Michael J. Fox will always be Back to the Future’s Marty McFly to multiple generations. Most fans would agree that Fox nailed the role and inhabited the bewildered time-traveling teenager in every way. Compared to the Back to the Future fanbase though, the film and TV icon wasn’t sure about his performance as McFly. Unlike viewers, it took the acting veteran decades to realize he was “really good in” his now-iconic breakthrough film role.
Before one of the best sci-fi movies of all time hit theaters, the Back to the Future star juggled the film’s night shoots with his commitment to the NBC sitcom Family Ties. During this period, Fox felt like he wasn’t giving his all to the iconic role since he was exhausted from pulling double duty on both productions. The lack of time on set led him to think his performance might be terrible. After admitting he only saw the film twice, the Marty McFly actor revealed to Empire the moment he realized how great his performance was.
I saw it back when it came out, at the Cinerama Dome, which was insanity, then I hadn’t seen it in its entirety until a couple of years ago. It was Christmas. We were decorating the tree… I went to go get something from the kitchen and I was gone quite a while. Tracy came and found me, and I was watching TV. I said, ‘Look, Back To The Future’s on TV! You know what, I’m really good in this!’ She said, ‘Yeah, we know.’ ‘Well, why didn’t you tell me?!’
Watching Back to the Future during Christmas seemed fitting for the beloved actor. Like many actors, Fox was fearful of what people might think of his performance in the blockbuster film. However, his trepidation was understandable considering he was playing Alex P. Keaton during the day and Marty McFly by night. He just felt his movie role was suffering because he was spreading himself thin. Thankfully, his commitment paid off as the character became enshrined in pop and cinematic culture.
While the first installment became a critical and commercial success, Michael J. Fox didn’t see Back to the Future having much impact. He felt his performance would tank the movie. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, as the retired actor recalled getting wind of the cult classic’s success while working in London.
I thought this would all soon be over. I thought they’d see what I’d done, I’d go back to the back of the pack and start again. … My agent said, ‘You don’t understand. This is the biggest thing in the world.’ My first instinct was, ‘I have to get back to America! There are girls to meet!’
Like any young man with a hit film under his belt, Fox was ready to cash in on his new notoriety. Being TV famous in the 1980s was one thing, but joining the Hollywood A-list was another level of fame. It was the one-two punch of Back to the Future and Teen Wolf that solidified the Parkinson’s disease activist’s place in the film industry. The first film’s runaway success spawned a thriving franchise complete with two sequels, a beloved theme park ride, an animated series and an acclaimed stage musical.
Despite Michael J. Fox retiring from acting, he will always be ingrained in millions of fans’ minds (and popping up for the occasional Back to the Future reunion). If you want to revisit Fox’s time as Marty McFly, watch the Back to the Future trilogy through an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
