Michael J. Fox is reflecting on the early days of his career and the challenges of balancing the filming of season three of ‘Family Ties’ with the production of ‘Back to the Future’ in 1985. In his upcoming memoir ‘Future Boy,’ the actor revealed the extreme pressures of dual commitments, as he was required to play three distinct characters—Alex Keaton, Marty McFly, and Mike Fox—while maintaining the demands of a grueling schedule. This period of his career involved 20-hour workdays, leaving little room for personal life or rest. Fox reflected on how the intense schedule was almost overwhelming, stating, ‘Time definitely went rogue in the late winter and early spring of 1985, and took me with it…’ He noted the impossibility of maintaining three distinct personas simultaneously, which forced him to abandon his own identity, Mike Fox, as a way to fulfill his professional obligations.
Despite the demanding schedule, Fox shared that the rest of the ‘Family Ties’ cast viewed his efforts as normal. However, the physical toll of the work was evident, as recounted in the memoir. Fox described a typical day, beginning with an early 7 a.m. wake-up call and an entire day of rehearsals for ‘Family Ties,’ which ended at 6 p.m. Immediately following, he would travel to Universal Studios to continue filming ‘Back to the Future’ well into the night, wrapping up around 3 a.m. Even after finishing, he would be dropped off at his apartment by his driver, only to have to wake up again at 7 a.m. for the next day’s shoots. This cycle of exhaustion and dedication was a regular part of his life during this period.
The physical challenges were not limited to the filming of ‘Back to the Future’; Fox also recounted a near-fatal incident during the filming of ‘Back to the Future III,’ where he was dragged through the streets by horses before being rescued by Christopher Lloyd’s character. During a third take, he miscalculated his positioning, resulting in a noose around his neck and a blocked carotid artery, causing him to briefly lose consciousness. Despite the risk, Fox noted that his director, Bob Zemeckis, eventually realized that even as a fan, he could not expect him to perform such dangerous stunts without proper safety measures. The incident highlighted the intense physical danger involved in the production of the film, which Fox had to navigate while managing his dual roles.