15 Actors Who Were FIRED From Movies During Production

Any die-hard fan of Back to the Future is probably aware Michael J. Fox replaced Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly several weeks after filming began. But this decision led to another recasting that few people are familiar with.

Even though Fox was the first choice for Marty, he initially turned it down since he was committed to TV series Family Ties. Eric Stoltz was cast in the role but he was ultimately fired since his performance was deemed too intense. After the production team reworked the filming schedule, Michael J. Fox was able to accept the role of Marty.

Bizarrely, hiring Eric Stoltz indirectly led to the recasting of the main villain, Biff Tannen. JJ Cohen was originally cast as Tannen but was replaced since he didn't look imposing standing beside Stoltz, who was 6' tall. As a result, a taller actor was cast as Biff, Thomas F. Wilson, and Cohen was recast as his lackey, Skinhead.

According to the film's writer, Bob Gale, Cohen would've played Biff in the finished film if Michael J. Fox was cast from the get-go, since he only stood 5' 4".