Michael J. Fox almost died on the set of Back to the Future Part III when a stunt went badly wrong. Iconic as series lead Marty McFly, Fox was famously committed to the time-travel franchise – shooting sitcom Family Ties during the day before working on the first Back to the Future movie at night in order to fit it into his schedule. Following the original films’ success, the filmmakers jumped at the chance to produce sequels: shooting Back to the Future Part II and Part III back-to-back in 1989 – just two years before Fox would receive his life-altering Parkinson’s diagnosis at the age of just 29.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the first Back to the Future film sent ’80s teen Marty McFly back to 1955 where he unwittingly ended up crossing paths with his parents and jeopardizing his own future existence. Back to the Future Part II sent Marty to the future, an alternate present, and – finally – into the events of the first film before he was whisked back to the Wild West for Part III. In the (so far) final movie, Marty runs into Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) and his gang, who attempt to lynch Marty before Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) shoots the rope loose in the knick of time. Shockingly, an on-set incident during the filming of this scene almost caused star Michael J. Fox to lose his life.
In the world of special effects, hangings are amongst the most dangerous sequences to shoot and, while actors generally wear harnesses for such scenes, things can easily turn sour if the filmmakers are not extremely careful. In Lucky Man: A Memoir, Fox recounted his near-death experience on the set of Back to the Future Part III, writing: “I swung unconscious at the end of the rope for several seconds before Bob Zemeckis, fan of me though he was, realized even I wasn’t that good of an actor.” While the rehearsals had gone well – in practice, the rope became too tight, cutting off Fox’s airways. Part of the danger with these types of effect shots is that the actor is supposed to look in pain and be struggling if they’re playing the scene well, so crucial warning signs can easily be mistaken for good acting.
![The Back To The Future Scene That Almost Killed Michael J Fox](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Michael-J-Fox-as-Marty-McFly-in-Back-to-the-Future.jpg)
Thankfully, the filmmakers managed to free Fox from the noose and bring him back around – but many actors and stunt performers haven’t been so lucky in the past, sustaining severe injuries or – in extreme cases – dying on the job. In this same franchise, for instance, during the filming of Back to the Future Part II, a stunt woman required reconstructive surgery after falling from a great height as part of the infamous hoverboard chase, which was actually kept in the movie. So, by the time Part III came around, you would think that the Back to the Future team would have exercised a little more caution, though Fox’s life-threatening experience would suggest otherwise.
Now, with stronger health and safety protocols in place (paired with studio fears of being sued), major accidents are a rarer occurrence in the modern film industry – though the list of tragedies is still worryingly long. As for Michael J. Fox, he semi-retired from acting in 2000 as a result of his worsening condition but has continued to work sporadically, while devoting most of his time to The Michael J. Fox Foundation – dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease; a noble and necessary cause, if ever there was one. Since the Back to the Future trilogy concluded, Fox has reprised the role of Marty in a few skits and cameo appearances over the years – though, sadly, fans are unlikely to see the franchise (and character) return in any major way.