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Yes, Michael J. Fox was accidentally hanged and passed out during the filming of Back to the Future Part III. In the scene where "Mad Dog" Tannen lynches Marty McFly, Fox initially stood on a box, but offered to remove it to make the struggle look more realistic, planning to use his hand to keep the noose from tightening. On the third take, he miscalculated his hand position, cutting off his airway. He passed out for several seconds before director Robert Zemeckis realized he wasn't acting and had him cut down. The footage of his genuine struggle remains in the final film. However, the claim that he had visions of his grandfather while unconscious is not supported by his autobiography or other reliable accounts.
Yes, Michael J. Fox did actually pass out and nearly strangled during the filming of the hanging scene in Back to the Future Part III.
Here are the specific details of the incident based on Fox's own accounts in his autobiography, Lucky Man, and various behind-the-scenes retrospectives:
The scene involves Marty McFly being lynched by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and his gang in front of the unfinished Hill Valley courthouse in 1885. In the first few takes, Michael J. Fox stood on a wooden packing crate to ensure his safety. However, director Robert Zemeckis felt the scene didn't look realistic enough because the "struggle" looked choreographed.
To make the scene more authentic, Fox offered to perform the stunt without the crate. The plan was for him to hold the rope away from his throat with his fingers, allowing him to swing and kick his legs to simulate a real hanging while still being able to breathe.
On the third take of this setup, Fox miscalculated the timing or the position of his hand. As he swung from the gallows, the noose tightened around his neck before he could get his fingers between the rope and his windpipe. He was unable to cry out for help because his airway was constricted.
Because the scene called for Marty to struggle violently, the crew—including Robert Zemeckis—initially thought Fox was giving an incredible acting performance. He kicked his legs and swung for several seconds while actually being strangled. It wasn't until he stopped moving and went completely limp that the crew realized he was unconscious.
Zemeckis quickly realized something was wrong and yelled for the crew to cut him down. Fox was unconscious for a short period of time (accounts vary, but it was long enough to be life-threatening). He eventually regained consciousness, though he was shaken and had sustained some bruising to his neck.
Fox later noted that while he was unconscious, he had visions of his grandfather, which he attributed to the lack of oxygen to his brain. Despite the brush with death, they kept a portion of the footage in the final film (up until the point where he actually loses consciousness) because the realism of the struggle was exactly what the scene required. This incident is frequently cited as one of the most dangerous "mishaps" in modern film history.
No oversights detected.