Michael J. Fox starred in another blockbuster film the same year as “Back to the Future.”

Some films help define an era, while others are enjoyed by niche audiences. In 1985, Michael J. Fox starred in Back to the futureone of the most popular films of the decade. That same year, he appeared in another hit film that left his mark. Here's a look at Fox's second most famous film of 1985.

Michael J. Fox tapped into 1950s nostalgia with 'Back to the Future' and another film

Back to the future was part of a wave of nostalgia for the 1980s and 1950s. This trend also revived many 1950s horror films, which is why Hollywood gave us remakes of Invaders from Mars, The Blob, The thingAnd The fly. At this time in Hollywood history, Fox was the headliner. Teen Wolfan original film that obviously imitated the success of the cult film of the 1950s I was a teenage werewolf.

Teen Wolf also capitalized on the contemporary obsession with werewolves. Around the same time, the industry gave us the lycanthrope horror movies An American Werewolf in London, The howlAnd Wolves. Teen Wolf It was a lighter version of the Lycan mythos that was useful to Marty McFly fans.

Comparing the Performance of 'Teen Wolf' and 'Back to the Future'

Box Office Mojo reports Back to the future grossed over $384 million worldwide. It became one of the most beloved popcorn movies of all time. Teen Wolf was not as iconic. According to Box Office Mojo, Teen Wolf only grossed around $33 million.

Teen Wolf was still important enough to inspire a sequel, Teen Wolf tooas well as the MTV series Teen Wolf and its spin-off, Teen Wolf: The Movie. The MTV show seems to have a more dedicated fan base than the original movie. Teen Wolf Even though the film wasn't critically acclaimed, Fox can at least take comfort in knowing that it's still having an impact on pop culture.

Michael J. Fox said actors were “tougher” back then

In a 2024 interview with People, Fox discussed what it was like to be famous in the 1980s. “There’s a phrase I used when they gave me an honorary Oscar. Someone told me the day before that they were talking about getting this award and being famous and they said, ‘You’re famous in the ’80s,’” Fox said. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s cool. Famous in the ’80s.’ We were different.”

He compared himself and his peers to today's celebrities. “We were tougher,” he said. “We didn't have social media, we didn't have any of that. We were just famous. We were on our own. And it was an incredible time.”

THE Teen Wolf The star seemed to imply that actors in the 1980s were less frivolous than modern actors. “We were going all out, we were letting loose, we were watching other actors, we were sitting with other actors and we were talking about acting, we were talking about it,” he recalls. “And now you have people saying, 'Who's your sweater? What's your sweater? And what's that dance move?' And you're the most famous person in the world.”

Whether you like it or not Teen Wolfwe can all agree that the double whammy of Teen Wolf And Back to the future helped Fox reign supreme in the mid-1980s.