Overview
- Hardin had filmed several weeks as Jennifer Parker opposite Eric Stoltz before the production replaced him with Michael J. Fox.
- She says executives decided she appeared too tall next to Fox and she was dismissed at 17, a moment she recalls as a “huge disappointment.”
- Claudia Wells ultimately played Jennifer in the 1985 film, with Elisabeth Shue taking over in the two sequels.
- In his 2025 memoir Future Boy, Fox writes he was the original choice for Marty, that Stoltz’s dailies didn’t match the creative vision, and he expresses regret for the height-driven consequence for Hardin.
- Fox also describes a later amicable meeting with Stoltz, while Hardin reflects that the setback didn’t derail her career and preceded roles including The Office.