Michael J. Fox on Crispin Glover’s ‘Friction’ During ‘Back to the Future’

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Back to the future (1985), Michael J. Fox recently returned to the ’80s to reminisce about the making of this time travel classic.

In his new memoir Future boyout now, the four-time Golden Globe winner recalled how co-star Crispin Glover “created friction” behind the scenes with his muddied approach to portraying Marty’s (Fox) ill-fated father, George McFly.

“No one puts Crispin in a box. But that didn’t stop the film crew from literally building a box around him,” Fox wrote, according to the New York Post. “As George McFly, Crispin had his own ideas about how and where his character should move.”

Fox recalls filming a dialogue scene with Glover in which he couldn’t stay on his feet.

“As Crispin approached the camera, he was supposed to stay in a lane between the clothesline and me. But Crispin had a different plan,” he wrote. “I suppose he saw George as a wanderer, a free spirit who traveled in random patterns – in this case, perpendicular to the camera.”

The actor explained that the team “made a miniature corral out of sandbags and C-stands, tricking Crispin into adhering to the parameters of the plan.”

Fox noted that he “loved working” with Glover, whose role as George McFly was recast for the sequels. Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Part III (1990).

“His talent was undeniable, even if his methods sometimes created friction,” he noted. “Yet I respected the way he remained faithful to George (as he understood and embodied him).

“I knew Crispin Glover before Back to the future. I wouldn’t say I was ready to act with him though – there’s no way to prepare for Crispin. With Chris Lloyd, I had an idea of ​​what he was doing. Neither he nor Crispin ever did the same thing the same way twice,” Fox added.