Michael J. Fox reveals what he wrote to Back to the Future costar that he 'never had the chance t...

Fox says that this particular costar never &34;did the same thing the same way twice,&34; but still managed to &34;[crush] it on every take.&34; Michael J. Fox reveals what he wrote to Back to the Future costar that he 'never had the chance to say' on set Fox says that this particular costar never &34;did the same thing the same way twice,&34; but still managed to &34;[crush] it on every take.&34; By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.

Fox says that this particular costar never "did the same thing the same way twice," but still managed to "[crush] it on every take."

Michael J. Fox reveals what he wrote to Back to the Future costar that he 'never had the chance to say' on set

Fox says that this particular costar never "did the same thing the same way twice," but still managed to "[crush] it on every take."

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 28, 2025 11:00 a.m. ET

Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'. Credit:

- Michael J. Fox pays tribute to his *Back to the Future *costar Crispin Glover in his new memoir on the making of the film, *Future Boy*.

- Fox reveals that upon rewatching the film to write the book, he gained a deeper appreciation for Glover's inspired performance, which prompted him to write the actor a letter.

- "We didn't talk much during production," Fox wrote. "So I never had the chance to say that you are a brilliant actor, and I was thrilled to work with you."

Michael J. Fox is raising his glass to an unsung hero of the *Back to the Future* family.

In *Future Boy*, his recent memoir of the making of the 1985 sci-fi comedy classic, Fox reflects on getting his feet wet on his first big-budget Hollywood spectacle alongside seasoned pros like Christopher Lloyd. But most of the cast were up-and-comers like Fox, who'd just gotten his big break with the premiere of *Family Ties *in 1982.

Cast in the role of Fox's character's father in the time hopper was a young actor named Crispin Glover — a name neither Fox nor the world would soon forget.

"I knew Crispin Glover prior to *Back to the Future*," Fox writes. "I wouldn't, however, say I was prepared to act with him —­ there's no way to prepare for Crispin."

Michael J. Fox and Crispin Glover in 'Back to the Future'.

Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

Fox elaborates, "With Chris Lloyd, I had an inkling of what he was up to. Neither he nor Crispin ever did the same thing the same way twice. But as a trained theater actor, Chris was much more locked into the script, so there was that constant to depend on. I never knew what Crispin was going to say or do. I'm not sure he knew, either."

Unpredictability and verve would soon become well known signatures of the singular, New York City-born actor. But on the *Back to the Future *set, Fox remembered Glover's idiosyncracies simply throwing his costars and director.

"Nobody puts Crispin in a box," Fox writes. "As George McFly, Crispin had his own ideas as to how and where his character should move," a disposition that "often caused tension with [screenwriter] Bob Gale and [director] Bob Zemeckis."

Still, Fox describes Glover as "phenomenal in the role," even revealing that "in the process of preparing for this book, I wrote Crispin a letter. 'Your performance is richer and deeper every time I see it. In fact, I skip over my bits to watch yours. Granted, we didn't talk much during production, so I never had the chance to say that you are a brilliant actor, and I was thrilled to work with you.'"****

Why future 'Office' star was fired from 'Back to the Future' after Michael J. Fox was hired

Michael J. Fox addresses notorious 'Back to the Future' goof that fans still hound him about

*Back to the Future *actually wasn't Fox and Glover's first time collaborating. Glover appeared as a guest star on an episode of *Family Ties *the year before *Back to the Future *entered production. Fox recalls that as one of his conservative firebrand Alex P. Keaton's friends on a road trip in season 2's "Birthday Boy," Glover delivered several lines that won him "the biggest laughs" of the episode.

"The interesting thing about Crispin as an actor is that he had no awareness of the audience. He wasn't trying to milk the laughs. He was just naturally funny, and he crushed it on every take," Fox writes. "I feel the same about his work in *Back to the Future*."

Crispin Glover in 'Back to the Future'.

MCA/Universal Pictures - Courtesy: Everett Collection

Unlike Fox, Glover did not return for the sequels *Back to the Future II* and *Back to the Future III*. George McFly was instead played by *Pale Rider *star Jeffrey Weissman.

In the years since its release, the original *Back to the Future *has barely ebbed in popularity. It remains as beloved and widely seen as ever. But Glover hasn't been shy about the issues that have kept him from returning to the fold.

In a 2014 interview with IGN, Glover noted that he "didn't really get to analyze the screenplay until I was actively working on the film," by which time, "I saw things that were in the screenplay... that I have a particular amount of questions about." Specifically, Glover takes issue with the film's final scene, which sees the efforts of Fox's Marty McFly in the past result in a "financial reward" in the new, altered present.

"I saw that if there was a financial reward, where the son character cheers because he has a truck in the garage, I thought that the moral aspect ends up being that money equals happiness. I questioned that, and that was met with a lot of hostility and upset," Glover revealed. "I didn't end up being in the sequels. I mean, it's more complicated than that, but I'm certain that it had something to do with my questioning of these things."**

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Sci-Fi"

Read More

---

Source: Sci-Fi

Published: December 28, 2025 at 06:38PM on Source: ANDY MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle