Whoa, Dude! Michael J. Fox and Crispin Glover Were Pals BEFORE Back To The Future!
Back to the Future's Odd Casting: A Look Back at Family Ties
Back to the Future. An iconic movie starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Crispin Glover as his dad, George McFly. It’s so memorable! But what if I told you that Fox and Glover worked together before that classic time-travel flick? It's true, and it changes how you view Back to the Future’s casting choices. It adds additional context; it introduces additional insight that really highlights just how unusual their casting decision truly was, given that the earlier role that the pair had actually had before working together in this mega-hit!
Michael J. Fox became a huge star playing Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties— a conservative teen in a liberal household. His role as Marty McFly is still legendary; that's often debated which character truly established Fox as an icon to many different viewers across multiple demographics! In Back to the Future, he's starring alongside Christopher Lloyd and Crispin Glover; however, this was not their first collaboration. These details might matter – especially considering that that is how fans will come to know and understand why that role feels a bit oddly selected at a much later time!
Family Ties Reunion: Fox and Glover's Unexpected Friendship
In 1984, Glover guested on Family Ties (season 2, episode 11, "Birthday Boy"). He plays Doug, one of Alex's buddies! They both celebrate Alex’s 18th birthday which was set to occur that specific year in that timeline. This changes things significantly. The story continues when Doug encourages Alex to disobey his mom – a classic rebellion scenario! Then the mother gets called into intervene in that dramatic showdown that occurs throughout most of that particular scene.
While that might seem trivial – it adds interesting contrast to their Back to the Future roles; and you might begin to think why that was done; especially from the perspective that these roles would've been presented in these very distinct ways for these individual actors! The friendships differ immensely; it’s worth revisiting these two productions to discover just how the narrative choices involved added context to what was originally presented in the Back to the Future narrative.
The Casting Quandary: Friends and Father-Son
So here’s the weird part, this adds quite a layer. Glover and Fox were friends in Family Ties. Yet, a year later they play father and son in Back to the Future. Think about it; Glover’s most memorable part was playing Marty's dad. The fact that Glover played that much more memorable and powerful role affects how Glover’s later portrayal might be seen in Family Ties, adding a peculiar context. That change impacts audience reaction entirely and generates an interesting contradiction; creating moments never achievable otherwise!
The Family Ties characters had the same ages as in Back to the Future. That said, their age differences are the most significant point! In real life, Fox is three years older. This fact really affects their roles! The contrast, the implied difference in age; was ultimately not true. Yet it emphasizes that they weren’t accurately cast and should not be cast that way – not with this specific timeline imposed. These actors likely wouldn’t play father-son in this manner. If the movie weren't reliant on portraying an older and then later younger version of that specific character in that movie.
Conclusion: The Legacy of a Unique Casting Choice!
The unexpected pairing of Fox and Glover in Family Ties a year before Back to the Future makes their roles as a time-travelling son and father pair seem incredibly interesting and highly significant, when viewed as these actors themselves, with all the history imposed. It totally changes how we might view the casting decisions in Back to the Future. It adds this fascinating depth to the context; showing just how that earlier relationship added to their roles.
