Michael J. Fox proved himself a jack of all trades for his work on the Back to the Future trilogy. Before his Back to the Future fame, Fox starred as Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties. The Teen Wolf actor wasn't the first choice to play Marty McFly. Fox had to replace Eric Stoltz six weeks after production began, considering he didn't fit the filmmakers' vision anymore.
After hiring Fox, the actor pulled overtime by working on Family Ties in the morning and Back to the Future at night. In addition to juggling his hectic schedule, Fox also managed to play multiple characters throughout the trilogy. Here's every additional McFly that the actor portrayed.
Michael J Fox Plays Marty McFly at Different Ages
Introduced in the first Back to the Future, Marty McFly plays guitar with his band called The Pinheads. After befriending Hill Valley's local scientist Doc Brown, a DeLorean sends Marty to 1955, when his parents first met in high school at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Additionally, Fox also plays the 47-year-old Marty in 2015, where his younger self comes face to face with how his life went downhill following a car accident driven by Marty's self-consciousness about being called a chicken.
Marlene McFly Gets Along With Her Grandmother
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Marlene McFly is the daughter of Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker and sister of Marty McFly, Jr., who appeared in Back to the Future Part II. Information is scarce surrounding Marlene's personality, except for her pronounced resemblance to her father and her hobby of talking with her friends on the video telephone. Marty's daughter also especially bonds with her grandmother, Lorraine McFly. However, Marlene doesn't appear to have a close relationship with her dad.
Marty McFly, Jr Was Almost Sent to Prison in Back to the Future Part II
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Marty and Doc must travel to the future to prevent Marty's son from being sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery. In Back to the Future Part II, Marty meets his son with his namesake at the Café '80s. Right away, Marty noticed his son resembled his grandfather in how he failed to stand up to bullies like Griff Tannen, the grandson of George McFly's bully Biff Tannen. Griff convinced Marty Jr. to join in on a robbery by physically assaulting him.
In addition to Marty Jr.'s fate, his sister received a 20-year sentence for trying to break her brother out of jail. However, the McFlys weren't sent to prison after their father prevented Marty Jr.'s involvement in the robbery. Considering how further timeline alterations would have prevented his father's car accident, Marty Jr. may have been more confident than pictured in the film.
Seamus McFly Was Supposed To Be Played by Crispin Glover
The last McFly Fox portrayed was Marty's ancestor, Seamus McFly, in Back to the Future Part III. The DeLorean has returned for Marty's journey to the Wild Wild West to prevent Doc's death in 1888. Under the guise of Clint Eastwood, Marty met his Irish immigrant ancestors, Seamus, Maggie and William McFly.
Along with Fox, Lea Thompson, who starred as Marty's mother, Lorraine, also played Maggie McFly. Initially, the casting team planned on Crispin Glover playing Seamus, but the actor dropped out of the series after the first film. It's hard enough to memorize the line for one character, so how tough would it have been for Fox to memorize dialogue for multiple?