The crossword solutions for the term FAMILY TIES ROLE are ALEX (4 letters) and Elyse (5 letters). ALEX and Elyse are characters from the 1980s sitcom Family Ties. ALEX P. Keaton, played by Michael J. Fox, is the conservative son of two former hippies. Elyse Keaton, played by Meredith Baxter, is the mother of the family and a successful architect. Together, ALEX and Elyse form the core of the show's family unit.