Written By: Michael D. McClellan | The on-again, off-again, on-again role of Jennifer Parker happened for Claudia Wells the way many Hollywood roles do, the recipe well-documented and often followed, her place in one of America’s most beloved films immortalized by a pinch of chance, a dash of luck, and a heaping helping of hard work. Back to the Future, concocted by the wildly successful writer-director team of Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, had plenty going for it – Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, Stephen Spielberg as executive producer, and the plutonium-powered DeLorean that transports Marty back in time to 1955 Hill Valley, California. As if that weren’t enough, it also had Christopher Lloyd’s hilarious star turn as Dr. Emmett Brown, his eccentricities as supercharged as the 1.21 gigawatts needed to make time travel possible; Biff’s raw-boned, dim-witted, make-like-a-tree-and-get-out-of-here bullying; and Crispin Glover, unforgettable as the oily-haired nerd who clobbers Biff and resets history at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
Back to the Future has only gotten better with time. (No pun intended.) It is a four-star classic, and arguably on the same plain as It’s a Wonderful Life. The film is so respected that, in 2007, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Wells, cast as Marty’s warmhearted girlfriend, initially found herself set to play opposite Eric Stoltz, not Fox. Problem was, she was also signed to act in ABC’s Off the Rack, and the network refused to share her with Amblin Entertainment, who moved on with another girl for the role. Stoltz then found himself jettisoned 8 weeks into production, his version of Marty McFly deemed to dark and brooding for the film being made. Enter Fox, a megastar on the hit sitcom Family Ties, and an actor with a more natural comedic vibe.
“By the time all of this transition happened,” says Wells from her highly regarded Los Angeles men’s fashion store, Armani Wells, “my work at Off the Rack had wrapped up. They considered the other girl too tall for Michael, so they recast the role and reached out. The rest, as they say, is history!”
Claudia Wells in Back to the FutureThe chemistry between Fox and Wells is apparent from the jump. The clock tower scene in downtown Hill Valley, her character’s support of Marty’s passion for Rock and Roll, her desire to keep Marty out of trouble with Principal Strickland…it all sets the stage for what happens next.
“We had so much fun making that movie,” Wells says with a smile. “We weren’t trying to make a blockbuster, but it become one anyway. No one was thinking that it would be classic, but Back to the Future is a movie that is universally loved. To be a part of it has been a blessing in so many ways.”
Wells’ acting career didn’t start with Back to the Future – she had been acting in a range of television shows and specials – but it did, in many ways, signal the end. “My mother got very sick, so I decided to step away,” she says. “I was signed for the sequels, but needed to be there for her. It was the right decision, and one that I don’t regret. Being a part of Back to the Future is something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.”
Take me back to the beginning. When did you develop an interest in acting?
We lived in San Francisco at the time, and I wanted to be an actress for as long as I could remember, even when I was two years old. I remember crying to my mother as a toddler because I didn’t think I was small enough to fit into the television set [laughs]. I had a cultured upbringing – I actually learned French before I learned English – and I can remember going to symphonies with my mother when I was five. My mother used to have me draw straws with my sister and brother to see who would go with her to the opera on Friday nights. I started performing children’s roles in opera when I was eight. I was in ten operas between the ages of 8 and 12, and I was a founding member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus. I continued to do whatever I could in San Francisco, whether that was modeling or acting, and then I convinced my mother to move to Los Angeles right before high school. That’s how determined I was to become a professional actor.
You’d started out in television in late ‘70s, doing everything from Fame to Trapper John, M.D. Do you have any favorite memories that stand out?
I was on Simon & Simon during Gerald McRaney’s directorial debut. I played a runaway who ended up getting involved in drugs, so it was very dramatic and fabulous. I did the Babies Having Babies episode of the CBS Schoolbreak Special, which was Martin Sheen’s directorial debut. That was an extraordinary experience.
Because you acted in so many shows during the ‘80s, I’m sure that you auditioned a lot.
