Michael J. Fox Says He Was in Agony When Princess Diana Sat Next To Him at the ‘Back to the Future’ Premiere

Hollywood legend Michael J. Fox had gotten candid recently about some of his experiences when he was starring in everything from Family Ties to Spin City and, of course, the Back to the Future trilogy. The actor and activist has met a ton of important people and traveled across the globe.

However, his story about meeting Princess Diana is perhaps one of the highlights. The Canadian actor met the princess at the 1985 premiere of Back to the Future in London, which he has jokingly described as almost one of the best nights of his life.

Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly pan out for The Good Wife star as he had hoped.

‘Back to the Future’ was one of the biggest movies of the ’80s

In 1985, Fox got the opportunity of a lifetime when he was cast in Back to the Future as California teen Marty McFly. In the movie, Marty is thrust back in time to the 1950s when his experiment with his scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) goes haywire. He goes on a quest to make sure that his parents fall in love so that he will exist in the future.

Back to the Future was the highest-grossing movie of 1985, and it became a cultural phenomenon, spawning two sequels and solidifying Fox as a bonafide movie star. However, at the London premiere of the movie, someone else stole the spotlight.

Michael J. Fox had no idea Princess Diana would be attending the ‘Back to the Future’ premiere

By the time Back to the Future premiered in 1985, Princess Diana was beloved and praised worldwide for her humanitarian efforts and grace. It’s quite normal for the royals to show up at film premieres in London. However, Fox revealed that he had no clue Princess Diana would be seated next to him.

“The seat next to me was empty, and we were all standing because the royals were coming,” Fox revealed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “I didn’t think that “[Prince] Charles wants to sit next to me through the movie.” However, the Teen Wolf actor soon discovered that the People’s Princess would be taking the seat next to him. He said, “She was great. She was sweet.”

Michael J. Fox was in agony once Princess Diana sat next to him

Not only was Fox stunned that Princess Diana chose to sit next to him, but he also said that the whole situation was agony. The actor was in awe of the Princess of Wales, but he also had to use the restroom badly. He explained on The Tonight Show,

And the movie starts, and I realize, I’m one yawn — fake yawn — and an arm stretch away from being on a date with her. But then what happened. The movie started and, also, I had to go pee. And, so, for the rest of the movie, I’m sitting there, like, dying. I can’t say anything to her and I can’t walk away from her because I can’t turn my back on her.