Thomas F. Wilson - wikipedia Thomas F. Wilson Thomas F. Wilson Wilson at Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Oregon on July 16, 2011 Thomas Francis Wilson Jr. ( 1959 - 04 - 15 ) April 15, 1959 ( age 59 ) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Other names Tom Wilson Occupation Actor, voice - over artist, comedian, writer, musician, painter Years active 1983 -- present Spouse ( s ) Caroline Thomas ( m. 1985 ) Children Thomas Francis Wilson Jr. ( born April 15, 1959 ) is an American actor, voice - over artist, comedian, writer, musician, painter and podcaster best known for playing Biff Tannen, Griff Tannen and Buford `` Mad Dog '' Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC 's Freaks and Geeks and for his voice - over work in movies, TV shows and video games. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 4.3 Video games 5 References 6 External links Early life Wilson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in nearby Wayne, Pennsylvania. While attending Radnor High School, he was involved in dramatic arts ; was president of the debate team, where his partner was future New York Times columnist David Brooks and played tuba in the high school band and was drum major of his marching band. He studied international politics at Arizona State University. Wilson attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. While in New York, he got his first `` real '' stage experience as a comedian. Career In the early 1980s, Wilson moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. He shared an apartment with fellow aspiring comedians Andrew Dice Clay and Yakov Smirnoff, and later joked that he `` taught them both about America. '' Wilson had a small role in the second season of NBC 's Knight Rider in an episode titled `` A Knight In Shining Armor ''. His breakthrough role was the bully Biff Tannen in the 1985 film Back to the Future. He returned in the sequels Back to the Future Part II and Part III to reprise not only his role as Biff, but also to play Biff 's grandson Griff Tannen and great - grandfather Buford `` Mad Dog '' Tannen. In every Back to the Future film, he ends up in a pile of manure ( in reality, a heap of decayed sphagnum and other plant matters ) after trying to kill or hurt Michael J. Fox 's character Marty McFly. He reprised his role as Biff and voiced various Tannen relatives in the animated series. Wilson did not reprise his role as Biff in the initial versions of Telltale 's Back to the Future : The Game released in 2011, being replaced by Kid Beyond. When the game was ported to the PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in 2015 in commemoration of the original film 's 30th anniversary, Wilson returned to provide Biff 's voice in these newer versions. In 1992, he voiced gangster Tony Zucco in Batman : The Animated Series and police detective Matt Bluestone in the animated series Gargoyles. He later went to co-star with Mark Hamill in Wing Commander III : Heart of the Tiger, a video game. It was the third chapter in the Wing Commander series, but the first to feature live action and was extremely popular at the time. The character played by Wilson was Major Todd `` Maniac '' Marshall, a fellow starfighter pilot of Hamill 's character. Wilson also starred in the sequels Wing Commander IV : The Price of Freedom ( 1995 ) and Wing Commander : Prophecy ( 1997 ) and contributed his voice to the animated series Wing Commander Academy ( 1996 ) in the same role. He also guest starred in an episode of Lois and Clark : The New Adventures of Superman in 1997. Wilson played McKinley High School 's Coach Ben Fredricks in the 1999 -- 2000 NBC comedy - drama Freaks and Geeks. Coach Fredricks dated Bill Haverchuck 's mother. Wilson was briefly reunited with his Back to the Future co-star Christopher Lloyd in the 1994 film Camp Nowhere. Wilson has done a bit of voice - over work for the Nickelodeon TV show SpongeBob SquarePants. He has voiced particular