Mike Lowery
Many, many years ago – when a Coronavirus would’ve been something a Roger Moore-era Bond villain would be threatening to unleash – Universal Pictures began casting for a unique new sci-fi comedy from “Romancing the Stone” helmer Robert Zemeckis. The lead roles in this wonderfully-written tale of time travel and TAB would ultimately go to Michael J.Fox and Christopher Lloyd, as Marty McFly and Doc Brown, respectively, but not before a cavalcade of actors sashayed in and out of the casting offices hoping their big break would be a Spielberg production.
Here’s a little ditty about “Back to the Future”.
While it’s common knowledge that Eric Stoltz (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, “Mask”) was cast as Marty before Michael J.Fox (then a hot commodity on TV’s “Family Ties”) stepped in at the 11th hour – in fact, Stoltz had filmed a large chunk of the film, so let’s call it the ’14th hour’ – it hasn’t been widely reported who else was being considered before Fox’s schedule freed up.
Seems one of the many, many, many actors being tested was Tate Donovan, the “Damages” and “The OC” actor, who was then fresh from a supporting role in Jon Cryer comedy “No Small Affair” (1984).
“I wasn’t a candi–I auditioned for it, along with 10,000 other young actors, but yeah, sure, I wanted that role. I think I auditioned for it twice”, Donovan told us during press for his new film “Tuscaloosa”, which opens Friday.
“The first time Eric Stoltz got it. Eric Stoltz was the original [Marty]. And then they got rid of Eric Stoltz and there was a whole new mound of auditions and we were all clamoring to get in there. Yeah. Apparently I didn’t get it, although I’m still waiting to hear [Laughs].”
As Donovan notes, thousands of young actors were up for Marty.
We spoke to Eric Stoltz a few years back about having to step aside for Michael J.Fox – and he was almost glad it didn’t work out.
“I think just getting through that difficult period helped me realize how freeing it really was. I went back to acting school, I moved to Europe, I did some plays in New York and I actually invested in [pause] my self in a way that was much healthier for me. If I had become a massive star, I don’t know if I wouldn’t have gone into therapy. On the other hand, I would’ve been exceedingly rich”, he laughed, noting that he filmed three to four weeks on the film before he was let go.
Our full interview with Tate Donovan runs Thursday.
