“Must Have Been a Very Heavy Burden”— Christopher Lloyd Recalls Michael J. Fox’s Back to the Future Struggles and Their Eventual Friendship
BACK TO THE FUTURE, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, 1985, (c)Universal courtesy Everett Collection ©Universal Courtesy Everett Collection PUBLICATIONXNOTxINxCANxCHNxFRAxITAxJPNxNORxPOLxRUSxESPxUKxUSA
In Hill Valley, Marty McFly and Doc Brown could bend time, dodge disaster, and turn a DeLorean into cinema's coolest science experiment. Behind the flux capacitor, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd had a friendship stuck in first gear.
Their Back to the Future chemistry became instant movie magic, while real life kept the actors on different tracks. Between brutal schedules, a generational gap, and a leading-man switch worthy of a Hollywood plot twist, bonding missed the production checklist.
And Lloyd has opened the garage door on their rocky introduction.
Chris Lloyd reflects on Fox's burden and their slow-burn friendship
In his new memoir In My Own Time, Christopher Lloyd recalled that he and Michael J. Fox did not become friends until after the Back to the Future films wrapped, with their first meeting happening in a parking lot during reshoots after Fox replaced Eric Stoltz six weeks into production. Lloyd admitted he was "self-involved" and anxious about recreating scenes he'd already filmed, so getting to know Fox wasn't a priority at the time.
"It must have been a very heavy burden for him," Lloyd wrote.
SPIN CITY, from left: Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, Back to the Future IV - Judgment Day , season 3, ep. 18, aired 2 23 1999, 1996-2002. ph: Eric Liebowitz ? ABC Courtesy Everett CollectionTSDSPCI AB037 PUBLICATIONXNOTxINxCANxCHNxFRAxITAxJPNxNORxPOLxRUSxESPxUKxUSA
Reflecting on how Fox was essentially working two jobs at once, filming Back to the Future and Family Ties concurrently, while joining a movie where everyone else had already done weeks of work. Lloyd noted Fox was expected to come in quickly and help save the day, a pressure he recognized in hindsight.
Despite the initial distance, Lloyd said their chemistry seemed to be clicking on screen, with Fox's energy helping him push past his own anxieties. It took two more films in the trilogy before the two truly got to know each other and became friends, a bond that has endured long after the cameras stopped rolling.
And while Lloyd is revisiting those memories, a bizarre online claim had attempted to write an ending to Michael J. Fox's story.
Michael J. Fox shuts down death rumors
In April 2026, Michael J. Fox became the subject of a viral death hoax after CNN mistakenly published a tribute-style article and video titled.
"Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox," sparking widespread panic online. The 64-year-old actor, who has battled Parkinson's disease since 1991, quickly shut down the rumors with characteristic humor rather than anger. Taking to Threads, Fox joked.
"How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death?" before listing exaggerated response options and concluding.
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, 1989. Universal courtesy Everett Collection Universal Courtesy Everett Collection !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT! PUBLICATIONXNOTxINxCANxCHNxFRAxITAxJPNxNORxPOLxRUSxESPxUKxUSA
His representatives also confirmed to TMZ that Fox was "doing great," pointing out that he had attended PaleyFest in Los Angeles the day before and completed a full interview schedule.
CNN swiftly removed the content and apologized, calling the package published in error. Fox later made his first public appearance after the scare, reassuring fans in person that he was alive and well, turning an alarming mix-up into a moment of levity.
What do you think of Lloyd's revelation about Fox and their enduring friendship? Let us know in the comments.
Edited By: Itti Mahajan
