Michael J. Fox Reflects On Working With Crispin Glover On "Back To The Future"

Dan Lalonde
3 days ago
2 min read

Back To The Future Michael J. Fox Crispin Glover McFly

Who is the quirkiest actor you have worked with on set?

Michael J. Fox is talking about working with Crispin Glover on 'Back To The Future' with the New York Post. Glover played Fox's Marty McFly's dad, George McFly, the nerd who stood up to the bully Biff to win over his girl. But Glover is more famous for his antics, including a famous appearance on David Letterman in 1987, where he almost kicked him in the face.

Fox recalled: “Nobody puts Crispin in a box. But that didn’t prevent the camera crew from literally building a box around him. As George McFly, Crispin had his own ideas as to how and where his character should move. As Crispin approached the camera, he was meant to stay in a lane between the clothesline and me. But Crispin had a different plan. My guess is that he saw George as a wanderer, a free spirit who travelled in random patterns — in this case, perpendicular to the camera.”

Fox said the crew had to force him to stay in the frame: “They fabricated a miniature corral made of sandbags and C-stands, trapping Crispin into adhering to the parameters of the shot.”

Although Fox loved working with Glover, he didn't return for the sequels after expressing disappointment with the ending where the McFly family came into money.

Fox has good memories of Glover: “His talent was unquestionable, although his methods sometimes created friction. Still, I respected how he remained true to George (as he understood and embodied him). I knew Crispin Glover prior to Back to the Future. I wouldn’t, however, say I was prepared to act with him — there’s no way to prepare for Crispin. With Chris Lloyd, I had an inkling of what he was up to. Neither he nor Crispin ever did the same thing the same way twice."

What is the weirdest story you have on a set? Comment below with your thoughts.