Michael J. Fox, who became a cinematic icon as Marty McFly in the hit sci-fi franchise Back to the Future, saw his star rise dramatically alongside the release of Teen Wolf in the same year, establishing him as a cultural icon.
However, behind the scenes, Fox’s life mirrored the chaos of his on-screen characters. The actor nearly missed out on the iconic role due to his commitment to the sitcom Family Ties, which later caused him to huddle a hectic schedule to balance both, the movie and the show.
Michael J. Fox Almost Lost Back to the Future Due to Family Ties
Starting his acting career with TV roles in the late 1970s, Michael J. Fox initially gained recognition for his role as Alex P. Keaton in the NBC sitcom, Family Ties.
Running from 1982 to 1989, Family Ties became a major hit. While the show undoubtedly had a major role in significantly boosting his career as an actor, his star was set to rise even higher with Back to the Future.
Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, who were working on the sci-fi film, wanted Fox for the lead role as they believed that his comedic timing and acting skills could translate well into the role of Marty McFly.
However, the show’s producer Gary David Goldberg was reluctant to let go of Fox, even reportedly asking Steven Spielberg, who had set up the project at his Amblin Entertainment studio, not to show the script to Fox.
It led the makers to consider a range of rising young stars, including Johnny Depp and Charlie Sheen, for the role. And they eventually landed on Eric Stoltz. Based on his performance in Mask, he was cast as Marty McFly.
However, after about a month of filming, the filmmakers realized that only Fox could truly capture the essence of the character. They eventually decided to replace Stoltz with Fox.
Michael J. Fox Had to Balance Back to the Future and Family Ties Amidst a Hectic Schedule
After he was cast in the role of Marty McFly, Michael J. Fox had to juggle filming between the movie and the sitcom. Despite the challenges, his performance was well-received by his castmates.
Christopher Lloyd, who played the role of the time-traveling scientist Emmett Brown, shared, “There was a sigh of relief. As soon as Michael’s first take, everybody went, ‘Oh, it’s going to be okay,'” as per People.
While he earned everyone’s praise, the actor faced a demanding schedule. He filmed Family Ties during weekdays and worked on the movie from 6:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. He also had to work on weekends, filming the exterior scenes for the movie.
In addition to his grueling work schedule, the actor had to adhere to a specific agreement prioritizing the sitcom. According to Collider, Fox was required to agree that in case of any scheduling conflicts, the sitcom would take precedence and it would come first.
However, all his hard work paid off, as the film ended up being a massive hit, spending 11 weeks at the top of the box office and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Fox reprised his role in subsequent sequels, which also enjoyed box-office success. The Back to the Future franchise has since become a Hollywood icon and one of the most successful franchises of all time.
Back to the Future trilogy is available to watch on Netflix.
Family Ties is available to watch on Paramount+.
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