Before becoming a pop culture icon, Michael J. Fox experienced one of the most intense periods of his career. At the height of his success on TV, he recorded Family Ties during the day, and at night he traveled through time like Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Forty years later, the actor revisits this chapter in his new autobiography, Future Boyreleased alongside the re-release of the classic in cinemas.
In 1985, Fox was the most popular face on American television thanks to the sitcom Family Ties. But the role that would change his life came when he was cast as Marty McFly — the teenager who travels through time in a DeLorean — in Back to the Future.
For months, the actor lived a double and exhausting routine: he filmed the series at Paramount until the end of the afternoon and, soon after, went straight to the Universal studios to record the film's scenes.
“There was no difference between day and night,” writes Fox. “I spent my days in a windowless studio and my nights under the spotlight of Back to the Future. It was like living in a time loop.”
Fox fondly remembers the costume of Back to the Future: the clothes from the 1950s, the hair ironed with Tenax pomade and the contrast between the vibrant tones of 1985 and the pastel colors of the past.
"There was something sweet about the colors and patterns. They looked like old candy," he recalls.
The success of the film and the generous salary of Family Ties gave him the freedom to express himself off-screen as well. "For the first time, I could spend on clothes. I loved buying flashy shoes," he writes. Shortly afterwards, he bought a house for his parents in Burnaby, Canada — a gesture that, years later, would star in a memorable scene.
During a charity gala in Vancouver, Fox decided to wear an Armani tuxedo with black Converse sneakers embroidered with skulls. His father, upon seeing the view, protested:
"You can't wear those shoes. It's disrespectful." Fox responded, "Dad, the important thing is they want me to be myself. These sneakers show who I am."
For him, the episode symbolized the struggle not to lose his identity amid the whirlwind of fame. “Looking at my shoes that night was a reminder: I must never pretend to be someone I am not.”
On the pages of Future Boythe actor describes in detail his nighttime travels through Los Angeles — the journey between the Paramount and Universal studios, crossing the Cahuenga Pass, a legendary stretch of highway 101. While the Hollywood spotlight illuminated the way, Fox made a symbolic transition: he left behind the straight-laced student Alex Keaton to transform into the rebellious Marty McFly.
“It was a short but transformative journey”, he writes. "As the car drove up the hill, I saw the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Park observatory. It was like going through a portal in time."
Future Boy is more than a career retrospective — it's a reflection on youth, success and authenticity. Four decades after the launch of Back to the FutureMichael J. Fox continues to inspire generations with his honesty and humor.
“Roads?” says the actor, echoing Doc Brown. "Maybe we don't need them. But in my case, I needed one—the one that took me straight to the future."
The book is now available in bookstores, coinciding with the celebration of 40 years of Back to the Future and reaffirming what we all already knew: time may pass, but Marty McFly never ages.
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