The cast of “Back to the Future”: See the stars of the 1985 sci-fi classic, then and now

Jonathon Dornbush, James Mercadante, Kevin JacobsenFri, July 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC

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Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown and Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'Credit: Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

It's surreal that it's been longer since Back to the Future was first released in theaters in 1985 than the 30 years Marty traveled back in time.

Robert Zemeckis' sci-fi trip, about a precocious teen who accidentally transports back to the '50s via his older scientist friend's time-traveling automobile, was an enormous hit at the box office, becoming the year's highest-grossing film and catapulting star Michael J. Fox to superstardom. For generations of moviegoers, Fox will always be associated with Marty McFly, as Christopher Lloyd will be with the eccentric Doc Brown.

As Back to the Future turns 41, we're hopping back into the DeLorean to explore the careers of its beloved cast.

Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly)

Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'; Michael J. Fox attends the red carpet of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's benefitting the Michael J. Fox Foundation, at the Hilton New York, on Nov. 10, 2018Credit: MCA/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Michael J. Fox famously stepped in to play the film's time-traveling protagonist Marty McFly in the Back to the Future franchise after director Robert Zemeckis parted ways with original lead Eric Stoltz, who had already filmed for several weeks. Fox had been Zemeckis' first pick, but initially had to pass due to scheduling conflicts with Family Ties. Looking back, Fox is proud to be part of such a perennial classic.

“It's cross-generational...in its own way, in maybe a small way, it’s become like The Wizard of Oz or something,” Fox told PeopleTV in 2010 during an episode of EW Reunites. “It’s something that kids love and don’t think about when it was made. They don’t think of it as an old movie."

Fox maintained a busy film career throughout the 1990s, in addition to winning Emmys for his hit sitcoms Family Ties and Spin City. He won a fifth Emmy for a guest spot on Rescue Me in 2009, and starred on the NBC sitcom The Michael J. Fox Show from 2013 to 2014. Fox has appeared in several roles as both himself and other characters over the years, including The Good Wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Shrinking.

Following his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease in the '90s, Fox has dedicated himself to advocacy and raising funds for research. His efforts have earned him several honors, including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2022 and the Presidential Honor of Freedom from Joe Biden in 2025. His life and legacy were highlighted in the 2023 documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, and his 2025 memoir, Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum.

Since 1988, Fox has been married to his Family Ties costar Tracey Pollan, who played his onscreen girlfriend. Together, they have four children: one son and three daughters.

Christopher Lloyd (Emmett "Doc" Brown)

Christopher Lloyd as Emmett 'Doc' Brown in 'Back to the Future'; Christopher Lloyd attends the 34th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 2, 2019Credit: MCA/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Christopher Lloyd plays the kooky Emmett "Doc" Brown, whose cry of "1.21 gigawatts!" remains one of the film's most iconic lines. The impetus for Marty's adventures, it would be difficult to separate Doc Brown from the love of Back to the Future that has endured in the decades since its release — a sentiment Lloyd wholeheartedly shares, calling Doc his most lasting role.

“There’s no other character that has come up, that keeps going for 30 years,” he told EW in October 2015. “They all have their time, and then they fade away. Back to the Future refuses to fade away. I saw it last night, and I have to say it seems fresh and contemporary, not 1985, 1986. It has a lot of laughs.”

Lloyd has continued working in film and television since Back to the Future, with memorable stints in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), the two Addams Family films in the '90s (returning decades later to the Addams Family world in season 2 of Wednesday), The Tender Bar (2021), and Nobody 2 (2025). In addition, he's appeared on The Big Bang Theory, A.P. Bio, NCIS, The Conners, The Mandalorian, and Hacks. He has also reprised his Doc Brown role several times, including lending his voice to the video game Lego Dimensions.

In 2016, Lloyd wed former real estate agent Lisa Loiacono.

Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines-McFly)

Lea Thompson as Lorraine Baines-McFly in 'Back to the Future'; Lea Thompson attends the NYC premiere of 'Zombieland: Double Tap' on Oct. 10, 2019Credit: Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Lea Thompson plays Marty McFly's mother, Lorraine, who unknowingly develops a crush on her own son when he travels back in time, pretending to be a young man named "Calvin Klein."

“When I started to do Lorraine, it fit me perfectly,” Thompson told PEOPLE in July 2015 for the film’s 30th anniversary. “It was really easy. So I just feel really blessed that if I’m really going to be known for one thing, on my headstone, that it’s this movie, and that it was such a great product.”

After starring as the lead on the 1990s sitcom Caroline in the City, Thompson appeared on the early-2000s shows For the People and Ed. She then followed them up by playing Cathy Davis in the Jane Doe movie series for the Hallmark Channel. Thompson had a long-running role as Kathryn Kennish on Switched at Birth, in addition to directing four episodes of the series, as well as lead roles on The CW’s The Spencer Sisters and Hallmark’s The Chicken Sisters. Smaller parts include stints on The Goldbergs, Stargirl, and Star Trek: Picard. She also competed in the 19th season of Dancing With the Stars in 2014, coming in sixth place.