villainous characters that are physically strong and / or menacing, such as Flatz the Flounder in the second season episode The Bully, and The Strangler in SpongeBob Meets the Strangler, and the non-villainous character Reg the Club Bouncer in No Weenies Allowed. He has hosted a podcast, Big Pop Fun, on the Nerdist Network starting in November 2011. The podcast features Tom sharing stories of his career, as well as informal chats with show business friends including Samm Levine, Blake Clark, Steve Oedekerk, `` Weird Al '' Yankovic, and more. Personal life Wilson is an Irish American. Wilson is a painter. Many of his paintings focus on classic children 's toys. In 2006, he was selected to join the California Featured Artist Series at Disneyland. Wilson practices Catholicism, and released a Contemporary Christian album in 2000 called In the Name of the Father. With the rise in popularity of the Back to the Future series, many people began to ask him questions about his experiences making the films. Wilson found the repetitive nature of the questions to be so amusing and annoying that he wrote a song about them titled `` Biff 's Question Song '' which he features regularly in his stand - up routine. Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1985 Ninja Turf Member of Spike 's Gang Back to the Future Biff Tannen 1986 April Fool 's Day Arch Cummings Let 's Get Harry Bob Pachowski Smart Alex Lieutenant Stevenson Action Jackson Officer Kornblau Back to the Future Part II Biff Tannen / Griff Tannen 1990 Back to the Future Part III Buford `` Mad - Dog '' Tannen / Biff Tannen Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor 1991 High Strung Al Dalby Boris and Natasha : The Movie Additional voices Voice, Uncredited 1993 Blood in Blood Out Det. Rollie McCann 1994 Caroline at Midnight Officer Keaton Mr. Write Billy Camp Nowhere Lt. Eliot Hendricks 1995 Born to Be Wild Det. Lou Greenburg 1997 That Darn Cat Officer Melvin 1998 Girl The Ticket Seller 2003 Atlantis : Milo 's Return Ashton Carnaby Voice, direct - to - video The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Victor / Fish # 3 / Tough Fish # 1 Voice 2006 Larry the Cable Guy : Health Inspector Bart Tatlock Zoom Dylan 's Teacher 2009 The Informant ! Mark Cheviron House Broken Fire Chief Henry Decker Yohan : The Child Wanderer Kevin 2011 Rio Trapped Bird / Screaming Hang Gilder Voice 2012 Atlas Shrugged : Part II Robert Collins 2013 Epic Finn Voice The Heat Captain Frank Woods Tom and Jerry 's Giant Adventure Mr. Bigley / Ginormous Voice ; direct - to - video 2015 The SpongeBob Movie : Sponge Out of Water Angry Customer # 1 Voice Television Year Title Role Notes Knight Rider Chip Episode : `` A Knight in Shining Armor '' 1984 The Facts of Life Moose Episode : `` All or Nothing '' 1990 Turner & Hooch Det. Scott Turner Unsold TV pilot 1991 -- 92 Back to the Future Biff Tannen and other Tannens Voice 1993 The Pink Panther Additional voices Voice Batman : The Animated Series Tony Zucco / John Grayson Voice ; episodes : `` Robin 's Reckoning : Parts 1 & 2 '' 1995 -- 96 Gargoyles Matt Bluestone Voice Superman Joey Voice ; episode : `` A Little Piece of Home '' Wing Commander Academy Todd ' Maniac ' Marshall Voice Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Simon Episode : `` Dream Date '' Andersonville Thomas Sweet TV movie 1997 Lois & Clark : The New Adventures of Superman Carter Landry Episode : `` Lethal Weapon '' Duckman Park Ranger Smith Voice ; episode : `` Short, Plush and Deadly '' Aaahh ! ! ! Real Monsters Marty Voice ; episodes : `` Clockwise / Gromble Soup '', `` Showdown / Internal Affairs '' steve.oedekerk.com Costumer / Talk Show Host TV movie Fired Up Steve Summer 1998 Pinky and the Brain Larry Bruhn Voice ; episode : `` Dangerous Brains '' Men in White Ed Klingbottom TV movie The New Batman Adventures Howlin ' Jake / Gotham Angels Biker Voice ; episode : `` Torch Song '' Zoomates Mark the Polar Bear Voice ; TV short Maggie Hank Episodes : `` Just Shoot