Michael J Fox says sitting next to Princess Diana at the Back to the Future premiere was a ‘nightmare’

Fox was starstruck after finding himself sat next to the Princess of Wales at the movie’s 1985 world premiere

Michael J Fox has said that being seated next to Princess Diana at the Back to the Future premiere was a “pee-holding nightmare”.

The actor – who famously portrayed Marty McFly in the trilogy – opened up about his experience at the 1985 world premiere event during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (18 November).

Diana, Princess of Wales, was one of the many celebrities in attendance at the star-studded screening in London. To Fox’s surprise, the princess took her seat next to the 24-year-old star of the film. 

Fox recalled: “She was sitting next to me. The lights go down and the movie starts and I realise I am one fake yawn and an arm stretch away from being on a date with her, which is hilarious.”

“The movie started and also I had to go pee,” he said. “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.”

The 59-year-old added: “So it was just agony. What could have been the greatest night of my life was a nightmare. A pee-holding nightmare.”

Fox – who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease aged 29 – revealed that he hadn’t known he was going to be sat next to Princess Diana until the movie started.

He went on to say that “she was great, very sweet”.

When asked by Fallon whether the princess appeared to enjoy the film, he replied: “She seemed to laugh a couple of times. She wasn’t ebullient.”