Michael J. Fox to guest star on 'Wife'

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Television icon Michael J. Fox has signed to guest star in the U.S. drama series "The Good Wife" next season, CBS announced.

Fox is a five-time Emmy Award winner best known for his roles on the sitcoms "Family Ties" and "Spin City."

Diagnosed in real life with Parkinson's Disease, he has been semi-retired from acting for years, occasionally making guest appearances on shows like "The Practice," "Scrubs" and "Rescue Me."

CBS said Fox will appear in "Wife" as Simon Canning, a shrewd litigator whom Alicia, played by Julianna Margulies, faces in a massive class action lawsuit.

Canning is willing to use anything in court, including symptoms of his neurological condition, to create sympathy for his otherwise unsympathetic client: a giant pharmaceutical company, the network said in a synopsis of the Season 2 episode.

"We're absolutely thrilled that Michael has agreed to play this role," executive producers and show creators Robert and Michelle King said in a statement. "His intelligence as an actor, combined with his incredible comic timing will really bring this smart, cynical lawyer to life."

Season 2 of "The Good Wife" is to premiere Sept. 28.

The series' first season received nine Emmy nominations.