It's All About Chemistry

Forty years after its release, Michael J. Fox relives the filming of Back to the Future and the sparks that flew during his first meeting with Lea Thompson

- by MICHAEL J. FOX and NELLE FORTENBERRY

BEDROOM EYES There was instant chemistry between Fox and Thompson. But for Fox's character, Marty McFly, it was awkward to wake up without pants to meet his own mother...as a teenager.

When BACK TO THE FUTURE became the highest-grossing film of 1985, Michael J. Fox surged from his FAMILY TIES sitcom roots to Hollywood stardom. After starring as the trilogy's main character for the next five years, Fox became a household name. Now, 40 years later, his new book FUTURE BOY: BACK TO THE FUTURE AND MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM describes the juggling act that Fox accomplished in order to film two very different roles simultaneously. In this exclusive excerpt, Fox discusses his first day on the set of BACK TO THE FUTURE with co-star Lea Thompson. Their working relationship, which started out coolly, ultimately blossomed into a strong lifelong friendship.

BEDROOM EYES: AN EXPRESSION WE'VE ALL heard many times without fully understanding what it means. The eyes that regarded me now were dreamy, sexy, curious, inviting. Yes, Lea Thompson had one goddamn mesmerizing set of bedroom eyes. In this dimly lit boudoir, I felt as though they were reaching for me. Her hands were reaching for me, seeking and finding purchase. Her voice, a papery whisper, offered its own seductive musicality. How did we get here? Well, Marty McFly got hit by a car and woke up in this bedroom, tended by a girl who seemed eerily familiar. The situation was awkward (at least, that's the way it was scripted). But the magic transcended the page. It felt right. Lea and I had what is referred to in acting parlance as chemistry.