Fox was just 23 when he made Back to the Future. He wouldn't receive his diagnosis for another six years; he'd work to conceal his symptoms for an additional seven. Throughout the '90s, he'd film scenes while fiddling with a pen, or rubbing his watch, or slyly stuffing one hand in his pocket.
Who was supposed to play Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future?
The Big Picture
January 10, 1985: Eric Stoltz was fired from Back to the Future after a month of filming, making way for Michael J. Fox to take over as Marty McFly. Stoltz's method acting and lack of comedic chops led to reservations from cast and crew, who felt he wasn't bringing the right energy to the role.
How old was Michael J. Fox when he did Doc Hollywood?
1991: Michael J.
He was 29 years old at the time and did not go public with his diagnosis for several years. Fox said he first noticed a "twitch" in his left pinkie while on the set of Doc Hollywood. After undergoing tests, he received the diagnosis. "It was incomprehensible," he later told PEOPLE in 1998.
Did Michael J. Fox play his own daughter in Back to the Future 2?
Marty Jr. and Marlene McFly (both portrayed by Michael J. Fox) are Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker's future son and daughter in 2015 in Part II. Originally, 17-year-old Marty Jr.
Did Michael J. Fox have a stunt double in Back to the Future?
Charlie Croughwell is a professional stuntman who played the role of Marty McFly in those parts of the film that required stunt work, and who has served as the stunt double for Michael J. Fox since Croughwell's film debut in Back to the Future.
Back to the Future - Blooper Reel (1985) - Michael J. Fox Movie
Did Michael J. Fox get Parkinson's during Back to the Future?
Back To The Future star Michael J Fox has said that he does not expect to live to the age of 80, due to his worsening health. Fox was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's as a 29-year-old in 1991, a year after Back To The Future III was released.
Bob Gale, co-writer and co-producer of the Back to the Future trilogy, has long claimed that it was a salary dispute which led to Glover not reprising his role in Back to the Future Part II.
Why does Jennifer look different in Back to the Future 2?
Claudia Wells Left Back To The Future For Tragic Reasons
This tragedy led to Elisabeth Shue being cast as Wells' replacement in the subsequent films. Because the sequel starts right where the last film left off, Back to the Future's ending was reshot with Shue.
After the diagnosis in 1991, Fox's disease progressed over the next few years affecting his entire left side with tremors and stiffness. Michael J. Fox said he is in the "late mild" stage of the disease. For clinical purposes, Parkinson disease is arbitrarily divided into mild, medium, and severe stages.
But in 1991, after a night of heavy drinking, Fox noticed a tremor developing in his right pinky, an early symptom symptom of Parkinson's Disease, a diagnosis that would change the course of his life.
Many other young actors also tried out for Marty McFly. John Cusack, Johnny Depp, Billy Zane (who appears in Back to the Future as Match, one of Biff's gang), Peter DeLuise, Matthew Modine, George Newbern, Christopher Collet, and Robert Downey Jr. were all considered but ultimately turned down.
An Eric Stoltz Back to the Future role almost happened when he was cast as Marty McFly, the role that eventually went to Michael J Fox. Stoltz's time playing Marty McFly was cut short, partially due to his interpretation of the Back to the Future ending as a tragedy.
While there's no evidence Michael J. Fox was ever up for the lead role in Footloose, The Flash's other '80s leading man switcheroo was a possibility. Producers did consider Kevin Bacon for the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. A bevy of other actors either turned it down or got passed over, too.
Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly from Back to the Future,) has Parkinson's Disease and is an advocate for high-impact research programs, founding The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Marty's main problem is that he lets no one call him chicken and gets often in trouble because of his cockiness. Yet, he later learns to be more modest and to ignore insults.
How many girls played Jennifer in Back to the Future?
In Back to the Future, Marty's girlfriend Jennifer is played by two actresses, but the reason for the recast isn't widely known. Who Was Jennifer In Back To The Future? In the original Back to the Future, Jennifer is portrayed by Claudia Wells. While her role was brief, fans still noticed her recasting in the sequel.
As interesting as that possibility may be, Back to the Future screenwriter Bob Gale explained in issue 3 of the official Back to the Future Fan Club Magazine that the actual reason for the fiery “99” is simply a side effect of the DeLorean being in the air.
A house in Arleta, Los Angeles, served as the McFlys' home. Principal photography began on November 26, 1984, on a 14-week schedule set to conclude on February 28, 1985, with an estimated $14 million budget. Filming took place mainly at the Universal Studios lot and on location in California.
Fox and his Back To The Future dad Crispin Glover both worked on the 1983 TV movie High School USA, also starring Todd Bridges and Anthony Edwards. While he and Glover haven't spoken since BTTF, Fox remains very close friends with Christopher Lloyd, who played Doc Brown.
The shooting of the Back to the Future sequels, which were shot back-to-back throughout 1989, reunited much of the crew of the original. The films were shot over the course of eleven months, save for a three-week hiatus between filming of Parts II and III, and concluded in January 1990.
