Lea Thompson Remembers Being 'Snooty' to Michael J. Fox on theBack to the FutureSetWhen They First Met

Mar. 15, 2025

“Probably not,” the actress, 63, admitted, “because I was friends with Eric Stoltz who had just gotten fired.”

Of course, nearly 40 years later, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Marty. But while Fox was reportedly the first choice to play the character, directorRobert Zemeckiscast Stoltz when Fox was initially unavailable due to his role on NBC’sFamily Ties. After filming began in November 1984, the filmmakers quickly realized they’d made a mistake and ultimatelyreplaced Stoltz with Fox.

Eric Stoltz and Lea Thompson in ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ in 1987.Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

Thompson explained that she’d already starred opposite Stoltz in 1984’sThe Wild Life, and would go on to costar with him again in 1987’sSome Kind of Wonderful. “So, he was a friend of mine,” she said.

But that wasn’t the only reason she was initially chilly toward Fox.

“I had done some scenes with Eric already and then had to redo them with Michael, so I could see how they were completely different scenes,” Thompson continued.

Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

“When we were shooting and they replaced Eric Stoltz with Michael Fox, six weeks in, I was like, ‘Oh, they must like what they’re doing because nobody does that. That’s very expensive,’ ” she explained. “So, I had a feeling, but no one knew that it was gonna be what it was.”

But, Thompson recalled, the casting switch certainly had an impact. “You know, everybody always wants to be like, ‘Oh, wasn’t that fun?’ You know, that’s what people wanna hear,” she said. “And it was very — it was a lot of pressure, and it was scary business, especially after they fired Eric Stoltz. You were like, ‘This is not fun and games. This is big business and, you know, a big deal.' ”

Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson at MegaCon Orlando in February 2024.Gerardo Mora/Getty

Gerardo Mora/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Nearly four decades later, however, Thompson says she remains friendly with Fox, seeing him a few times a year at fan conventions. “So, I see him in the weirdest situation ever, which is, like, in front of 3,000 people,” she said. “And sometimes we go out to dinner, the group of us. That’s really nice to see him.”

She also praised the actor, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, forhis work raising awareness of the disease and money for researchvia his Michael J. Fox Foundation.

“That’s really special to me because both of my brothers were diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year ago,” Thompson added.

source: people.com