Michael J. Fox is setting the record straight on his relationship with former Back to the Future co-star Crispin Glover — and it turns out there’s plenty of admiration behind the scenes.
In his newly released memoir, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, Fox, 64, reflected on Glover’s unconventional acting style and their time filming the 1985 classic. “Nobody puts Crispin in a box. But that didn’t prevent the camera crew from literally building a box around him,” Fox writes, per Us Weekly. “As George McFly, Crispin had his own ideas as to how and where his character should move.”
According to Fox, Glover’s unpredictable nature sometimes caused “tension” with director Robert Zemeckis and screenwriter Bob Gale, particularly during a scene between their characters.
“As Crispin approached the camera, he was meant to stay in a lane between the clothesline and me. But Crispin had a different plan,” Fox recalled. “My guess is that he saw George as a wanderer, a free spirit who traveled in random patterns — in this case, perpendicular to the camera.” When Glover repeatedly wandered out of frame, the crew “fabricated a miniature corral made of sandbags and C-stands, trapping Crispin into adhering to the parameters of the shot.”
Still, Fox insists the actor’s quirks were part of his genius. “I loved working with him. His talent was unquestionable, although his methods sometimes created friction,” he wrote.
The Family Ties alum also admitted that nothing could have prepared him for Glover’s eccentric style. “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.”
READ MORE: Michael J. Fox Reflects on ‘Drinking A Lot’ and the ‘Tailspin’ That Followed Parkinson’s Diagnosis
When Fox stopped by The View on Monday, October 13 to promote the book, he opened up about how difficult life was after his Parkinson’s diagnosis — and how long it took to regain his footing. “People think I got diagnosed, and I said, ‘okay, let’s cure this disease,’” he told hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin. “I got diagnosed, I went into a serious tailspin and really had a hard time. My family, I kind of wasn’t there for them and I was drinking a lot and just bad.”
Fox shared that it took nearly seven years to find stability and purpose. “Seven years later I came out and told the public that I had it and the response was too great… I have this chance to do this in life to make a difference so I wanted to seize it.” His honesty came as Goldberg noted that he’s since helped raise more than $2.5 billion for Parkinson’s research.
