Crispin Glover - wikipedia Crispin Glover For the Scarling. song, see Crispin Glover ( song ). Crispin Glover Glover in 2012 Crispin Hellion Glover ( 1964 - 04 - 20 ) April 20, 1964 ( age 53 ) New York City, New York, U.S. Occupation Actor, director, screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, author Years active 1977 -- present Home town Los Angeles, California, U.S. Parent ( s ) Bruce Glover ( father ) Website crispinglover.com Crispin Hellion Glover ( born April 20, 1964 ) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen, such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River 's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, mentally ill Cousin Dell in David Lynch 's Wild at Heart, Andy Warhol in The Doors, the Thin Man in Charlie 's Angels and its sequel, Willard Stiles in the Willard remake, Bobby McBurney in What 's Eating Gilbert Grape, Ilosovic Stayne / The Knave of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Phil Wedmaier in Hot Tub Time Machine, and Willy Wonka in Epic Movie. He is also the voice of Fifi in the Open Season franchise and appeared in the screen adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel Freaky Deaky. He played a German - speaking clairvoyant during World War I in the Polish - language film Hiszpanka, and an unwitting employee in service of Robert De Niro 's character in The Bag Man. In the late 1980s, Glover started his company, Volcanic Eruptions, which publishes his books and also serves as the production company for Glover 's films, What Is It ? and It Is Fine ! Everything Is Fine. He currently stars in the Starz television series American Gods as Mr. World, the god of globalization. Glover was recognized for his directorial work in 2013 when the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City staged the series It Is Crispin Hellion Glover. The program consisted of screenings of all of his directorial work, live performances, and speaking engagements. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Acting 2.2 Music 2.3 Books 2.4 Directing 3 Personal life 3.1 Late Night appearance 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 5 References 6 External links Early life Glover is an only child, born in New York City, and moved to Los Angeles with his family at the age of five. His father is actor Bruce Glover and his mother, Mary Elizabeth Lillian Betty Krachey ( née Bloom Koerber ), was an actress and dancer who retired upon his birth. He was named after the Saint Crispin 's Day speech from William Shakespeare 's play Henry V, which his parents enjoyed. `` Hellion '', his real middle name, had earlier been used as a false middle name by his father, who did not like his own real middle name, Herbert. His father is of English, Czech, and Swedish descent, and his mother is of German and Czech ancestry. As a child, Glover attended The Mirman School from first grade through ninth grade. He then attended both Venice High for tenth and eleventh grade, and Beverly Hills High School only for twelfth grade ; he graduated in 1982. Career Acting Crispin Glover in September 2008 Glover began acting professionally at the age of 13. He appeared in several sitcoms as a teenager, including Happy Days and Family Ties. His first film role was in 1983 's My Tutor. That led to roles in Teachers ( 1984 ) and Friday the 13th : The Final Chapter ( 1984 ). He then worked with director Trent Harris on the third chapter of the Beaver Trilogy, entitled The Orkly Kid. In this short film, he portrayed a small - town man who organizes a local talent show to showcase his obsession with Olivia Newton - John, much to the embarrassment of the local community. At the climax of the film, Glover does his rendition, in full drag, of Newton - John 's `` Please Do n't Keep Me Waiting '' from her 1979 album Totally Hot. His breakout role was as George McFly in Robert Zemeckis 's Back to the Future, an international box office success in 1985. Glover and the producers could not agree on suitable terms for him to appear in the sequels, so the role of the character was greatly reduced and recast. In Back to the Future Part II, Zemeckis reused brief footage of Glover which had been filmed for the first film. Glover was billed as `` George McFly in footage from Back to the Future '' in the closing credits. The older footage was combined with new footage of actor Jeffrey Weissman wearing a false chin, nose and cheekbones, and various obfuscating methods -- in the background, wearing sunglasses, rear shot, upside down -- to play the role of George McFly. Because these methods suggested that Glover himself had performed for the film, he sued the producers on the grounds that they had used