Back to the Future reigns as one of the most famous film franchises in history. The year 1985 has become a staple in pop culture (even a song by SR-71 is titled after the year), and one of the most iconic figures from that era is Marty McFly: a high school student who travels to the future, then the past, in all three movies. Though the world knows Michael J. Fox brought the character to life, some don’t realize that the role was initially given to Eric Stoltz, whom Michael replaced weeks after production had already begun.
Now that Michael has released his book, Future Boy, which details his hectic schedule balancing Back to the Future and Family Ties, the Parkinson’s Disease advocate revealed what actually happened when he replaced Eric.
Here, News47.us has the breakdown of why Michael replaced Eric and how the two really feel about each other.
Original “Marty McFly” actor Eric Stoltz on being fired from Back to the Future (1985) pic.twitter.com/G0AyPW7hCX
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Michael was the original choice to play Marty in Back to the Future, but his obligation to the Family Ties filming schedule took priority. So, Eric was cast in the role but was replaced by Michael because director Robert Zemeckis envisioned a more comical portrayal of Marty. Eric brought more of a deeper, emotional substance to the character.
Via Entertainment Weekly, Michael wrote in Future Boy, “They had already shot for over a month. Unfortunately, the dailies were disappointing. Eric was an immensely talented actor, but the creative team felt that he just wasn’t the right fit for Marty McFly.”
Michael’s co-stars have also weighed in on the production team’s devastating decision to replace Eric weeks after they had already begun filming. Per Digital Spy, Christopher Lloyd (who played scientist Doc Brown) previously said he “felt for Eric” when he was let go.
