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The two briefly met when Fox and some of the cast from the original 1985 movieattended a gala event for the show in July.
“It was kind of a whirlwind,” Likes, 21, recalls to PEOPLE of the evening where he and costar Roger Bart, who plays Doc Brown in the musical, posed on the red carpet with their onscreen counterparts Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The film’s director Robert Zemeckis and costars Huey Lewis and Leah Thompson were also in attendance.
“I got to briefly meet him and while we’re taking pictures, I kind of whispered to Michael, ‘Thank you for everything. Thanks for inspiring everything.' He kind of means more to me than just his performance,” Likes, who notes he has interacted further with Fox over email, says.
Likes says Fox’s ability to navigate “this kind of treacherous career while struggling with real human issues” makes the actor an inspiration outside of originating the iconic movie role that Likes now plays on Broadway.
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“I was just kind of trying to let him know that while we were taking pictures. He was very open and very kind about it,” Likes tells PEOPLE. “He was very much putting the attention on me in a very humble way. Right before he left, I realized I hadn’t asked him the question I wanted to ask him. So I caught up to him and I said, ‘Michael, do you have any advice for me before I go out on stage?’ "
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Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
“Casey — he’s not up for adoption, but were he, I would grab him, because I know that there’s a good chance he’s gonna have a really big house and I can live in his garage,” Bart tells PEOPLE of his young costar, adding that their shared experience leading the show has proven “really unique.”
“We’re up there together up there in front of about 1,600 people a night and we’re having a good time,” Bart says of performing with Likes. He adds that their onstage chemistry is “so important for the audience.”
“The audience is smart. They can smell when people aren’t having a good time and or that we’re just faking or phoning it in,” Bart says. “And Casey… it’s been fun!”
source: people.com
