Many know the actor Michael J. Fox from his role as Marty McFly in “Back to the Future“. But where does the J in his stage name come from when his real name is Michael Andrew? There is a simple reason behind it.
Why isn’t he simply known as Michael Fox? In his biography Lucky Man: A Memoir, the actor explained how he came to his stage name Michael J. Fox.
The Screen Actors Guild forbids two members to work under the same stage name. Since they already had a Michael Fox registered, the actor from Back to the Future could not sign up under the same name.
Here you can see a trailer for the sci-fi classic Back to the Future:
“Michael, a Fox“
So a different stage name was needed. Andrew or Andy Fox did not appeal to the actor. But the first letter of his middle name was also not an option for the actor.
Because there is a problem in the English pronunciation and spelling. Because Michael A. Fox translates to Michael, a Fox.
The actor did not want that. So he explained that the name Michael A. Fox “was even worse, as the word ‘Fox’ had recently come into use as a synonym for ‘attractive’. (Presumptuous?) It also sounded uncomfortably Canadian – Michael Eh? Fox – but maybe I was just overly sensitive.“
For more on Back to the Future, you can read here with our colleagues at Filmstarts: This mistake in “Back to the Future” could completely change your view on the 80s cult classic!
Why J. of all letters? So the actor looked for a new name option. In doing so, he remembered one of his favorite actors, Michael J. Pollard, whom you might know from Bonnie and Clyde.
So he decided on a J. in the name, which he sometimes said “stands for Jenuine or Jenius“. Therefore, the actor again submitted the forms to the Screen Actors Guild and became known by the stage name Michael J. Fox.
More about Back to the Future: A sci-fi classic poked fun at Hollywood today as early as 1989
