American character actor Christopher Lloyd's stock in trade is quirky characters such as Emmett "Doc" Brown in Back to the Future and Reverend Jim Ignatowski in Taxi.
Lloyd stars as Willy Wonka in the Funny or Die parody trailer Gobstopper. The comedy short imagines what would happen if Hollywood remade Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as a horror film.
Film Career
Since his feature film debut as an insane asylum inmate in 1975's acclaimed Jack Nicholson vehicle One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Christopher Lloyd has never lacked for work. He is frequently the go-to guy when casting agents are looking for someone to play the insane and eccentric. Lloyd gave burnout Jim Ignatowski real depth on the television show Taxi, taking what was originally a one-shot guest role to series regular status. Ignatowski, a Star Trek fan, would have appreciated Lloyd's feature film role in 1983's Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, in which Lloyd brought real menace to the nefarious Klingon Kruge.
Lloyd cemented his leap to screen with his star turn in 1985's Back to the Future, providing a perfect counterpoint to Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly as good-hearted, eccentric scientist "Doc" Brown, a role Lloyd would reply for two films as well as in other media. He returned to villainy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, proving that he could play a broad range of roles, and put his own unique stamp on the role of Uncle Fester in The Addams Family films. While he is largely known for comedy and science fiction, Lloyd has also turned in capable performances in dramatic films such as Wit.
Lloyd's Fire Damage
Lloyd was one of several celebrities whose homes were threatened during the 2008 Montecito fire. Lloyd's unusual adobe home was severely damaged in the blaze; Lloyd was in Vancouver filming and was not at home.Los Angeles Times: Christopher Lloyd Among the Unlucky (November 17, 2008)
Christopher Lloyd Timeline
Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.
October 22, 1938: Born
1978-1983: Goin' South and Taxi
1983: Mr. Mom and To Be or Not to Be
1984: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1985: Back to the Future and Clue
1987: Walk Like a Man
1988: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Eight Men Out
1989: Back to the Future Part II and The Dream Team
1991: Suburban Commando, Back to the Future (TV) and The Addams Family
1993: Dennis the Menace and Addams Family Values
1994: Angels in the Outfield, The Pagemaster and Camp Nowhere
1995-1997: Deadly Games
1996: Cadillac Ranch
1997: Anastasia and Angels in the Endzone
1999: My Favorite Martian, Man on the Moon and Baby Geniuses
2001: Kids World
2003: Haunted Lighthouse and Tremors (TV)
2004-2005: Clubhouse
2005: A Fate Totally Worse Than Death and The West Wing
2005-2006: Stacked
2006: Masters of Horror
2007: Fly Me to the Moon
2008: Jack and the Beanstalk, Foodfight! and The Tale of Despereaux
2009: A Christmas Carol