Oh, I did a ton of them! There was a period of time during the ‘80s when the auditions came down to me, Elisabeth Shue and Phoebe Cates. It didn’t matter if it were Adventures in Babysitting or Gremlins, or anything in between. We were always competing for the same jobs. I won some and I lost others, but I never lost faith because acting was my favorite thing to do. In Fast Times [a TV show based on Fast Times at Ridgemont High], I played teenager working at a hot-dog-on-a-stick joint and hanging out with kids from school. That was pretty much how I spent my real teenage years [laughs]!
What do you remember about your Back to the Future audition?
I remember everything. I had one audition for the film, and that was it. I think that had something to do with me being a known commodity by that point, because I had been on a short list for the starring role in Goonies, Gremlins and Young Sherlock Holmes. They were all Amblin projects. By the time I auditioned for Back to the Future they all knew me.
My audition was with Bob Gale, Bob Zemeckis, Neil Canton, Steven Spielberg, and Kathleen Kennedy. Everyone was in the room. I was in there for two-and-a-half hours reading with a guy who was on his eleventh callback for the role of Marty.
Jennifer Parker (Wells) supports Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) at the band audition Were you nervous about auditioning in front heavy hitters like Spielberg and Zemeckis?
No, not really. I was accustomed to auditioning. By then I was doing a pilot series every year, and in between I was doing guest starring roles on episodic shows, movies-of-the-week, after-school specials, stuff like that. Because all of the casting directors knew me at that point in my career, my first audition was usually with the top executives anyway.
How secretive was the auditioning process for Back to the Future?
It was very secretive. I hadn’t been sent the script, so I didn’t really know anything about the part. They gave me the scene in advance to study, but they wouldn’t tell me the story or anything. I was given the scene where Marty and Lorraine are in the car, and she’s smoking and drinking during what turned out to be the “Enchantment Under The Sea” dance. I did that scene so many times that day! Steven Spielberg talked to me the whole time, and he asked me so many personal questions. I remember saying, “If you promise me you won’t tell my mom, I’ll answer them.” And then towards the end of the audition, Steven said, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize the camera was still rolling this whole time, I guess your mother is going to find out after all.” He’s a really funny man!
Did you think you had a shot at landing the role of Jennifer Parker?
I didn’t really have any thoughts about it one way or the other. I just went in and went through the audition process, and after it was over I had to prepare for a commercial audition later that afternoon. If you can believe it, I was more nervous about the callback for the commercial than I was for the Back to the Future audition, because I wasn’t as accustomed to the commercial side of the business. Thankfully it all worked out and I got the role of Jennifer Parker. Today, all these years later, it’s still such a huge aspect of my life. I get to be the Jennifer who travels the world and gets to do these interviews. It’s amazing, and I can’t be more honored or excited about it. I have nothing but love for Back to the Future and all of the people involved with it. I love them with all of my heart.
Once you landed the role and were given a script, do you recall your reaction to it?
When I was finally given a script, Bob Gale told me that each page had a secret number imprinted on it. He said that if the script was ever Xeroxed, that number would come out really bright, and everyone would know whose script wound up in someone else’s hands. It wasn’t until recently when we were on a panel discussion that I mentioned that, when Bob smiled, looked at me, and said, “Did you actually believe that?” I was like, “Yeah, I did!”
Jennifer Parker and Marty McFly, Clock Tower sceneWhat was your first impression after reading the script?
When I did read the script, I had a full two pages of questions. Things like, “If Marty’s here at this point in the film, and then later he’s over there…” I wanted to make sure it all made sense in my head. Watching the movie today, it all absolutely makes sense, but when you’re reading the script for the first time, and the movie has yet to be made, it could be hard to visualize. I would call Bob with all of my questions and he’d answer them, but sometimes he’d say, “You know, you shouldn’t think about it that much. Just do it.” He wanted me to trust my instincts.
Did you think Back to the Future would be a blockbuster?
I didn’t look at Back to the Future as this big, blockbuster movie, and I don’t think anyone else on the set did, either. It was an amazing script and I loved it, and I did feel blessed to be working with people like Michael J. Fox and Stephen Spielberg, but I was focused on the actual work involved and the part that I played. My thought process was that I was an actress on set, and I was going to do the best job that I could. Only after it was released did it hit me, because when you do television, it’s over right after it airs. I remember thinking, “This movie is going to be shown all day every day, all over the world. I sure hope I do a good job!”