Him '', `` Every Little Star '' The Angry Beavers Otis Otto / Bowling Patron Voice ; episode : `` If You Insisters / Alley Oops ! '' 1999 The Hughleys Stan Episode : `` Why Ca n't We Be Friends ? '' Timon & Pumbaa Additional voices 1 episode Pepper Ann Coach Bronson Voice ; episode : `` Beyond Good and Evel / One of the Guys '' 1999 -- 2000 Freaks and Geeks Coach Ben Fredricks 6 episodes 2000 -- 01 Max Steel Pete Costas Voice ; recurring role ( season 1 ), main role ( season 2 ) 2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Buster Voice ; episode : `` Root of Evil '' 2001 Nash Bridges Jack Noon Episode : `` Bear Trap '' The Zeta Project Burly Boyfriend Voice ; episode : `` West Bound '' 2001 -- 13 SpongeBob SquarePants Additional voices Voice 2001 Titus Joe Episode : `` Amy 's Birthday '' 2002 -- 03 Do Over Coach Dorsey 4 episodes 2002 She Spies Roger ' Rush ' Gibson Episode : `` Fondles '' 2003 Ed Sean Nowell 4 episodes The Pitts Guard Episode : `` Ticket to Riot '' Boston Public Paul Stanton Episode : `` Chapter Sixty - Six '' Striperella Tom Green, Zumo, Painted Patron, Director Voice ; episodes : `` Beauty and the Obese : Part 1 and 2 '', `` The Wrath of Klinko '' Two and a Half Men Mike Episode : `` Pilot '' The Mullets Lyle Turner Episode : `` Losin ' It '' Rock Me Baby Buffalo Buck Episode : `` Go, Otis ! It 's Your Birthday ! '' 2005 Rodney Bill Episode : `` Sorry Charlie '' Zoey 101 Coach Phelps Episode : `` Disc Golf '' Higglytown Heroes Truck Driver Voice ; episode : `` Kip 's Dad Gets a Strike '' Reba Ted Episode : `` Reba and the One '' George Lopez Sonny Episode : `` George Drives the Batmobile '' 2006 Help Me Help You Kenny 4 episodes Still Standing Coach Kirk Stone Episode : `` Still Flunking '' Cold Case Arnold Brown Episode : `` Superstar '' 2006 -- 08 Ghost Whisperer Tim Flaherty 6 episodes 2007 American Body Shop Juicy Lou Episodes : `` Juicy Lou 's '', `` Shop for Sale '' House Lou Episode : `` Whatever It Takes '' Boston Legal Jeffrey Bass Episode : `` Attack of the Xenophobes '' 2008 The Spectacular Spider - Man Stan Carter Voice ; 6 episodes Bones Chip Barnett Episode : `` The Baby in the Bough '' Back at the Barnyard Krebs Voice ; episode : `` Brave Udders '' 2008, 2009 Batman : The Brave and the Bold Sportsmaster / Catman Voice ; episodes : `` Invasion of the Secret Santas ! '', `` Legends of the Dark Mite ! '' 2009 Psych Butch Episode : `` Let 's Get Hairy '' Family Guy Additional voices Voice ; episode : `` Quagmire 's Baby '' 2010, 2011 Big Love Ricky Jax 3 episodes : `` The Mighty and Strong '', `` Blood Atonement '', `` The Oath '' Adventure Time Head Marauder, Cat Man, Coal Guy Voice ; episodes : `` Memories of Boom Boom Mountain '', `` It Came from the Nightosphere '' True Jackson, VP Ben Franklin Episode : `` Field Trip '' 2011 Harry 's Law Allan Meade Episode : `` Bangers in the House '' Billion Dollar Freshmen Principal Preston TV Movie Planet Sheen Narrator / Blurg # 1 Voice ; episodes : `` Ooze on First / Monster - Fighting Combat Strike Force '', `` To Chill a Mocking Blurg / Now You Sheen It '' 2011 -- 12 Franklin & Bash Spiritual Advisor Episodes : `` She Came Upstairs to Kill Me '', `` For Those About to Rock '' 2011 Melissa & Joey Councilman Herbert Hancock Episode : `` Play Ball '' 2012 -- present Dragons : Riders of Berk Bucket Voice, 16 episodes 2013 Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous Mr. Stone Main role, 12 episodes Mad Additional voices Voice ; episodes : `` S Cape from Planet Earth / The X-Mentalist '' 2014 See Dad Run Principal Templeman 2 episodes 2015 -- 18 Pig Goat Banana Cricket Banana, Body Builder Voice ; 26 episodes 2016 The Ranch Coach Fitzgerald Episode : `` The Boys of Fall '' K.C. Undercover Agent Whitman Episode : `` The Legend of Bad, Bad Cleo Brown '' Trollhunters Coach Lawrence Voice ; 16 episodes 2017 Workaholics Barnes Episode : `` The Most Dangerless Game '' 2018 Mosaic Cliff Jones Mini Series : 6 Episodes 2018 DC 's Legends of