One Big Reason Michael J. Fox Does Feel Bad About His Back To The Future Casting

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Everyone knows Michael J. Fox took over the role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future, but that change also affected another actor’s career. Melora Hardin, who later starred in The Office, lost out on the chance to play Jennifer, which could have launched her into stardom. Michael J. Fox still regrets the situation, and it’s easy to understand why – even though the actresses who ultimately played Jennifer were fantastic. Here’s how Michael J. Fox explains what happened to Melora Hardin.

Hardin Was Simply Too Tall

The change from Eric Stoltz to Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly is legendary in Hollywood. After filming for several weeks, the creators of Back to the Future (which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year) realized Stoltz didn’t quite match the movie’s intended style, so they decided to cast Fox instead.

Replacing the actor had a much bigger impact than just a simple recast. A significant portion of the movie had to be filmed again, and very little of the original footage survived into the final version, even shots where the actor wasn’t visible. Michael J. Fox is shorter than the actor he replaced, and producers became concerned that the height difference might be noticeable on screen. Fox recently discussed the decision in his memoir, Future Boy (as reported by Entertainment Weekly):

Melora was significantly taller than me, and when I took over the role of Marty, the director, Bob Zemeckis, worried it wouldn’t look believable. He initially hoped audiences wouldn’t notice the height difference, but the women on set quickly pointed out that in high school, popular, taller girls usually don’t date shorter guys.

Fox knew that the move wasn’t fair to Hardin, adding:

I’m sorry that a bias on my part unintentionally impacted another member of the Back to the Future cast – Melora Hardin, a very talented actress who played Marty’s girlfriend, Jennifer, alongside the appropriately tall Eric Stoltz.

According to his autobiography, Michael J. Fox was accustomed to comments about his height. While he’d previously had success playing younger roles, his height became a problem as he took on more mature characters. Specifically, those in charge of Back to the Future felt it wasn’t believable for him to have a girlfriend who was taller than him.

He didn’t have much influence back then, so nobody asked his opinion when they decided to replace C. Thomas Howell with Claudia Wells. Wells was later replaced by Elizabeth Shue for the next two films, and according to Fox, he would have tried to convince them to keep Wells in the role.

Hardin Has Spoken About It, Too

Earlier this year, Hardin shared her account on the Joe Vulpis Podcast, explaining she understood how important landing the role was, especially since it could have led to a sequel. While she was initially upset by the decision, she now sees things differently, stating:

When I was seventeen, that was really hard for me and I was very upset. Honestly, if I’d made a different choice, things would have turned out completely differently – I wouldn’t have ended up on The Office.

It’s safe to say we’re all fortunate to have seen Jan Levinson, a truly memorable character on The Office (available on Peacock). And it’s nice to know that, ultimately, things turned out well for the actors who played Hardin and in Back to the Future.

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2025-12-05 16:38