his likeness without permission, as well as not having paid him for the reuse of the footage from the original film. Subsequently, clauses in the Screen Actors Guild are now in collective bargaining agreements to the effect that this is no longer permitted. Glover in March 2010 He has continued to play exceedingly eccentric types, including playing Andy Warhol in Oliver Stone 's The Doors in 1991, as well as the title characters in Bartleby ( 2001 ) and Willard ( 2003 ). He received mainstream attention as the `` Thin Man '' in the Charlie 's Angels films ; the character had initially been cast as a speaking role, but Glover, noting that the lines as written were exposition, convinced the producers to eliminate the lines to create a precise image for the character. Glover was a co-interlocutor with Norm Hill and Werner Herzog for the special feature commentary for the DVD of Werner Herzog 's Even Dwarfs Started Small and Fata Morgana. Glover appeared in the 2007 film Beowulf as the monster Grendel, playing the part through performance capture technology. The film was Glover 's first collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis since the original Back to the Future film. He voiced the character `` 6 '' in the film 9. Glover played Ilosovic Stayne / The Knave of Hearts in Tim Burton 's Alice in Wonderland. He played the one - armed bellman in Hot Tub Time Machine, and the unwitting employee of Robert De Niro 's character in The Bag Man. Music In 1989, during a hiatus from films, Glover released an album titled The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution, The Solution Equals Let It Be through Restless Records, produced by Barnes & Barnes ( of `` Fish Heads '' fame ). The album features original songs such as `` Clowny Clown Clown '', odd versions of Lee Hazlewood 's `` These Boots Are Made for Walkin ' '', and Charles Manson 's `` I 'll Never Say Never to Always '' ( sung in falsetto ), and readings from his art books Rat Catching and Oak Mot. Sample pages from these books are featured in the album 's liner notes. Glover recorded a version of the Michael Jackson song `` Ben '' to coincide with the release of the 2003 film Willard ; the song had been written for the sequel to the original 1971 version of this film. In the music video for the song, he sings to a rat named Ben. A number of songs using Glover 's name as the title have been recorded by various artists, including shoegaze / gothic rock band Scarling., Chicago outsider musician Wesley Willis and a New Jersey - based band called Children in Adult Jails. In the early 2000s, a Kansas City band named itself Onward Crispin Glover. Books Glover has written between 15 and 20 books. Oak - Mot and Rat Catching are featured prominently during his Big Slide Show presentation, and are presented as visual art as much as written art. He constructs the books by reusing old novels and other publications which have fallen into the public domain due to their age ( for example, Rat Catching was constructed from an 1896 book Studies in the Art of Rat Catching, and Oak - Mot was constructed from an 1868 novel of the same title ). He rearranges text, blacks out certain standing passages, and adds his own prose ( and sometimes images ) into the margins and elsewhere, thus creating an entirely new story. Four of his books have been published so far, through his publishing company, Volcanic Eruptions. Other known titles include The Backward Swing, A New World, and Round My House. Billow and the Rock ( 1983 ) Rat Catching ( 1988 ) Oak - Mot ( 1989 ) Concrete Inspection ( 1990 ) What it is, and How it is Done ( 1992 ) Round My House ( 2016 ) * The publishing years listed above may not represent first - edition publication dates, but subsequent available editions. Directing Glover made his directorial debut with 2005 's What Is It ?, a surreal film featuring a cast of actors with Down syndrome. It premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. With a budget of only $150,000, it took almost a decade to complete, and was originally intended to be a short film. Most of the primary footage was shot in 12 days, stretched over a two - and - a-half - year period. Production was mostly funded by Glover 's roles in Willard and the Charlie 's Angels films. Glover 's second film, It Is Fine ! Everything Is Fine., was written by Utah writer and actor Steven C. Stewart. Stewart was born with severe cerebral palsy and had been confined to a nursing home for about 10 years. The film is a fantastical psychosexual retelling of life from Stewart 's point of view. