The classic
Back to the Future
, from 1985, turned 40 last Monday (7). But did you know that the role of Marty McFly was not meant to be played by Michael J. Fox?
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The paper was originally of
Eric Stoltz
, star of
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
,
The Wild Life
e
The New Kids
He ended up recording some of his scenes for the movie, but was suddenly fired.
” The director fired me. He didn’t like my work. It was devastating for me,” said Stoltz, now 63 years old, in a 1993 interview with
Bob Costas
.
From the beginning, the director
Robert Zemeckis
and the producer
Steven Spielberg
They really wanted Fox to take the role. The actor, who was then 23 years old, was at the peak of his career as
Alex P. Keaton
no sitcom from NBC
Family Ties
, which began in 1982.
However, when
Gary David Goldberg
, the creator and showrunner of
Family Ties
, was approached by Spielberg and Zemeckis to ask Fox to make the movie, the TV big shot was firm.
“He said, ‘I can’t let him make [the movie].’ And he said, you know: ‘Please don’t tell Michael — not that I want him to think I did something behind his back, but I really had no other choice,'” recalled Fox in a 2001 interview with the
Archive of American Television
.
With their hands tied, Spielberg and Zemeckis had to follow Stoltz. However, the actor, who was also 23 years old at the time, was having difficulties in embodying Marty’s funny personality during the first weeks of production.
“Eric had an incredible intensity. He saw drama in things. He wasn’t exactly a comedian, and they needed a comedian,” said the actress.
Lea Thompson
in the book
We Don’t Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy
.
Concerned about the future of
Back to the Future
, Zemeckis and Spielberg went back to Goldberg, who finally agreed to let his star take on the project. So, in January 1985, Stoltz was fired. “I was a young actor. Probably the worst thing that could happen in your career,” recalled Stoltz in his conversation with Costas.
Later, in an interview with
George Stephanopoulos
, Zemeckis admitted that he also felt terrible about what happened and emphasized that Stoltz is a “brilliant actor.” “I just chose him wrong and learned a very serious lesson. It’s not worth it. It’s too painful for everyone. What you need to do is choose the right cast for the movie and feel really good about them.”
Fox then joined the
Doc Brown
de
Christopher Lloyd
to continue the filming, all this while continuing to record
Family Ties
. At that time, according to Fox, he worked more than 18 hours a day on his double journey.
Fortunately, your hard work paid off.
Back to the Future
It became a global phenomenon, raising $385 million worldwide, a success that led to two more films and even inspired a Broadway musical.
Photo and video: Paramount Pictures. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
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