Widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi flicks of all time, Back to the Future captivated audiences with its endearing dynamic duo and exhilarating premise. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd famously starred as teen misfit Marty McFly and the delightfully zany scientist Doc Brown, joining forces for three epic flicks.
While Fox has become synonymous with the career-altering role, fans of the charismatic actor and fan-favorite franchise may be surprised to learn how many other Hollywood hopefuls pursued a chance to play the character. From The Karate Kid knockout Ralph Macchio to comedy great Ben Stiller, here are 9 actors who almost played Marty McFly in Back to the Future.
9 Eric Stoltz
Before Michael J. Fox delivered his unforgettable performance as the time-traveling Marty McFly, fellow ’80s star Eric Stoltz had actually nabbed the highly-coveted role and even worked on the sci-fi classic for five weeks until he was replaced. Stoltz’s vision for the film clashed with that of director Robert Zemeckis, as he felt it should have taken a more serious approach to storytelling while subsequently warning audiences about the dire consequences of meddling with time.
Mounting Creative Differences
Zemeckis rightfully envisioned Back to the Future as a sci-fi comedy with plenty of hijinks and laughter, thus paving the way for a major movie shake-up. Stoltz was also allegedly a method actor and wanted to be called Marty even between takes, much to the chagrin of his fellow cast and crew. When he was ultimately fired from the project, his co-star Christopher Lloyd reportedly said, “Well, who’s Eric?” before adding: “Oh. I really thought his name was Marty.” Lloyd would later retroactively state:
“I felt for Eric. He was a really good actor. Although he was doing the part well, he was not bringing that element of comedy to the screen.”
Despite the career setback, Stoltz went on to have success in both television and film, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Mask while also appearing in Say Anything…, Pulp Fiction, Jerry Maguire, and The Butterfly Effect. In recent years, he has notably appeared in shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Madame Secretary, and The Good Fight, while also branching out to direct and produce.
Watch Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly Here
8 Jon Cryer
After making his cinematic debut in the 1984 dramedy No Small Affair, Jon Cryer was on the hunt for the project that would establish him as a Hollywood leading man, and he was hoping that Back to the Future would be the winning ticket. Cryer competed against a slew of other hungry hopefuls, and the script he read was apparently quite different from the one fans know and love. In 2020, the actor revealed on Twitter that Coca-Cola proved to be crucial to time-traveling and the iconic DeLorean had not yet been incorporated.
A Blessing in Disguise
While Cryer ended up not landing the role of Marty McFly, he did wind up portraying another ’80s movie staple instead: Molly Ringwald’s beloved sidekick Duckie in the John Hughes-written hit Pretty in Pink. He would become synonymous with the character and the teen rom-com classic served as a stepping stone in his eclectic career, as Cryer crafted an impressive television resume and starred opposite Charlie Sheen in the long-running comedy Two and a Half Men. Cryer won two Primetime Emmys for his work in the enduring series, and later appeared in NCIS, The Ranch, and Supergirl.
7 C. Thomas Howell
C. Thomas Howell was one of the most buzzed-about rising stars in the ’80s, having appeared in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Outsiders, and Red Dawn before auditioning for Marty McFly. He was a front-runner for the role and went head-to-head with Eric Stoltz as a major finalist, ultimately being edged out by the actor. Howell didn’t stay down for long, as he had already proven himself to be a dynamic performer after starring in the Francis Ford Coppola cult classic.
Stellar Television Performances
Howell appeared in a slew of flicks at the tail-end of the decade, headlining Secret Admirer, The Hitcher, and highly-controversial Soul Man before he eventually shifted his focus to the small screen. After a career lull, he rose to prominence once again and was reintroduced to audiences when he portrayed serial killer George Foyet in Criminal Minds and also had recurring roles in Grimm, The Walking Dead, Ray Donovan, and The Punisher.
6 Ben Stiller
Back in the mid-1980s, Ben Stiller was largely an unknown aspiring actor who was following in the footsteps of his famous parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. In fact, he wouldn’t even make his film debut until 1987 in the action comedy Hot Pursuit, two years after Back to the Future became a worldwide phenomenon. It seems as though the celebrated funnyman would also prefer to forget his audition, as he joked with Jon Cryer back in 2020 about the ordeal and how he was seemingly traumatized from it.
Stiller fans know all too well that him being passed over for the role was probably the best thing to happen to him, as he later joined Saturday Night Live as both a writer and featured player before landing his own sketch comedy series, The Ben Stiller Show. The comedian dominated the big screen in the ’90s and 2000s, starring in hits like There’s Something About Mary, Meet the Parents, The Royal Tenenbaums, and the Night at the Museum trilogy (among countless others).
He has also branched out and showcased his skills as a filmmaker, both directing and starring in movies like Reality Bites, Zoolander, and Tropic Thunder, and in 2022 he produced and helped helm the critically-acclaimed sci-fi series Severance. Stiller was nominated for two Primetime Emmys and a Directors Guild of America Award, while winning a Peabody for his contributions to the mega-hit show.
