Michael J. Fox, best known for his role as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future series, has shared why he disliked driving the DeLorean, the iconic time machine featured in the films. Despite the car’s legendary status in pop culture, Fox reveals that working inside the DeLorean was far from a pleasant experience during filming in the mid-1980s.
As 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the original movie’s 1985 debut, Fox released his memoir, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, on October 14. The book offers a candid, first-person account of his journey making the film at age 23 and provides new insights into the challenges he faced, especially when it came to his scenes inside the DeLorean.
Behind the Scenes: The Reality of Driving the DeLorean
While audiences often assume that filming inside the DeLorean must have been “cool,” Fox describes the car very differently. He calls it a “s*** car” that was slow to accelerate and minimally equipped, long before the extensive and costly special effects enhancements were added. These effects, including the famous flux capacitor, were “rough-edged, metallic and sharp,” making the driving scenes physically uncomfortable and even painful for the actor.
Fox describes the physical toll in detail:
“I get to drive the DeLorean. I know what you’re thinking… cool! I thought so too, at first, but soon I grew to hate driving the DeLorean. First of all, let’s face it – it’s a s*** car. Slow to accelerate, with cheap appointments – and that’s before our special effects crew added their two cents (or several million dollars, all in). Those jerry-rigged accoutrements – the flux capacitor and various time clocks and flourishes – tend to be rather rough-edged, metallic and sharp. After that first night in the driver’s seat and for the remainder of the movie, my hands are crisscrossed with lacerations, my knuckles bruised, and my elbows contused from slamming into the space-edged console. As they say in show business, pain is temporary, film is forever.”
– Michael J. Fox, actor
This admission highlights the discomfort behind the scenes, contrasting with how visually impressive and futuristic the car appears on screen. The DeLorean’s practical features, paired with the sharp and bulky special effects created by the film’s design team, caused Fox’s hands and elbows to bruise and cut repeatedly during filming.
The Importance of Movie Magic and Special Effects
Fox’s reflections reveal how much the magic of the special effects team shaped the DeLorean’s iconic look, compensating for the vehicle’s basic and flawed real-world qualities. The “movie magic” transformed a vehicle that was already out of production before the movie’s release into a cultural phenomenon that endures today.
Beyond the physical discomfort, Fox uses his humor to express his perseverance during filming, noting the lasting impact the role would have despite brief moments of pain:
“Pain is temporary, film is forever.”
– Michael J. Fox, actor
This phrase captures both the tough working conditions on set and the lasting legacy of Back to the Future. Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown remain beloved figures, largely thanks to the powerful visual of the DeLorean time machine, even if the actual car was far from ideal to operate.
Legacy of the DeLorean and the 40-Year Anniversary
The DeLorean’s legendary status stems partly from its futuristic design and partly from how it was brought to life on screen, not due to its original manufacturing brilliance. Since the car had ceased production before the film premiered in 1985, it was chosen primarily for its unique aesthetics that matched the movie’s science fiction themes.
The 40th anniversary of Back to the Future invites fans and new audiences alike to revisit the film’s impact, enhanced by Fox’s recent, honest accounts in Future Boy. His stories shed light on the physical sacrifices involved in creating such iconic scenes and deepen the appreciation for both the movie’s creative team and cast. With Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd’s performances deeply etched in cinema history, the legacy of Marty McFly, Doc Brown, and the DeLorean remains as strong as ever.
