Nearly 40 years later, there are still bits ofBack to the Futurethat are easy to miss, including a sitcom star’s cameo in its opening minutes.Back to the Future’scastis rounded out by some iconic stars, from Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd to Billy Zane, Crispin Glover, and more. However, there are also some well-known actors from the era that might not be as recognizable to modern audiences, includingDeborah Harmon, star of the 1980s sitcomJust the Ten of Us.
Back to the Futureis regarded as one of thebest sci-fi movies of all time, with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis bringing a fun, comedic approach to the genre. Decades after its release,Back to the Futurestill holds up welldue to the simple plot, outstanding performances from its stars, and easy-to-love aesthetic. Even the small roles in a movie like this are worth noting, and this one has some fun trivia behind it.
Back To The Future’s Newsreader Is Played By Sitcom Star Deborah Harmon
Deborah Harmon Starred In The Late-80s Growing Pains Spinoff
Back to the Future’sopening sequence sees a morning news anchor reporting that the Pacific Nuclear Research Facilitiy had denied the rumors that plutonium had been stolen. Of course, this is confirmed to not be true throughout the film, but the segment importantly sets up the premise. It’s easy to miss, but the uncredited actor who plays the news anchor is Deborah Harmon, thestar ofJust the Ten of Us, a well-known sitcom in the late ’80s that was a spinoff of the more popularGrowing Pains.
Back To The Future’s Opening Has A Genius Stanley Kubrick Reference You Definitely Missed
Back To The Future’s opening scene references the decoder in Kubrick’s Dr. Stragelove and the Jupiter Explorer with one label on Marty’s amplifier.
Harmon’s appearance inBack to the Futurepre-dated her sitcom stardom by three yearsand was one of the many minor, unnamed roles she took throughout the ’80s. In the same year, she appeared in a minor role onThe Twilight Zone. Earlier in the decade, she appeared on two episodes ofMAS*H. In 1988, she appeared in two episodes ofGrowing Painsbefore reprising the role in the spinoff series, which ran until 1990. She continued to appear in famous sitcoms likeMalcolm in the Middlefor the rest of her career.
Harmon Was Cast Due To Her Working Relationship With Back To The Future’s Director
Harmon Previously Appeared In 1980’s Used Cars
Deborah Harmon likely scored the job inBack to the Futuredue to her role in a previous, lesser-known Robert Zemeckis movie. In 1980, she played Barbara Fuchs in the Kurt Russell-led movieUsed Cars. The film holds up with a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes and got Harmon a small role inBack to the Future, solidifying her career with an important part in one of the best movies of all time.
Back to the Future
Back to the Future follows teenager Marty McFly as he is inadvertently sent back to 1955, where he disrupts his parents' meeting. With the assistance of eccentric inventor Doc Brown, Marty must restore the timeline by ensuring his parents fall in love and find a way back to 1985.