Was Bob Gale as approachable as I’ve read?
Bob Gale made himself completely accessible from the very beginning. We connected instantly. He was the one I always called, and he always made time to answer my questions. We’ve kept in touch through the years. To this day, I email him every time I take a trip related to Back to the Future. I’ve been blessed to travel the world because of the film’s popularity, so I’m always emailing him and saying, “I’m going on a trip next week. Thank you for casting me.” I’ve been doing that for years.
The other thing about Bob is that he always tells me the truth. He’s in my inner circle of friends, and those are the ones who always tell me the straight-up truth, good or bad. I saw him at an event a couple of years ago – I’d always wanted to try being blonde, and the first thing he said to me when he saw it was, “Your hair looks terrible. Change it.” I thought, “Okay, that hurt.” But, you know what? He was right. It wasn’t said to hurt my feelings. We’ve had fun with it since then. Whenever I see him, I always ask, “How’s my hair cut? What do you think about the color?” He’ll be my friend to the day I die.
Let’s get this straight: You were selected for the role of Jennifer Parker, but you had to turn around and back out?
I had done a pilot for the ABC series Off The Rack with Edward Asner, Eileen Brennan and Dennis Haysbert, and then I got the role of Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future. Well, Off The Rack got picked up at the same time I was supposed to play Jennifer, and ABC would not share me with Amblin. The contract was straightforward. I had to back out of being Jennifer. It was not up to me. I had no choice in the matter. Even Ed Asner was like, “Let the kid do the Spielberg movie.” But ABC was pretty clear about not wanting to share me.
I didn’t feel awkward about it, and I wasn’t upset with ABC’s decision. I remember sitting in the living room of my mother’s tiny Beverly Hills apartment when she came in and said, “Claudia, you’ve just been released from the movie.” I just said, “Okay.” That was it, and then I went ahead and did 6 episodes of Off The Rack. Meanwhile, they recast my role in Back to the Future and went with another girl. Her name is Melora Hardin. You probably know her better as Jan from The Office.
Claudia Wells as Jennifer ParkerMichael J. Fox wasn’t the first choice to play Marty McFly?
Eric Stoltz was originally cast to play Marty. I knew Eric prior to Back to the Future because we took acting classes together when he first came to Hollywood to be an actor. In fact, we had both taken one of the last master classes that Stella Adler ever taught. I’ve always been so impressed with his acting. He’s brilliant. He was very “method” during the time we spent together for Back to the Future. He always called me Jennifer. He would even call me at home and ask to speak to Jennifer [laughs].
How much did you work with Eric on the movie?
I didn’t actually work with him on set. I got to know him from hanging out at functions, and from talking to him on the phone. I never did a single line with him, and we never went over any scenes together or anything. We did do a photo shoot on the backlot at Universal Studios, and we also took some photos that supposed to be in Marty’s wallet in the film. After I had to drop out, they shot other scenes for the next eight weeks.
What happened next?
Things didn’t work out with Eric Stoltz, so Michael J. Fox was brought in to play Marty. The producers felt that Melora Hardin was too tall to play opposite the new Marty and, as fate would have it, I had finished my work on Off the Rack, so I was recast to play Jennifer Parker. I literally got my part twice!
Claudia Wells as Jennifer ParkerBoth you and Michael J. Fox were latecomers to Back to the Future, and the shooting had been going on for several weeks. Did you have any time for rehearsal?
Not at all. We rehearsed on set before we did each scene. The pace was very relaxed, and that was all new to me. What’s interesting was that I was used to doing as many as 25 pages of dialogue a day, which was pretty typical with my TV experience. Going from that to half a scene every day on Back to the Future was very unusual for me. I felt like I should be doing more.
What did you do with the free time?
Michael and I would hang out in a BMW in the driveway and just listen to music. It was a relaxed, easygoing experience – except during the clock tower scene, because there were so many things that had to be perfect at the same time. The girls doing their aerobics, and all of those pan shots – that was all one scene. That was the only time that I perceived stress on set, but it wasn’t with us. It was with the technical guys wanting it to be absolutely perfect. Other than that, I never noticed anyone stressed ever, on any level.
