Christopher Lloyd turned 88 on October 22, and he wasn’t going to let that particular number pass without making a Back to the Future joke. Michael J. Fox had one ready, too.
The actors marked the occasion with social media posts that borrowed from their characters’ dialogue, exchanging affection along with the familiar movie references.
Lloyd first played eccentric inventor Emmett “Doc” Brown opposite Fox’s Marty McFly in 1985. Their partnership continued through two sequels, with the trilogy concluding in 1990.
The birthday fell immediately after Back to the Future Day, the annual October 21 celebration named for the date the characters visit in 2015 in the second film.
Lloyd Brings Back Doc Brown’s Warning About Hitting 88
Today I turn 88…I’ve seen some serious shit. The most serious of it all is love. I love my family, my friends, and my wonderful fans. The power of love remains.
— Christopher Lloyd (@DocBrownLloyd) October 22, 2026
Lloyd’s Instagram birthday video carried the caption, “I told you, when this baby turns 88…” The reference comes from Doc’s explanation of the DeLorean: the car must reach 88 miles per hour before it can travel through time.
His accompanying X message included another connection to the original film. As Page Six noted, its closing line nodded to “The Power of Love,” the Huey Lewis and the News hit featured on the soundtrack.
Michael J. Fox Answers With “Great Scott”
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Fox, 65, posted a photograph of the two smiling together at a restaurant table, with Lloyd in glasses and a black top beside him. The image had previously appeared on Instagram in March, as People noted.
“Great Scott you’re 88! That’s some serious shit, love you!” Fox wrote, adding a sunglasses emoji. Lloyd replied in the comments: “We truly are timeless. Love you friend.”
Their Friendship Deepened While Making the Third Movie
Fox has said it took several films to get to know his costar. During a 2023 Variety Studio interview at the Sundance Film Festival, he recalled how their connection changed while making Back to the Future Part III.
In remarks quoted by CinemaBlend, Fox described conversations about acting, Shakespeare and King Lear that revealed the depth of Lloyd’s enthusiasm for theater. He also admired his ability to communicate a great deal of story in a brief performance. “He’s full of surprises,” Fox said.
Lloyd remembers being impressed with Fox much earlier. In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, he recalls meeting him in a parking lot while reshooting scenes originally filmed with Eric Stoltz. Fox was juggling the movie with Family Ties, and Lloyd admired how he handled the demanding schedule. He also recalls worrying about repeating weeks of work, before Fox’s comic energy helped him settle into the scenes.
Lloyd’s Memoir Reveals He Initially Threw Away the Script
In My Own Time arrives October 27 from Grand Central Publishing. The 256-page memoir covers Lloyd’s childhood at Connecticut’s Waveny estate, his family relationships and his early theater work in New York.
In an excerpt released by Hachette Book Group, Lloyd explains that he was filming in Mexico City and considering a return to the stage when his agents sent him Back to the Future. He skimmed the screenplay and threw it into a wastepaper basket. A friend challenged him to reconsider, prompting him to retrieve it, read it and fly to Los Angeles to meet director Robert Zemeckis.
He also identifies an unexpected visual influence on Doc Brown: conductor Leopold Stokowski. A photograph on a recording of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, showing Stokowski’s raised arms and unruly white hair, helped Lloyd picture the scientist.
Lloyd is scheduled to discuss the book at Cooper Union’s Great Hall in New York on publication day. A second event, organized by Book Soup, takes place October 29 at Harmony Gold in Los Angeles. Tickets for that conversation include a signed bookplate and the organizer says there will be no signing afterward.