Back to the Future was an undeniable cultural touchstone, yet its production still holds some intriguing mysteries. Michael J. Fox, known globally as Marty McFly, recently released his memoir, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum. In it, he delves into a notable on-set disagreement with Crispin Glover, who brilliantly portrayed Marty’s father, George.
Reports indicate that Fox claimed Glover’s unique acting style frequently caused tension during filming. ‘Nobody puts Crispin in a box,’ Fox recounted, ‘But that didn’t prevent the camera crew from literally building a box around him.’
Glover reportedly had very specific and unconventional ideas about his character’s movement and blocking, which led to friction with the film’s crew.
Fox elaborated, ‘As Crispin approached the camera, he was meant to stay in a lane between the clothesline and me. But Crispin had a different plan. My guess is that he saw George as a wanderer, a free spirit who traveled in random patterns — in this case, perpendicular to the camera.’
[Image: Crispin Glover in 2024. Photo by KC Armstrong/Deadline via Getty Images.]
Despite these challenges, Fox’s perspective on his on-screen father remained largely positive. ‘His talent was unquestionable, although his methods sometimes created friction. Still, I respected how he remained true to George (as he understood and embodied him),’ Fox shared, adding, ‘I knew Crispin Glover prior to Back to the Future. I wouldn’t, however, say I was prepared to act with him — there’s no way to prepare for Crispin.’
Believe it or not, this isn’t the only significant revelation from Fox’s new memoir about the classic film’s making. He also disclosed details about reaching out to Eric Stoltz, who was initially cast as Marty and worked on the film for six weeks before Fox ultimately took over the role. This contact happened four decades after the film was shot.
Fox admitted that Stoltz had maintained silence on the subject for 40 years, so he was prepared for Stoltz to prefer keeping it private. In a heartfelt letter attempting to arrange a meeting, Fox even humorously included: ‘If your answer is ‘piss off and leave me alone’… That works, too.’
[A video trailer for the Back to the Future 40th-anniversary re-release is featured.]
However, Fox was delighted to receive a ‘beautifully written reply’ from Stoltz, which amusingly began with: ‘Piss off and leave me alone!’ followed, thankfully, by ‘I jest…’ Eric thoughtfully responded to Fox’s overture, and while he politely declined to participate in the book, he expressed interest in a personal meeting.
When they finally did meet, both actors confirmed they harbored no ill will toward each other. They ‘immediately fell into an easy dialogue about our careers, families, and yes, our own trips through the space-time continuum,’ Fox recounted.
Fox noted that Stoltz came into his home ‘with a smile.’ He added, ‘We quickly acknowledged that neither of us had an issue with the other. What transpired on Back to the Future had not made us enemies or fated rivals; we were just two dedicated actors who had poured equal amounts of energy into the same role. The rest had nothing to do with us. As it turned out, we had much more in common than our spin as Marty.’
Furthermore, Fox has also commented on a ‘temporal inconsistency’ within Back to the Future’s memorable guitar scene, a detail sure to fascinate fans of time travel narratives. Fox’s memoir, Future Boy, is now available wherever books are sold.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN.