Marty McFly and Dr. Brown Reunite After Decades, and Their Real-Life Story Proves True Friendship Can Survive Everything

When the Back to the Future movie script was pitched to producers, it was rejected 40 times before Universal decided it had potential. The iconic time-traveling on and off-screen couple, Michael J. Fox, 61, and Christopher Lloyd, 83, worked together on the trilogy for the first time in 1985. This year, the duo reunited, and fans were in tears at the emotional event. Some friendships come naturally and overcome anything — here’s how Fox and Lloyd showed us that through anything, being there for each other is the biggest gift we can give to another human.

Michael J. Fox got to play the role of Marty McFly by pure chance.

When Lloyd first read the Back to the Future script, he discarded it — something he usually does with scripts. His friend convinced him to show up for the casting, and Lloyd picked the script out of the waste bin and “it all came true.”

Lloyd and Eric Stoltz first worked on the movie as Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly, but ultimately, after 6 weeks of shooting, Stoltz was fired and needed a replacement, and they had to reshoot all the scenes. That’s how Michael J. Fox came into the Back to the Future world, and “we had a chemistry which lasted the whole time,” Lloyd shared.

Fox and Lloyd’s friendship showed us that even when separated by time and hardship, true friends always remain.

Most Hollywood productions encompass filming for 4 to 12 weeks then after the premiere, the actors usually go their separate ways. Thanks to the 3-part Back to the Future movies and multiple anniversaries, the time-traveling duo had a chance to spend more time with each other.

Dr. Brown shared “You work on a movie, and you hope that at least it gets put together, and opens, and has a decent opening, and a little bit of a run, but Back to the Future has gone way beyond that. It just kept rolling along, and I had no anticipation of that.”

Michael J. Fox kept his diagnosis a secret for the better part of 7 years.

At the peak of his career, at 29 years old, Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, and all throughout it, Lloyd was there for him. At the time, doctors said he could work for 10 more years. The actor didn’t let the prognosis end his career by continuing to work for almost 30 more years before announcing his retirement in 2020. Both fans and friends have inspired Fox’s efforts to raise funds and awareness around the disease.

The actor candidly shared: “Parkinson’s is the gift that keeps on taking—but it’s a gift, and I wouldn’t change it for anything... People like Chris have been there a lot for me, and so many of you have. It’s not about what I have, it’s about what I’ve been given—the voice to get this done, and help people out.”

“Back to the Future has always been more than just a movie.”

Christopher Lloyd is a proud donor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation and always supports his friend.

The actor shared, “I once said to Marty, ’Roads? Where we’re going...we don’t need roads.’ Back to the Future has always been more than just a movie. Its core values: determination, strength, passion, and friendship have transcended into a legacy we could have never imagined. Michael, you have taken it even deeper with your fight against Parkinson’s. It is truly admirable, and I am happy to help, always. If you would like to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, you can find all you need here.”

Fox and Lloyd had a public appearance together after years and were received with nothing but open arms.

At the Comic-Con in NY, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd had an emotional reunion that took their fans by surprise. Marty and Doc Brown ran on stage, hugged each other, and for an instant, took us all right back into the Back to the Future series.

Fans were gushing over their get-together, “So heavy. Breaks my heart, but also lifts it in a way. Love to see compassion,” someone shared about the special event. A video of them went viral, gathering almost 10 million views on Twitter — watch below.

What do you think the secret is to an everlasting friendship? Tag the people in your life that have stood by you through thick and thin, and let’s take this chance to be thankful for our friends.