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Glover has completed shooting his third feature film as a director, which he developed as a vehicle for his father Bruce Glover and himself to act together. This film is not part three of the It ? trilogy. Personal life Glover has residences in Los Angeles and The Czech Republic. His residence ( 45 minutes east of Prague by train ) Zámek Konárovice, is a 17th - century 20 - acre ( 8.1 ha ) chateau that is recognized as historically significant by the Czech government. The property requires constant upkeep and restoration ; according to Glover, `` ( The property ) is a lifetime project that will be in continuous flux and repair for hundreds of years from now, as it has been the hundreds of years before I ' owned ' it. '' As of 2003, Glover was dating Alexa Lauren, a Penthouse magazine Pet of the Month for September 1999. Late Night appearance Glover appeared on Late Night with David Letterman on July 28, 1987, to promote River 's Edge. Unbeknownst to David Letterman and the audience, Glover appeared in character as `` Rubin '' from the then - unreleased film Rubin and Ed, wearing platform shoes and a wig. Rather than a conventional interview, Glover staged an Andy Kaufman - like prank. After being goaded by a woman in the audience ( who some argue had been planted ), Glover stated he `` knew that this was gon na happen '' and `` the press, they can do things, they can twist things around. '' After challenging Letterman to an arm - wrestling match, Glover delivered an impromptu karate kick a few feet from Letterman while stating, `` I 'm strong... I can kick ! '' Letterman then abruptly ended the segment by walking off stage, saying, `` I 'm going to check on the Top 10, '' as the program cut to commercial. The subsequent confusion and controversy surrounding his appearance was compounded by the fact that Rubin and Ed was not actually released until 1991. However, the film had been in development since before Back to the Future -- Glover had actually already devised Rubin 's `` look '' by 1985. Glover has since refused to go into detail about the reasons for his behavior on the show, other than to mention that he was flattered that fans are still speculating on the performance more than 20 years later. He also stated that he prefers there to be an `` air of mystery '' about the appearance. In an interview in 2011, Back to the Future co-star Michael J. Fox talked about the incident with Letterman, saying, `` Crispin is n't crazy, just excitable. '' Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes My Tutor Jack 1984 Racing with the Moon Gatsby Boy Friday the 13th : The Final Chapter Jimmy Mortimer Teachers Danny Reese 1985 The Orkly Kid Groovin ' Larry Hoff Short film Back to the Future George McFly 1986 At Close Range Lucas River 's Edge Layne Twister Howdy Cleveland Where the Heart Is Lionel Wild at Heart Cousin Dell 1991 Rubin and Ed Rubin Farr Little Noises Joey Kremple Ferdydurke Mientus The Doors Andy Warhol 1993 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Howard Barth What 's Eating Gilbert Grape Bobby McBurney Chasers Howard Finster 1995 Dead Man Train Fireman The People vs. Larry Flynt Arlo 2000 Nurse Betty Roy Ostery Charlie 's Angels Thin Man Bartleby Bartleby Fast Sofa Jules Langdon 2002 Crime and Punishment Rodion Raskolnikov Like Mike Stan Bittleman 2003 Willard Willard Stiles Charlie 's Angels : Full Throttle Thin Man Incident at Loch Ness Party Guest 2005 What Is It ? Dueling Demi - God Auteur / The Young Man 's Inner Psyche and Id Also director, writer, producer, editor, cinematographer and music supvervisor Drop Dead Sexy Eddie 2006 Simon Says Simon / Stanley 2007 Epic Movie Willy The Wizard of Gore Montag the Magnificent It Is Fine ! Everything Is Fine. N / A Director, producer, editor and music supervisor Beowulf Grendel Motion capture 2008 Open Season 2 Fifi Voice Freezer Burn : The Invasion of Laxdale Viergacht 2009 The Donner Party William Foster 9 6 Voice Alice in Wonderland Ilosovic Stayne / The Knave of Hearts Hot Tub Time Machine Phil Wedmaier Mr. Nice Ernie Combs Open Season 3 Fifi Voice 2012 Freaky Deaky Woody Ricks 2014 The Bag Man Ned 2015 Influence Dr. Abuse Aimy in a Cage Claude Bohringer 2018 The Brits Are Coming Gabriel Anderson Post-production We Have Always Lived in the Castle Uncle Julian Blackwood Post-production TBA Smiley Face Killers Production Television Year Title Role Notes 1981 The Best of Times Crispin Episode : `` Pilot '' 1982 The Facts of Life Cadet No. 1 Episode : `` The Big Fight '' The Kid with the 200 I.Q. Unknown Television film High School U.S.A. Archie Feld Television film Happy Days Roach Episode : `` Vocational Education '' Hill Street Blues Space Cadet Episode : `` Honk If You 're a Goose '' 1984, 1986 Family Ties Doug 2 episodes 1993 Hotel Room