Thompson is married to film director Howard Deutch, with whom she shares two daughters: actresses Zoey Deutch and Madelyn Deutch.

Crispin Glover (George McFly)

Crispin Glover as George McFly in 'Back to the Future'; Crispin Glover attends a special screening of 'Bombshell' in Westwood, Calif., on Dec. 10, 2019Credit: MCA/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Crispin Glover plays Marty's father, George, who — with Marty's help in 1955 — begins a relationship with Lorraine (to ensure Marty exists in the future).

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Jeffrey Weissman replaced Glover in the Future sequels. Though he's acted in mainstream films periodically since the original BTTF (notably in 2003's Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, 2010's Alice in Wonderland, and 2010's Hot Tub Time Machine), Glover has moved into several other fields during his career. He began to release music in the late '80s and also started a company, Volcanic Eruptions, which serves as a platform for Glover to release movies he's written and produced. From 2017 to 2021, Glover had a recurring gig on American Gods. He also showed up in an episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, starred as the titular role in Mr. K (2024), and directed himself and his father as three generations apiece of the Muldoon family in No! YOU’RE WRONG. or: Spooky Action at a Distance (2025).

In 2026, a former model accused Glover of battery and fraud, alleging he assaulted her and pressured her to "serve him as a live in girlfriend/sex slave." The actor has denied her allegations.

Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen)

Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen in 'Back to the Future'; Thomas F. Wilson during day one of the London Film and Comic Con on July 28, 2017Credit: Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection; Neil Mockford/Getty Images

Thomas F. Wilson plays Biff Tannen, the bully who picked on George McFly and became a major obstacle as Marty attempted to unite his parents.

“When Back to the Future was released, I was a homeless actor living in my car — I was just trying to get a job,” he told PEOPLE in July 2015. “Here we are, 30 years later, and I’m just basking in this unexpected glory.”

Wilson appears in the sequels as Biff and other members of the Tannen family. Since then — aside from acting — he's hosted his own podcast; uploaded on his YouTube channel; continued a stand-up comedy career; and done voice-over work for film, television, and video games, including a long run on SpongeBobSquarePants and its many spinoffs and movies.

He's also become known for "Biff's Question Song" and his business card, which answers all of the most frequently asked questions he's been asked over the years about Back to the Future.

Wilson tied the knot with Caroline Thomas on July 6, 1985, just three days after Back to the Future premiered. They went on to have four children.

Claudia Wells (Jennifer Parker)

Claudia Wells as Jennifer Parker in 'Back to the Future'; Claudia Wells attends the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival on Oct. 12, 2019Credit: Universal Pictures; Bobby Bank/Getty Images

Claudia Wells plays Marty McFly's girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, who appears in scenes that bookend the original Back to the Future. At the time, though, she admits she didn’t fully understand just how massive the film’s impact would be.

“I didn’t get it at all," she told PEOPLE in July 2015. "I got the movie, but I didn’t get any of the big deal or the fame. That didn’t ever hit me.”

Parker was replaced in subsequent sequels by Elisabeth Shue, though she did reprise her role in the Back to the Future video game in 2011 and 2015. In the late '80s, she took an extended leave from acting, but returned to it in 2008. She has since appeared in movies like Alien Armageddon (2011), Vitals (2019), and No Evidence of Man (2026).

Wells has a son named Sebastian.

James Tolkan (Mr. Strickland)

James Tolkan as Mr. Strickland in 'Back to the Future'; James Tolkan attends the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival on March 30, 2019Credit: Universal Pictures; Bobby Bank/Getty Images

James Tolkan plays Gerald Strickland, who worked at Hill Valley High School and, in both 1955 and 1985, was a thorn in the side of the McFlys. An authoritarian at Hill Valley, Mr. Strickland lived a life with the sole purpose of whipping as many "slackers" into shape as he could.

Tolkan appeared on a number of television series following his time in Back to the Future, with later roles in the HBO TV movie Phil Spector and the 2015 feature Bone Tomahawk.

Tolkan died at the age of 94 on March 26, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Parmalee Welles, whom he married in 1971.

Marc McClure (Dave McFly)

Marc McClure as Dave McFly in 'Back to the Future'; Marc McClure arrives at the L.A. premiere of 'Justice League' on Nov. 13, 2017Credit: Universal Pictures; Steve Granitz/WireImage

Back to the Future may showcase Marty McFly's quest to make sure his parents meet and fall in love, but he wasn't the only McFly kid whose existence was at risk. Marc McClure plays the oldest McFly child, Dave. He — along with Wendie Jo Sperber (who died in 2005) as Linda — rounded out the McFly clan.

"When you read the script, you weren't quite sure what was happening," McClure told Comic Books, Beer & Sci-fi in January 2023. "But I remember when we went to the screening and we saw the movie, and afterwards [there was] this standing ovation...when you saw it on the screen, it was like, 'We just went on the greatest roller-coaster ride ever."

McClure has popped up in several roles throughout the years on television shows like Nash Bridges, The Shield, Smallville, and Powerless. His prominent film projects include 2008's Frost/Nixon and the 2017 and 2021 versions of Justice League, the latter of which remains his most recent onscreen credit.

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