Quick summary
- NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff wrote in his memoir that Michael J. Fox nearly missed out on Family Ties because of his height, according to TVLine.
- Fox is 5 feet 4 inches; Tartikoff doubted he could pass as the son of the show’s on-screen parents.
- Fox went on to win three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards, in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
- Separately, Christopher Lloyd’s new memoir says the two did not become friends until after the first Back to the Future film, according to Netflix Junkie.
The story of how Michael J. Fox landed Family Ties has resurfaced, and it is a good one. TVLine reports that NBC boss Brandon Tartikoff nearly turned the actor down, and not because of his comedy. It was his height. Meanwhile, Christopher Lloyd has described a distant first meeting with Fox on the Back to the Future set in his new memoir.
Why NBC hesitated over Michael J. Fox and Family Ties
Fox stands 5 feet 4 inches. According to TVLine, that did not match the vision Tartikoff had for the role of Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties.
In his memoir, Tartikoff said the network had no complaint about Fox’s comic ability. The worry was casting. “How could someone so short have Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter Birney as parents?” he wrote, referring to Michael Gross) and Meredith Baxter Birney. In a Parade interview, Fox also recalled Tartikoff telling him, “I can’t see that face on a lunchbox.”
Tartikoff had a strong record. TVLine notes he helped greenlight shows such as Hill Street Blues and The Cosby Show. On this one, the outlet says, he underestimated the actor.
How Fox won the part
The role was not even Fox’s first choice by the production. TVLine reports that creator Gary David Goldberg first offered Alex to Matthew Broderick, who declined. Goldberg then passed on Fox.
Casting director Judith Weiner pushed back. She told Goldberg to “call him back, chase him,” and he did. Goldberg later recalled, as Tartikoff retold it in his memoir, that Fox “nailed it.” His line was that you send him out for two laughs and he comes back with five.
The show itself changed around him. Family Ties was built around parents Steven and Elyse Keaton, played by Gross and Baxter Birney. Network surveys, TVLine reports, showed Alex was the fan favourite, so the focus shifted. Fox won the Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series three years running, from 1986 to 1988.
The lunchbox reply
Years later Fox had his answer ready. Coming off the success of Back to the Future, he had a lunchbox made with his own face on it and sent it to Tartikoff. The executive wrote that he still keeps it in his office. Inside is a note from Fox that reads, “Eat crow, Tartikoff.”
Christopher Lloyd on meeting Fox
The second story comes from a different corner of the same career. Netflix Junkie reports that Lloyd writes in his memoir, In My Own Time, that he and Fox did not become friends until the Back to the Future films had finished.
Their first meeting happened in a parking lot during reshoots, after Fox replaced Eric Stoltz six weeks into production. Lloyd admits he was “self-involved” and anxious about redoing scenes he had already shot, so getting to know his new co-star was not a priority.
Looking back, he saw how much Fox carried. The actor was filming Back to the Future and Family Ties at the same time while joining a crew that was weeks ahead of him. “It must have been a very heavy burden for him,” Lloyd wrote. According to the report, it took two more films in the trilogy before the pair truly bonded, and the friendship has lasted since.
The same article also recalls an April 2026 scare, when CNN mistakenly published a tribute-style piece titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox.” Fox’s representatives told TMZ he was “doing great,” and CNN removed the package and apologised. Fox joked about it on Threads.
What happens next
Nothing new has been announced; both stories come from memoirs and past interviews. For more, see everything we have published on Michael J. Fox, including Christopher Lloyd on how his Michael J. Fox friendship began and Michael J. Fox: From Palmerstown to Shrinking. Fox’s own foundation is at michaeljfox.org.
Frequently asked questions
Why did NBC almost reject Michael J. Fox for Family Ties?
According to Brandon Tartikoff’s memoir, the concern was Fox’s height of 5 feet 4 inches, not his comedy skills. Tartikoff doubted he could play the son of Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter Birney.
How many Emmys did Fox win for Family Ties?
He won three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
When did Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox become friends?
Lloyd says in his memoir that they became friends after the Back to the Future films, once the trilogy was complete.
One Response