Michael J. Fox is revealing all the details of his private meeting with Eric Stoltz, who was originally chosen to portray Marty McFly in Back to the Future four decades ago.
In his latest book, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, Fox, 64, detailed why Stoltz agreed to meet with him for the first time 40 years after the casting controversy occurred.
“During the initial weeks of penning this book, I emailed Eric Stoltz, inquiring if he’d be interested in speaking with me about his Back to the Future experience,” Fox penned. “Eric has remained silent on the subject for forty years, so I was prepared for him to prefer keeping it that way. ‘If your answer is ‘piss off and leave me alone,’ I wrote, ‘that works, too.’”
“His beautifully written reply commenced, ‘Piss off and leave me alone!’ Thankfully, this was followed by ‘I jest . . .’ Eric was thoughtful about my reaching out, and while he respectfully declined to be involved in the book, he seemed receptive to the idea of meeting up in New York City,” Fox shared. “Despite working in the same field and moving in similar circles, Eric and I had never crossed paths. Or so I believed.”
Fox noted that Stoltz later visited his residence, and they “immediately engaged in an easy discussion about our careers, families and yes, our own journeys through the space-time continuum.” Stoltz asked for part of their conversation to remain private.
“He came in with a smile, and we immediately acknowledged that neither of us held any animosity toward the other,” Fox said of their first meeting. “What occurred on Back to the Future hadn’t made us enemies or destined rivals; we were simply two dedicated actors who had put in equal effort into the same role. The rest had nothing to do with us.”
Since their initial encounter, Fox and Stoltz have “maintained a friendly correspondence,” connecting over being actors and fathers, discussing politics and films they’ve watched. (Fox shares son Sam, 36, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 30, and daughter Esmé, 23, with his wife, Tracy Pollan.)
“His emails are consistently witty and always enjoyable to read. It’s a reminder that some of the greatest aspects of our future can originate from the past,” Fox reflected. “Another gift from the year 1985.”
Stoltz was initially chosen as Marty after then-Universal Pictures head Sid Sheinberg informed director Robert Zemeckis and cowriter Bob Gale that he was the ideal choice because of his memorable performances in ‘90s classics. However, Zemeckis and Gale weren’t as certain that Stoltz was right for the part after a month of filming the sci-fi hit due to his more serious acting style.
“Eric had such intensity. He perceived drama in everything. He wasn’t much of a comedian, and they needed one,” Lea Thompson, who played Lorraine Baines McFly, revealed in the 2015 book We Don’t Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy by Caseen Gaines. “He’s incredibly funny in person, but he didn’t approach his work that way, and they really needed someone who had those skills.”
When Back to the Future began filming, Fox was starring in Family Ties and NBC considered him unavailable. But eventually, Zemeckis was able to persuade the network to allow Fox to film Back to the Future around his TV filming schedule. Gaines described the announcement that was made to staff after Stoltz was removed from the film.
“‘We have an announcement,’ Zemeckis said into his bullhorn,” Gaines wrote. “‘It’s probably going to be shocking — a mix of good and bad news.’ He could tell the crowd was becoming uneasy. ‘I’ll give you the bad news. We’re going to have to reshoot most of the movie because we’ve changed the cast and there’s going to be a new Marty: Michael J. Fox.’”
Gaines continued, “The director observed the reactions. They weren’t joyful, but they didn’t seem as angry or worried as he had anticipated. Someone from the crowd shouted, ‘That’s certainly not the bad news!’ ‘OK, well, then, that’s the good news. I guess the other good news is that we’re going to continue on.’ He paused. ‘So it’s only good news and good news.’”
Stoltz subtly addressed his life following the casting change in a 2007 interview with Moviehole.
“I rarely reflect, if ever, but in hindsight, I believe simply navigating through that challenging period helped me realize how liberating it truly was,” he stated. “I went back to acting school, I relocated to Europe, I performed in some plays in New York, and I essentially invested in myself in a way that was much healthier for me. I would’ve been unable to walk down the street! It’s a completely different existence. I was fortunate in that regard.”
Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum is available now.
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