Christopher Lloyd marked his 88th birthday with a celebration tailored to his beloved screen role in “Back to the Future.” The actor turned the milestone into an affectionate reference to Emmett “Doc” Brown and one of the 1985 film’s iconic lines.
On Thursday, Lloyd shared [1] a post on X reflecting on his age, his loved ones and his fans. He wrote, “Today I turn 88…I’ve seen some serious s–t. The most serious of it all is love. I love my family, my friends, and my wonderful fans. The power of love remains.”
Today I turn 88…I’ve seen some serious shit. The most serious of it all is love. I love my family, my friends, and my wonderful fans. The power of love remains.
— Christopher Lloyd (@DocBrownLloyd) October 22, 2026 [2]
The birthday message took its inspiration from a memorable moment involving Doc and Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox. Lloyd transformed the movie’s warning about witnessing something serious into a warm declaration about the importance of love.
Lloyd played Doc in the original 1985 movie and subsequent entries in the franchise. During the first test of the time-traveling DeLorean, his character tells Marty exactly what will happen once the vehicle reaches a very specific speed.
“If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you’re going to see some serious sh*t,” Doc tells Marty in “Back to the Future” as the pair prepare to test the DeLorean for the first time.
The X post was not Lloyd’s only acknowledgment of his birthday. Earlier on Thursday, the “Taxi” alum also shared a video message on Instagram to mark the occasion.
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Fox joined the celebration with an Instagram tribute of his own. The “Family Ties” alum shared a photo of himself and Lloyd smiling together, once again drawing from the familiar dialogue associated with their film franchise.
Alongside the photo, Fox wrote, “Great Scott, you’re 88! That’s some serious s–t, love you! .” His reference combined Doc’s famous expression with another nod to the speed at the center of the DeLorean scene.
View this post on Instagram
Lloyd answered Fox in the comments section with a message that reflected both their shared movie history and their continued friendship. “We truly are timeless. Love you friend,” he replied.
The two actors remain close friends years after appearing together as Doc and Marty. They became especially close while making 1990’s “Back to the Future Part III,” the third entry in the movie series.
Fox discussed his relationship with Lloyd during a 2023 interview with Variety. He described Lloyd as enigmatic and explained that it took several movies before he felt he truly knew his costar.
“Chris is a great guy. He’s very enigmatic,” Fox told the publication. “It took me a few films to get to know him. On ‘Back to the Future Part III’ we connected in a way we hadn’t on the other films. I came to see how much he loved acting. I never got that before.”
Fox also recalled talking with Lloyd about acting and Shakespeare, offering praise for the range he saw in his friend. His comments focused specifically on Lloyd’s ability and the surprises he believed the actor could bring to a dramatic role.
“To sit down and talk about acting, and talk about Shakespeare and ‘King Lear’…This guy can play King Lear! People don’t expect that of him. He’s full of surprises,” Fox added.
Lloyd’s birthday arrives shortly before another milestone for the actor. His memoir, “In My Own Time,” is scheduled to come out next week.
For his 88th celebration, however, Lloyd kept the focus on family, friends, fans and love. Fox answered with his own movie reference, and Lloyd’s response brought the exchange back to the friendship they have maintained since working together on the film series.