Christopher Lloyd Recalls the Train Chase Stunt He Nearly Performed in Far West Setting
Christopher Lloyd came within inches of executing a high-risk train pursuit sequence himself during the production of Back to the Future Part III, according to an excerpt from his memoir published by Entertainment Weekly. In the third installment of the franchise, Marty and Doc find themselves in 1885, an adventure alongside Michael J. Fox that required the actor to spend a lot of time on horseback. While safety guidelines required a professional stunt coordinator or stuntman to take over the moment the character reached for the handrail of the moving train, Lloyd admits in his book In My Own Time, published on October 27, that the temptation to grab the iron handle himself nearly overrode his common sense.
Production Safety Rules Interrupted the Final Train Leap
The sequence required Lloyd to gallop his mount directly adjacent to the speeding locomotive until he was close enough to touch the exterior rail of the passenger car. Production explicitly instructed the actor not to grasp the handle or attempt to haul himself onto the train mid-gallop, and he was clearly told not to try to do so or leave his horse to hoist himself onto the train. Writing in his autobiography, Lloyd recalls that the moving train created a massive rush of wind and noise that brought the metal rail entirely within his reach. And I just felt like I could do it.
It was right there.
Thirty-Five Years of Wondering About the Western Finale
Released in 1990, this third entry remains Lloyd’s favorite film of the trilogy, a preference he often shares when asked which film in the saga he loves the most. Despite more than three decades passing since the cameras stopped rolling, the actor confesses that rewatching the locomotive chase still triggers a distinct pang of regret. Christopher Lloyd does not claim that this burst of recklessness would have turned out well, admitting he cannot know how his attempt would have unfolded, yet 35 years after filming, this what if?
still trots through his head. Lloyd continues to wonder how the stunt might have turned out if he had ignored the safety warnings and followed his instincts on set, concluding with the lament Every time I watch the movie and see that scene, I still feel that pinch in my heart: I should have done it.
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