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.
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.
Before Michael J. Fox was cast in the iconic role of Marty McFly, the Eric Stoltz Back to the Future character began the movie's production. Stoltz was fired from Back to the Future — replaced by Fox after the creators opted to go another route with Marty's character approach.
You're probably aware of how the famous story goes: Eric Stoltz was the original Marty McFly for a little over a month before he was replaced by Michael J. Fox, effectively adding a few million to the budget for reshoots.
Many famous young actors auditioned to play Marty McFly, including Johnny Depp and John Cusack. The role was originally given to Eric Stoltz, but filmmakers weren't happy with what they were getting out of him.
Christopher Lloyd Reveals He Nearly Turned Down ‘Back To The Future’ Role
Who was meant to star in Back to the Future?
Most of us probably know that it was Eric Stoltz and not Michael J. Fox cast as Marty McFly, but when Stoltz was fired due to Zemeckis and producer Steven Spielberg not liking his performance, it was Fox who came in and turned the character into a pop culture icon.
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.
Unfortunately, the actor's schedule didn't align with the production's so they cast Stoltz, who had previously starred in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Running Hot. Stoltz, however, was eventually let go a few weeks into production because Zemeckis and Gale felt his reading was too intense.
Whilst many auditions from these aforementioned stars have been lost in the ether of time, several of them still remain, with the archival video linked below showing the original tapes from the likes of Billy Zane and Peter DeLuise, who were going for the role of Biff, as well as Kyra Sedgwick who was vying to get the ...
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.
"Back to the Future," an imaginative comedy adventure presented by Steven Spielberg and directed by Robert Zemeckis, was produced by Bob Gale and Neil Canton from an original screenplay by Zemeckis and Gale. Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall serve as executive producers of the Universal release.
Fox didn't sing nor play on the track, but he did make an effort to make it look as he did. Marty's singing voice was that of Mark Campbell, member of the soul and R&B band Jack Mack and the Heart Attack.
In a conversation with Yahoo, Macchio revealed that he auditioned for the role of Marty in Back to the Future. The actor also disclosed the reason that he didn't end up getting the part, which unfortunately hinged on his accent not being 'all-American' enough.
Has Eric Stoltz ever commented on Back to the Future?
Stoltz has never publicly discussed Back to the Future. Lloyd's concern is better understood when, later in the retrospective, the actor explains that while making One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, after a break in production he struggled to recommit to the Max Taber character.
How old was Michael J. Fox during the filming of Back to the Future?
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.
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.
What did Michael J Fox do after Back to the Future?
During and immediately after the Back to the Future trilogy, Fox starred in Teen Wolf (1985), Light of Day (1987), The Secret of My Success (1987), Bright Lights, Big City (1988), and Casualties of War (1989).
Though he had his wife, Tracy Pollan, by his side, Fox "clung to fantasies of escape" and kept his diagnosis from the world. While filming, Fox masked the tremors in his hand by holding an object. But doing so exacerbated his symptoms. Soon, he turned to drinking to "disassociate, to escape my situation."
Why did Elisabeth Shue replace in Back to the Future?
After her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Wells put her career on hold for family reasons, and told the studio she would be unavailable to reprise her Back to the Future role for the two sequels. Actress Elisabeth Shue replaced her.
How much of Back to the Future was shot with Eric Stoltz?
Eric Stoltz filmed over a month's worth of Back To The Future footage, but the tape has not yet been released publicly. Among the scenes that Stoltz acted out is the iconic skateboarding chase scene around Courthouse Square and the first time-travel experiment with Christopher Lloyd's Emmett "Doc" Brown.
The cast of the movie, which also included Crispin Glover, work effortlessly off each other to create a movie that still delivers almost 40 years later. The popularity of the film, along with a genuine love of the actors behind the characters, is what sets the Back to the Future franchise apart from its peers.
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.
The true reason for Wells' absence was a sad one, but also one that showed Wells' true character as a person. Wells was wanted for Back to the Future Part II but said no because her manager was dying of breast cancer. That manager also happened to be her mother.
