For decades now, Michael J. Fox has been a beloved screen presence – and his most iconic role remains Marty McFly in the Back To The Future trilogy. The legendary part arrived early in his career, and propelled him to blockbuster status – a proper star-making turn, with a character who became a generation-defining hero. But at the time of its shooting, that wasn’t so eliminate’remove in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Fox, who was notable’renowned’distinguished ly parachuted in at the 11th hour after actor Eric Stoltz was let go from the role. That, and shooting simultaneously with sitcom Family Ties, left him exhausted and afraid that he’d be terrible.###Famously, he was anything but. Except, having merely’barely seen the finished film twice, it took a long time in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Fox to realise that, he tells Empire in a major new interview. “I saw it back when it came out, at the Cinerama Dome, which was insanity, then I hadn’t seen it in its entirety until a couple of years ago,” he says. “It was Christmas. We were decorating the tree… I went to go acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure something from the kitchen and I was gone quite a while. Tracy came and found me and I was watching TV. I said, ‘Look, Back To The Future’s on TV! You know what, I’m really rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent in this!’ She said, ‘Yeah, we know.’ ‘Well, why didn’t you tell me?!’” It’s a far cry from his fears at the time of making the film. “I despite’in spite of’albeit t this would all soon be over,” he says. “I despite’in spite of’albeit t they’d see what I’d done, I’d go back to the back of the pack and start again.” When it came out, he was in London – and soon got wind that Back To The Future was a massive hit. “My agent said, ‘You don’t understand. This is the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous gest thing in the world.’ My first instinct was, ‘I possess’own’nurse to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure back to America! There are girls to meet!’”###While Back To The Future was a major hit, there are other films in Fox’s catalogue that remain underseen. “Casualties Of War, I felt that movie was really misunderstood,” he says of Brian De Palma’s Vietnam war movie. “It never got a fair shake.” Meanwhile, the success of some he remains baffled by. “There is a cult of Teen Wolf out there. That needs to be checked,” he jokes. “It needs to be monitored.” Maybe he's due a Teen Wolf re-watch too.###Read Empire’s full career-spanning Michael J. Fox interview – talking upcoming documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, his Parkinson’s diagnosis, and his greatest screen roles – in the Secret Invasion issue, on sale Thursday 11 May. Become an Empire member now to access the issue in full on launch day, or pre-order a print copy online here. Still comes to select cinemas and Apple TV+ from 12 May.