Watch Ben Stiller’s Audition Here
5 John Cusack
Another major up-and-comer from the ’80s who auditioned for Marty McFly was John Cusack, who was just 18-years-old when he tried out for the epic role. Though he was eventually passed over for consideration when it came down to C. Thomas Howell and Eric Stoltz, Cusack went on to star in Rob Reiner’s The Sure Thing and Better Off Dead in 1985, before establishing himself as a bona fide heartthrob when he portrayed lovesick underachiever Lloyd Dobler in the rom-com classic Say Anything….
Big Screen Takeover
Cusack continued to play a wide array of colorful characters throughout his decorated career, appearing in films such as Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich, and High Fidelity, the latter romantic dramedy he also co-wrote and produced; the actor was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance. In the new millennium, he found further success by starring in an assortment of genres and flicks like Serendipity, 1408, Hot Tub Time Machine, and The Raven.
4 Johnny Depp
Hot off the heels of his cinematic film debut in the horror masterpiece A Nightmare on Elm Street, future teen idol and sensational leading man Johnny Depp also decided to throw his hat into the ring and audition for Back to the Future. Depp faced stiff competition throughout the process, as numerous other hopefuls tried out for Marty McFly before Eric Stoltz was hired (and subsequently fired). Screenwriter Bob Gale actually forgot that the future 21 Jump Street star even auditioned, later going on to joke, “So, whatever he did, it wasn’t all that memorable, I guess!”.
A Dazzling Box Office Draw
Depp is undeniably one of the biggest and most prominent names to read for Marty, and despite being passed over for the role he quickly began to make a name for himself, starring in lauded hits like Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Sleepy Hollow in the 1990s. He further dominated the silver screen with his iconic performance as the perpetually drunk pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a series that has earned over $4.5 billion at the box office.
The acting chameleon showed no signs of slowing down in the ensuing years, appearing in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Alice in Wonderland, and Black Mass, though there is no denying his career took a major hit after he became embroiled in a highly-publicized defamation case with his ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022. Nonetheless, Depp is attempting to return to the film industry and recently portrayed Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry and is directing the upcoming drama Modi.
3 Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio captivated audiences with his legendary role as Daniel LaRusso in the martial arts blockbuster The Karate Kid, having previously impressed moviegoers with his stirring performance in The Outsiders. Macchio was one of many vying for the lead character in Back to the Future, and he even competed against his former co-star C. Thomas Howell for the part. Though he delivered a solid audition, Macchio would later reveal his accent was what caused him to be passed over for Marty McFly.
Macchio’s Accent Blunder
When reflecting back upon his decades-long Hollywood career in 2022, Macchio revealed to Yahoo! Entertainment exactly why he wasn’t offered the role in Back to the Future:
“They were like, ‘Can you lose the New York accent? This is more apple pie and all-American. The irony is that the role was played by a Canadian!” He later commended Michael J. Fox and added, “Absolutely the right Marty McFly was picked.”
Macchio seems to be doing just fine these days, as he returned to his career-defining role in the Netflix sequel series Cobra Kai, reprising his character alongside fellow star William Zabka, who played his martial arts rival Johnny Lawrence. The show has attracted widespread acclaim for its action, humor, and engaging storylines, earning multiple nominations including Primetime Emmy and Saturn Award nods; a sixth and final season is currently in the works.
2 Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine was just venturing into the world of moviemaking when he read for Marty McFly, with the young actor having appeared in the comedy Private School and romantic drama Vision Quest. Though he was eventually passed over for the role, when Eric Stoltz was fired and producers sought his replacement, they offered the part to Modine. While making an appearance on The Talk in 2017, Modine described why he turned down the offer:
“I think of actors in terms of cereal so they were looking for Shredded Wheat and I’m Cheerios and maybe Eric Stoltz was Fruit Loops. When you’re casting, 90 percent of making a film is putting the right actor in the right role. So I just felt like I was going to be the wrong actor and I turned it down and I waited and waited and the next script that came was Full Metal Jacket.”
Patience is a Virtue
Opting out of a potentially life-changing project was a huge gamble for Modine, but he stuck with his guns and shortly thereafter he headlined Stanley Kubrick’s Oscar-nominated war drama Full Metal Jacket, memorably portraying Private/Sergeant J.T. “Joker” Davis. Modine has since crafted a dynamic resume on both the big and small screen, appearing in shows like The Bedford Diaries, Weeds, and Stranger Things and in movies including The Dark Knight Rises, 47 Meters Down, and most recently Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
1 Charlie Sheen
Yet another future Hollywood heavy hitter to audition for Marty McFly was Charlie Sheen, the son of Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen and actress Janet Templeton. By the mid-’80s, Sheen was just starting out and had only appeared in Red Dawn and Silence of the Heart, and he was one of many to seek out the part in Back to the Future. While the role was not meant to be for Sheen, he did star in two other massively influential movies during the decade: Platoon and Wall Street.
Sheen Becomes the Highest-Paid TV Actor
After landing major roles in films such as Young Guns (alongside his brother Emilio Estevez), The Rookie, and The Three Musketeers, Sheen made the switch to television and portrayed jingle composer Charlie Harper in the smash hit sitcom Two and a Half Men, starring opposite Jon Cryer. During his final season on the show, Sheen was making a whopping $1.8 million an episode but was infamously fired after making offensive comments about creator Chuck Lorre. He would then appear in FX’s Anger Management, which ran for 2 seasons and 100 episodes.
Rent/Buy Back to the Future on Prime Video