Tomorrow Henry Heywood 2 episodes Video games Year Title Role Notes 1990 Back to the Future... The Pinball Biff Tannen uncredited 1994 Wing Commander III : Heart of the Tiger Maj. Todd ' Maniac ' Marshall Credited as Tom Wilson Wing Commander IV : The Price of Freedom Maj. Todd ' Maniac ' Marshall Credited as Tom Wilson 1997 Wing Commander : Prophecy Maj. Todd ' Maniac ' Marshall Credited as Tom Wilson 2000 Star Trek : Voyager -- Elite Force Crewman Rick Biessman 2001 Crash Bandicoot : The Wrath of Cortex Rok - Ko Credited as Tom Wilson 2002 Run Like Hell : Hunt or Be Hunted Craig Back to the Future Video Slots Biff Tannen archive audio 2008 CR Back to the Future Biff Tannen archive audio Batman : The Brave and the Bold -- The Videogame Catman Spider - Man : Shattered Dimensions Electro 2011 Star Wars : The Old Republic Additional voices 2013 Back to the Future : Back in Time Video Slots Biff Tannen, Griff 2015 Back to the Future : The Game 30th Anniversary Edition Biff Tannen Credited as Tom Wilson References Jump up ^ Eustache, Louis ( November 2, 2016 ). `` Tom Wilson Of ' Back To The Future ' Talks Pop Art, Biff Tannen And Parallels To Trump ''. Konbini United States. Jump up ^ What 's What With... Tom Wilson, Philadelphia magazine, December 3, 2008 Jump up ^ Tom Wilson 's take on Irish music, YouTube.com Jump up ^ ' Back to the Future ' : Catching up with the cast Jump up ^ Tom Wilson Artist Corner Archived November 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine., ArtOfDisneyParks.com Jump up ^ Thomas F. Wilson -- Musician Archived February 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine., TomWilsonUSA.com Jump up ^ Biff 's Question Song ( Stand - up Comedy ). YouTube. September 27, 2006. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Thomas F. Wilson Official website Thomas F. Wilson at AllMovie Thomas F. Wilson on IMDb Konbini - Interview ( 2016 ) Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Marty Feldman ( 1974 / 75 ) Jay Robinson ( 1976 ) Alec Guinness ( 1977 ) Burgess Meredith ( 1978 ) Arte Johnson ( 1979 ) Scatman Crothers ( 1980 ) Burgess Meredith ( 1981 ) Richard Lynch ( 1982 ) John Lithgow ( 1983 ) Tracey Walter ( 1984 ) Roddy McDowall ( 1985 ) Bill Paxton ( 1986 ) Richard Dawson ( 1987 ) Robert Loggia ( 1988 ) Thomas F. Wilson ( 1989 / 90 ) William Sadler ( 1991 ) Robin Williams ( 1992 ) Lance Henriksen ( 1993 ) Gary Sinise ( 1994 ) Brad Pitt ( 1995 ) Brent Spiner ( 1996 ) Vincent D'Onofrio ( 1997 ) Ian McKellen ( 1998 ) Michael Clarke Duncan ( 1999 ) Willem Dafoe ( 2000 ) Ian McKellen ( 2001 ) Andy Serkis ( 2002 ) Sean Astin ( 2003 ) David Carradine ( 2004 ) Mickey Rourke ( 2005 ) Ben Affleck ( 2006 ) Javier Bardem ( 2007 ) Heath Ledger ( 2008 ) Stephen Lang ( 2009 ) Andrew Garfield ( 2010 ) Andy Serkis ( 2011 ) Clark Gregg ( 2012 ) Ben Kingsley ( 2013 ) Richard Armitage ( 2014 ) Adam Driver ( 2015 ) John Goodman ( 2016 ) Patrick Stewart ( 2017 ) WorldCat Identities BNF : cb14239586s ( data ) ISNI : 0000 0001 1496 7157 LCCN : no2003045648 MusicBrainz : a689a8b2 - fc32 - 4295 - b77d - 147da6c07f92 VIAF : 106658755 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_F._Wilson&oldid=866485512 '' Categories : 1959 births Living people Male actors from Philadelphia American Roman Catholics American male comedians American comedians American male film actors American people of Irish descent American podcasters American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors Arizona State University alumni 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from May 2014 Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015 Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Afrikaans Asturianu تۆرکجه Български Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська 中文 16 more Edit links This page was last edited on 30 October 2018, at 16 : 46 ( UTC ). 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Question: who plays biff on back to the future
Answer: Thomas Francis Wilson Jr.