Ties (1982-89) and Spin City (1996-2001). Or maybe from his subsequent movies, such as Back to the Future. Or his many public appearances on behalf of charities related to Parkinson's. He was diagnosed in 1991, at the ridiculously young age of 30, but kept his condition secret for seven years.

Only days after the final (only for now, we hope) Dwight episode, Fox's inspirational ABC special Adventures of an Incredible Optimist aired, no doubt only deepening viewers' love affair with the actor. The special was prompted by the release of Fox's second memoir, Always Looking Up, which follows an earlier memoir, Lucky Man. The guy is indomitable.

So here is real-life Fox, lighting up our lives with genuine humor and bravery, relishing the love of his wife, Tracy Pollan, and their children, as he battles this debilitating disease. At the same time, here is actor Fox, yelling nasty stuff at the famously nasty Leary in a near-epic showdown of crude characters. Dwight made Tommy look almost gentle!

Good actors are supposed to be able to twist expectations and surprise the audience. Maybe we've always underestimated Fox's talent. We've definitely underestimated his bravery.

FX has already renewed Rescue Me for a sixth season. Let's hope we see Dwight again this season, and that he becomes a recurring character.

It's too good to end now.

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Diane Holloway was the TV critic for the Austin American Statesman for 30 years, until the downturn in the newspaper business prompted her to take a buyout and early retirement. Retirement? More like between jobs. She's still sniffing out possibilities and sifting through freelance opportunities. Before newspapers, she worked in Washington for the Library of Congress, the American Film Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. Maybe something entirely different is next. Or not.