Danny Episode : `` Blackout '' Funny or Die Presents Thomas Edison Episode : `` 105 '' 2015 Texas Rising Moseley Baker 5 episodes 2017 American Gods Mr. World 2 episodes References Jump up ^ `` Masterclash Takes on Male Friendships With ' Old Friends ' and Crispin Glover ''. Asylum.com. Retrieved September 25, 2010. Jump up ^ `` It Is Crispin Hellion Glover ''. Museum of Arts and Design. Retrieved August 5, 2015. Jump up ^ Meier, Allison. `` Crispin Glover hates the ending of `` Back to the Future '' ``. Salon.com. Retrieved August 5, 2015. Jump up ^ Meier, Allison. `` Crispin Glover Tackles Hollywood Taboos ''. Hyperallergic.com. Retrieved August 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Crispin Glover Interview ''. Index Magazine. Retrieved July 14, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Spin - Uncut ''. Angelfire.com. Retrieved July 14, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Interview Archived May 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` What is it ? Good question ''. Jump up ^ My hols : Crispin Glover Times Online Jump up ^ `` Actor / Filmmaker Crispin Glover ''. Reddit. Jump up ^ Ate Isti ( June 27, 2003 ). `` Charlie 's Angels : Full Throttle ( 2003 ) ''. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Review of Even Dwarves Started Small... Retrieved September 23, 2007 Archived May 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Reflection on Fata Morgana & Lessons of Darkness... Retrieved September 23, 2007 Archived September 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : `` CrispinGloverInfo.com Bizarre Interview ''. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Not a jaunt down the Yellow Brick Road ''. The Daily Utah Chronicle. February 28, 2005. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2006. Jump up ^ `` An Update on Crispin Hellion Glover 's Eagerly Anticipated It Is Mine ''. MovieWeb. February 18, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2010. Jump up ^ La Carmina ( February 15, 2011 ). `` Crispin Glover Talks Prague, Castles, Absinthe And Film ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Erik Hedegaard ( 2003 ). `` Crispin Glover : Not Of This World '', August 21, 2003. Accessed 17 July 2017 Jump up ^ `` Crispin Glover Goes Back to the Crazy -- Top 10 Disastrous Letterman Interviews ''. Time. February 13, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2009. Jump up ^ Mooney, Chris. `` Letters to the Editor : The Glover 's off ''. Salon.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2009. Jump up ^ Andy Baio ( July 10, 2009 ). `` Transcript of Crispin Glover on Letterman ''. Waxy.org. Retrieved July 14, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Crispin Glover on David Letterman, '' interviewed by Frank Hyoguchi... Retrieved December 24, 2009. Jump up ^ McNary, Dave. `` Film News Roundup : Crispin Glover, Ronen Rubinstein to Star in Horror Movie ' Smiley Face Killers ' ''. Variety.com. Retrieved 7 October 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crispin Glover. Official website Crispin Glover at DMOZ Crispin Glover on IMDb TV.com bio and filmography Crispin Glover Films directed What Is It ? ( 2005 ) It Is Fine ! Everything Is Fine. ( 2007 ) Other works Rat Catching ( book, 1988 ) The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be ( album, 1989 ) Related articles Bruce Glover VIAF : 39578928 LCCN : n88034827 ISNI : 0000 0001 1490 4746 SUDOC : 07659601X BNF : cb14048715f ( data ) Film portal Biography portal Los Angeles portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crispin_Glover&oldid=807792625 '' Categories : 1964 births American male film actors American film directors American male screenwriters American male singers American singers American film producers American male poets American experimental filmmakers American people of Czech descent American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Swedish descent American artists Film directors from California Living people Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from New York City Outsider artists Outsider musicians Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from April 2013 Articles with hCards Articles with DMOZ links Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu تۆرکجه Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Dolnoserbski Eesti Español فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Íslenska Italiano עברית Malagasy Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenščina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 30 October 2017, at 04 : 06. 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Question: who played george in back to the future
Answer: Glover