Lea Thompson Says Fans 'Are Used to Me Getting Older' After Watching Her Age in“ Back to the Future”

Meredith WilshereSat, April 11, 2026 at 8:00 PM UTC

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Lea Thompson in 'Back to the Future'Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock -

Lea Thompson told Woman's World that "people are used to me getting older" after she "played 17, 47 and 77" in the Back to the Future franchise

Thompson portrayed Marty McFly's mother, Lorraine, in the beloved films

"It’s hilarious that I’ve been playing the mother of a 17-year-old for 40 years!" she joked

While aging in Hollywood can be scary, Lea Thompson knows that fans have already seen her at nearly every stage in Back to the Future.

In an interview with Woman's World, the 64-year-old actress reflected on her decades-long career, including her breakout role in the cult classic.

“It’s a gift to have been part of such an iconic movie that’s loved and recognized all over the world,” Thompson told the outlet.

"It’s interesting, because my character got to be 17, 47 and 77, so people are used to me getting older," she added. "It’s hilarious that I’ve been playing the mother of a 17-year-old for 40 years! I really cornered the market there.”

Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'Credit: Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

Thompson starred opposite Michael J. Fox in the 1985 blockbuster. She portrayed time-traveling teen Marty McFly’s mother. The actress was supposed to be in her late 40s in the 1985 section of the movie, only to portray a teenage version of herself while filming the 1955 parts. In the franchise's second installation, Thompson was once again transformed well beyond her years, filming scenes as if she were in her 70s.

“The funny thing about doing that old-age makeup was that I could take it off at the end of the day! Now I use some beautiful skincare,” she joked to Woman's World.

Thompson and Fox were both 23 when they filmed the first Back to the Future movie.

Thompson admitted in 2024 on the Still Here Hollywood podcast that she originally didn’t hit it off with Fox when making the movie because she "was friends with Eric Stoltz, who had just gotten fired.” She and Stolz had worked together on 1984's The Wild Life.

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While Fox was the first choice to play the McFly, director Robert Zemeckis cast Stoltz when the actor was unavailable due to his role on Family Ties. After filming began in November 1984, however, the filmmakers realized they’d made a mistake and went back to their original casting, replacing Stoltz with Fox.

The casting snafu wasn’t the only reason that Thompson didn't immediately warm up to Fox. At the time, she explained that there was an industry difference between movie stars and television stars.

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“I remember specifically being really snooty because there was a big division between movie stars and TV stars at that point,” Thompson said. “I remember being like, ‘He's just a TV star, and I'm a movie star. I was in Jaws 3D.’ I think it took me a while to warm up to him, but he was so funny and so fun to act with.”

Lea ThompsonCredit: Vivien Killilea/Getty

“I had done some scenes with Eric already and then had to redo them with Michael, so I could see how they were completely different scenes,” Thompson continued.

“When we were shooting and they replaced Eric Stoltz with Michael Fox, six weeks in, I was like, ‘Oh, they must like what they're doing because nobody does that. That's very expensive,’ ” she explained.

Thompson “had a feeling” the movie was going to be a hit, but “no one knew that it was gonna be what it was.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”