Christopher Lloyd couldn't be prouder of his long-time friend and Back to the Future co-star, Michael J. Fox. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the 87-year-old, who famously portrayed Doc Brown in the sci-fi comedy, penned his support, following Michael's highly anticipated return to acting. Responding to a brand new scene between Michael and Harrison Ford in season three of Shrinking, Christopher wrote: "Love you, Michael" in the comments, which garnered over 5,000 likes from fans.
Michael J. Fox's return to acting
A milestone moment for the Marty McFly star, Michael previously stated that he had retired from acting in 2020, before making an exception for the Apple TV drama. Cast as Gerry – a friend of Paul Rhoades (Ford) who is also living with Parkinson's disease – Michael scored the role after calling up Shrinking co-creator Bill Lawrence. "I said, 'You did a show about Parkinson's, and you didn't call me?' And he said, 'Oh, you want to do it?' And I said, 'I'd love to do it,'" Michael recalled to People last year.
Speaking with The Los Angeles Times, Michael – who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 – was already a fan of Shrinking before signing on for season three. "The depth of character, the quality of relationships, the language — it's just a beautiful show," he told the publication.
"And I thought, just do that for its own sake. I don't have an agenda. Don't have to be coming back into acting or anything. It'll be fun. And there's Harrison Ford, which is insane." During the interview, Michael reiterated that his involvement in Shrinking is "not the beginning of any campaign to reestablish my career". Nonetheless, fans – and fellow stars – have loved seeing the 80s icon back on their screens.
Replying to the aforementioned clip from Shrinking's season three premiere, one viewer wrote: "That's the best cameo I've seen in a long time. I almost cried." Equally emotional, Ted Lasso favourite Hannah Waddingham commented: "Doesn't get much more iconic than this. @realmikejfox My hero."
"So grateful to @realmikejfox for continuing to shine a light on Parkinson's, and to @appletv for bringing greater visibility and representation to the disease," added The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is working to find a cure for Parkinson's.
Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd's friendship
Michael and Christopher have been close friends for decades and have continued to champion and support one another. Posting in June 2022, Christopher penned the sweetest tribute to his pal. Alongside a photo of the pair, he wrote: "The happiest Birthday to my dear friend @realmikejfox - while we created a wonderful friendship on-screen, it is even better to celebrate our bond over the years in person. Cheers to you Michael!"
More recently, the dynamic duo reunited at the Variety Studio at Sundance Film Festival in 2023, where Michael noted that it was during production for Back to the Future III (1990), that he and his co-star truly connected. "Chris is a great guy. He's very enigmatic," Michael said. "It took me a few films to get to know him. On Back to the Future Part III we connected in a way we hadn't on the other films. I came to see how much he loved acting. I never got that before.
"To sit down and talk about acting and talk about Shakespeare and 'King Lear'… This guy can play King Lear! People don't expect that of him. He's full of surprises."
While Michael and Christopher teamed up to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future in 2025, they've also been spotted together on multiple occasions at fundraising galas for various Parkinson's charities, including Michael's namesake organisation.