Back To The Future Star Makes Surprising Reveal About OG Marty McFly Actor: “Treating Me Very Badly”

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Beyond its exciting story of time travel and alternate realities, the making of Back to the Future is a fascinating look at how drastically a movie can change. Originally, Eric Stoltz was cast as Marty McFly. While Stoltz went on to have a successful career with films like Mask, Pulp Fiction, and Anaconda, director Robert Zemeckis ultimately decided to replace him with Michael J. Fox during production. This was a difficult period for Stoltz, but he continued to work steadily in Hollywood.

Tom Wilson, best known as Biff Tannen from Back to the Future, recently shared on actor Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast that working with Eric Stoltz during the making of the film wasn’t a particularly pleasant or collaborative experience.

Looking back, we were both very young at the time, and it was a long time ago. I have a lot of respect for Eric and everything he’s accomplished. But when we were working together, Eric was really committed to getting into the role of Marty McFly – he took a very intense, method-acting approach. Because of this, he was quite difficult to work with; he insisted that everyone call him “Marty,” even the hairstylist and the director, because he was trying to fully become the character.

You know, the stories about Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly with a really intense, thoughtful vibe are total Hollywood lore now. And Christopher Lloyd, or Doc Brown, was a stage actor at the time, getting his first huge movie role. He was a bit overwhelmed and felt like the other, more seasoned film actors were kind of walking all over him.

Wilson found it strange that this actor, who had previously worked with Lea Thompson and was supposed to be reserved around her, was immediately friendly and comfortable with her. However, he was treating Wilson poorly. Wilson felt this was a double standard – a ‘selective approach’ to behavior. At the time, Wilson didn’t appreciate being treated differently, especially as a fellow performer. He explained that they were both there to work collaboratively, not for one to cater to the other’s comfort. He simply wanted his scene partner to be prepared and focused on the work. Ultimately, Wilson believes this pattern of unproductive drama led to the actor being replaced.

After more than a month of filming Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox replaced Eric Stoltz in a very rare and disruptive move for a big film. As Wilson recalled, it was a huge shock at the time. The situation on set had become strained, with awkward conversations between Wilson, director Bob Zemeckis, and cinematographer Dean Cundey. Filming was temporarily halted, leading Wilson to believe the entire project was cancelled.

Wilson explained that the director and studio executives summoned him to Universal Pictures, leading him to think he was about to lose his job. However, instead of firing him, they brought in actor Michael J. Fox, and the impact of that change was instantly noticeable.

Michael read the script and immediately understood the overall feeling and direction of the project. He grasped what everyone – including me and Crispin Glover – was trying to achieve. Because of that, he really took ownership of the movie and elevated it. I was incredibly relieved because it felt like a true collaboration, where we were all working together organically, rather than each of us doing our own separate things.

Wilson noted that Fox approached the film set with a sense of humility. He felt pressure to demonstrate he could succeed as a leading man in a movie, having primarily worked in television. Wilson found Fox’s insecurity and slight intimidation amusing.

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2026-01-21 21:10