Taylor Swift and Ryan Reynolds have the ultimate stamp of approval from none other than Michael J. Fox.

In a conversation with PEOPLE for the magazine’s 50th anniversary issue, the 62-year-old actor reflects on some modern figures that he can envision having an even greater impact in the next half-century, namely Swift, 34, and Reynolds, 47.

Though he jokes the Deadpool actor may not “be excited about” his mention, Fox says of Reynolds: “I think Ryan Reynolds could be a really important person. He’s so smart, he’s so talented… He knows how to leverage things and make them succeed in other areas.”

Describing Reynolds as “a very philanthropic person,” Fox continues, “I think he’s positioned to really do amazing things.”

From left: Michael J. Fox, Taylor Swift and Ryan Reynolds.
Terry Wyatt/Getty Images; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Swift is the next figure to come to the Back to the Future star’s mind.

“I think she’s going to be a really important person. I think she moves economies, she changes the way the world works, and that’s amazing,” he says, shouting out what she’s “said publicly about issues.”

Since 2018, Swift has been outspoken with her fans about protecting their voting rights, encouraging voter registration and supporting Democratic candidates.

Fox’s perspective on the 14-time Grammy winner has gone “full circle,” he says, in the sense that he “didn’t have an opinion about Taylor Swift when I first heard of Taylor Swift. Now I have a wife and four kids who worship her.”

As for why Swift and Reynolds — along with many other Hollywood notables these days — have made such an impact, Fox muses, “What is it about Ryan Reynolds that everything he touches is gold? What is it about people in my position that get involved in causes and have success and progress? You just show up and do it. And you don’t worry about what everybody thinks, what everybody says, or what you get out of that.”

Thinking about his own advocacy work in the decades since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s — a diagnosis he revealed to PEOPLE in a 1998 cover story — Fox admits, “I didn’t think about it. I wanted to work on Parkinson’s because I want a cure.”
Michael J. Fox for PEOPLE’s 50th anniversary.

Art Streiber

“I just wanted to put us in the best position to find a cure, and hopefully, I did,” he continues, before connecting back to Swift and Reynolds’ impactful work. “And as far as other people, I think those are two good people.”

Reynolds, though, he jokes, is “going to be real upset about” the title.

“God forbid I should put more weight on him, but I think he’s positioned to really do amazing things,” Fox adds.