Did you know Michael J. Fox prior to filming Back to the Future?
No. I knew that Michael was a pretty big deal from Family Ties. I really felt sheltered compared to him because the way that I was raised was very “un-Los Angeles.” Being a normal teenager wasn’t really me. Hanging out with Michael and listening to music from the radio stations he liked, that was a whole new world for me because I was always working and with adults. Getting to hang out with someone close to my age made me feel like a real teenager for the first time.
Do you have a favorite on-set memory?
Because I was always filming or working, I never really had a boyfriend in high school or any of the things that go along with that. So, when Michael and I were walking together and he’d stick his hand in my back pocket like a boyfriend would, I just felt like I’d reached the pinnacle of, “Wow, this must be what it’s like to be a girlfriend!” That might seem silly, but I’d never really experienced that normal, relationship experience that everyone else had experienced by the age of 18. To me, that was very special.
How did you prepare for the role of Jennifer Parker?
I gave Jennifer a complete background. I had notes on Jennifer – how she did in school, who her parents were, who she was as a person, how she grew up. I had a whole background on her as a human being. She was a full and complete person to me. She and I had a lot in common. Our natural personality traits were very similar. I was shy and innocent like she was. She was based on who I was in a lot of ways.
Jennifer Parker and Marty McFly - Back to the FutureWhat do you remember about getting to see the movie for the first time?
I saw Back to the Future at the screening, and I was nervous, nervous, nervous! I’d never seen myself on a huge screen up to that point, just on TV screens. The movie was getting a lot of buzz. I went to the screening with one of my best friends at the time, and he said I squeezed his hand so tightly he almost scream bloody murder in the darkened theater. One of my favorite moments was when they filled the whole screen with the clock tower flyer. It was my handwriting: “I love you, 555-4823.” I had gone to a private French elementary school, and they had never taught us normal writing, only cursive, and when I saw my handwriting on the screen, my heart started pounding. And then I thought: “Wow, if I had known, I would have written it much more carefully!”
The first movie was such a gigantic hit that two sequels were quickly planned, but you made a decision not to reprise your role as Jennifer Parker.
When we saw the film, my mother elbowed me and said, “Get ready, there is going to be a sequel.” She really wanted me to do the sequels, but she was diagnosed with cancer not long after that and she became very ill. There was so much turmoil at home at the time that I completely backed out of the industry. It was my decision. I wanted to be there for my mother.
Did you go to see the sequels?
I did! I went to see Part II and Part III all by myself. I got my popcorn and I slumped down in my seat and I watched both movies just like everyone else. It was an odd experience, because I was like, “Wow, that’s the movie that I should be in!” It’s funny that Elizabeth Shue got the part, because I’d screen tested for Adventures in Babysitting. That role had come down to her, me, and Phoebe Cates. So, the fact that she wound up getting my role in Back to the Future has its own funny synchronicity.
Looking back, what does it mean to be part of such a beloved film?
It’s hard to put into words. The fans have been so loving and supportive through the years, and it’s only gotten to be more so as time as passed. People all over the world have been so loving and generous with their comments and hugs and beautiful memories of what the film has meant to them. Looking back, Jennifer Parker was exactly who I was at the time. The movie was so beautifully written, and I just fell into the part. It came natural to me. I think the core value of the movie is that love conquers everything, and that dreams can come true. As Marty himself said, “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
All grown up - Claudia Wells in front of her L.A. men's shop, Armani WellsWhat do you think the legacy of Back to the Future will be?
The legacy is that it’s still loved, and loved by new generations. I get little kids coming up to me recognizing it. To me, Back to the Future is in the same class as It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s timeless, which is ironic since the move is based on time travel.
Final Question: If you could jump in that DeLorean and transport yourself back to the young girl who snagged the role of Jennifer Parker, not once, but twice, what would you say?
I would tell her not to put so much pressure on herself. I would tell her that she’s a good, decent, and honest person, and that God loves her unconditionally.
