Eric Cameron Stoltz, the 61-year-old American producer, actor, and director, has worked for theatre, independent, and studio films. He started acting as an actor in films in 1982 and on television in 1978. He started with film direction in 2005 and television direction in 2001.
‘Back To The Future’ is a sci-fi, comedy, and action movie. It got released on July 1985. Robert Zemeckis is the director and writer. Another writer is Bob Gale, who has also contributed to production with Neil Canton.
Eric Stolts was so immersed in his character that he started calling himself ‘Marty’ instead of Eric. However, some crew members used to roll their eyes after hearing it. Bob Gale knew how it was helpful for him to do his work. Back To The Future had a few controversies, one related to Eric Stoltz.
We know that the role of Marty McFly got played by Michael J. Fox in Back To The Future. Eric was playing that role before him. However, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis were about to cast Fox for that role.
Why Was Eric Stoltz Fired From Back To The Future
Here is the reason for replacing Fox with Eric. According to Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, Eric is an intense actor who is not right for the role; The latter also found tension between Eric and the other actor, Thomas F. Wilson.
Talking about the tension, Eric became a pain for Wilson. It can get traced back to the scene where the former had to push the latter in the cafeteria in the school. Eric took several takes and pushed Wilson hard every time despite several requests to get easy.
Wilson immediately did not complain as he waited for the scene where he had to punch Eric. Eric was funny in real life but could not put the fun in character, though the ending is depressing.
The role wanted the screwball and comedy energy that Eric did not justify. Thus, Gale and Zemeckis went to Sid Sheinberg¸, the studio head, proposing to replace Eric with Fox. However, the replacement was not as simple as it seemed. Eric had to work hard ahead.
A few years later, the production team asked Eric to think of working on the film again. But Eric had already contributed a long time to the film. Only a few crew members, including the main cast, knew about the replacement. Finally, Zemeckis replaced the actor after getting approval.
Eric officially got out of the movie after six weeks of filming when ‘F’ was written against his name in the column. It means ‘Finished,’ but deep inside, we know it stands for ‘Fired.’ Eric got this saddening news from Zemeckis himself.
What If Eric Stoltz Was Not Fired From Back To The Future
Fox has justified Marty’s character. Eric’s presence would have turned the character into a serious and intense one. He had played the role for long enough. When Marty’s mother got forced by Biff, Eric’s presence would have turned it dark instead of lightheartedness.
The ending was saddening. Eric would have done that affecting the sequels of the film. For instance, the robber that occurred in Back To The Future 2 would have taken a heavy note. It was Fox who made it light. Similarly, the 1885 Doc’s death shown in the third sequel of the movie got easy to digest due to Fox’s light acting.
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After Getting Fired From Back To The Future
Eric has been enjoying a diverse and rich career. Thanks to those who fired him from Back To The Future. Right after getting fired from the film, Eric appeared in the film ‘Mask’ released in 1985.
Eric played a teenage boy named Rocky Dennis, who was suffering from craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. He got awarded best-supporting Actor by Golden Globe. Further, he worked for Code Name: Emerald, Some Wonderful, Lionheart, and more. So, the total goes around 30.
After that, Eric worked for several television shows like American Playhouse, A Woman At War, The Heart Of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Frasier, and more. He has directed four films and 17 television shows. Similarly, he is the producer of seven films.
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