Michael J. Fox

The actor who brought Marty McFly to life across three time-traveling adventures.

Michael J. Fox is the actor who portrayed Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). He was cast in January 1985 to replace Eric Stoltz, after director Robert Zemeckis felt Stoltz was not giving the right type of performance for the humor involved. Fox's schedule during filming was grueling: he rehearsed for Family Ties from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., then rushed to the Back to the Future set to rehearse and shoot until 2:30 a.m. for two full months. The first film spent eight consecutive weekends as the number-one movie at the US box office in 1985, eventually earning a worldwide total of $381.11 million.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Michael Andrew Fox

Born

9 June 1961

Birthplace

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Citizenship

Canada, US (2000–present)

Occupation

Actor
activist
TV producer

Spouse

Tracy Pollan, July 16, 1988

Children

Lore & Background

Fox's performance in Back to the Future earned him a nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 43rd Golden Globe Awards. Variety praised his work, opining that Fox and his co-star Christopher Lloyd imbued Marty and Doc Brown's friendship with a quality reminiscent of King Arthur and Merlin. During the filming of Back to the Future Part III, Fox performed the hanging stunt himself. On the third take, he accidentally placed his hand in the wrong spot on the noose, resulting in him choking, passing out, and nearly dying until Zemeckis noticed him in peril and had him cut down. The film was followed by two sequels, Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990), which were produced at the same time but released separately.

Reader's Guide

The casting of Michael J. Fox was not immediate. Director Robert Zemeckis originally wanted Fox to play Marty, but Gary David Goldberg, the creator of Family Ties, refused to allow Zemeckis even to approach Fox because Meredith Baxter was on maternity leave and Fox's character was needed to carry the show. Eric Stoltz was cast and was already filming when Zemeckis replaced him with Fox, whose schedule was now more open with Baxter's return. Marty's skateboarding sequences were choreographed by professional skateboarders Per Welinder and Bob Schmelze, who also taught Fox and the stunt doubles the techniques. His chemistry with Christopher Lloyd created a dynamic duo that carried the emotional weight of all three films. The trilogy's success cemented Fox as a global star, following his back-to-back hit performances in Back to the Future and Teen Wolf (1985).