Thomas Francis Wilson is a multi-talented artist who works in a variety of mediums. He has proven his mettle in every imaginable sort of artistic endeavor, from acting to singing, writing to painting, functioning as a voice-over artist to staging stand-up comedy and podcast programs. He has appeared in over 50 films, television shows, and comedy specials during his two-decade career. He’s also appeared on a number of talk programs, sharing the stage alongside celebrities including Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Regis Philbin, and Kathie Lee Gifford. Aside from his appearances on television and in films, he has worked as a writer for a number of well-known literary publications and well-known companies such as Universal Studios, Disney, Fox, Film Roman Studios, and others. Few people are aware that he is a talented painter and photographer. While his paintings have graced the walls of famous actors’ homes, his images have been added to the California Museum of Photography’s permanent collection.
Childhood and Adolescence
Thomas F Wilson was born in the city of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania. Radnor High School was where he finished his high school studies. He was active in dramatic arts during his high school years. He also served as the tuba player and drum major for his school’s debate team and presided over the debate team. After finishing his studies, he went to Arizona State University to study international politics. He went on to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City following that.
Career of Thomas
He had his first stage exposure as a stand-up comedian in New York. In the early 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles to seek a career in acting. ‘Knight Rider’ and ‘The Facts of Life’ were among the television shows in which he made guest appearances during this time. In 1985, he received his first big break in the movie ‘Back to the Future.’ Biff Tannen, a bully, was his character in the film. Given that he was the most frequent target of bullying while at school, the role was ironic. He used such memories from his youth to highlight reality and construct the persona.
He appeared in two films in 1986, ‘April Fool’s Day’ and ‘Let’s Get Harry.’ In 1987, he played Lieutenant Stevenson in the film ‘Smart Alex,’ and in 1988, he played a Detroit cop in the film ‘Action Jackson.’ In 1989, he starred in ‘Back to the Future Part II,’ the sequel to ‘Back to the Future.’ He not only played Biff Tannen, but also Biff’s grandson, Griff Tannen, in the film.
The third installment in the ‘Back to the Future’ franchise, titled ‘Back to the Future Part III,’ was released in 1990. In the film, he reprised his role as Biff Tannen. He also portrayed Buford ‘Mad Dog’ Tannen, Biff’s great-grandfather, in the show. He won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
Following the trilogy, the ‘Back to the Future’ franchise produced an animated series in which he not only repeated his role as Biff but also provided voices for numerous Tannen relatives. In the 1991 film ‘High Strung,’ he played the role of Al Dalby. He provided additional voices for various characters the next year, including Tony Zucco in ‘Batman: The Animated Series,’ Matt Bluestone in ‘Gargoyles,’ and Borist and Natasha: The Movie. In ‘Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger,’ he starred alongside Mark Hamill. Major Todd ‘Maniac’ Marshall was his character in the third installment of the Wing Commander series.
His outstanding performance landed him a part as Major Todd ‘Maniac’ Marshall in the upcoming sequels ‘Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom’ and ‘Wing Commander: Prophecy.’ He even did voice work for the anime series ‘Wing Commander Academy.’ He co-starred in the comedy ‘Camp Nowhere’ with Christopher Lloyd in 1994. In the same year, he appeared in the film ‘Mr White’ as Billy. From 1995 to 2000, he played Det Lou Greenburg, Officer Melvin, and The Ticket Seller in three films: ‘Born to be Wild,’ ‘The Darn Cat,’ and ‘Girl.’ ‘Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,’ ‘Andersonville,’ ‘Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,’ ‘Duckman,’ ‘Aaahh! Real Monsters,’ ‘Fired Up,’ ‘Pinky and the Brain,’ ‘Men in White,’ ‘Zoomates,’ ‘Maggie,’ ‘Angry Beavers,’ and ‘Hughleys’ were In 1999, he played McKinley High School Coach Ben Fredericks in the television series ‘Freaks and Greeks.’ He even appeared in an episode of the television show ‘Pepper Ann’ at the same period.
He lent his voice to the videogame ‘Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force’ in 2000. His Biessman character was a lot like ‘Biff Tannen’ from ‘Back to the Future,’ with a comparable aesthetic and personality. The former, on the other hand, was significantly more circumspect and helpful than the latter. In the same year, he provided a voice over for the animated film ‘Max Steel.’ In 2003, he starred in ‘Trial and Error: The Making of Sequestered,’ a mockumentary. He also provided a voice for Disney’s ‘Atlantis: Milo Return.’ The following year, he voiced SpongeBob SquarePants in “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.”
In 2004, he appeared in the Pasadena Playhouse production of the musical ‘110 in the Shade,’ alongside Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley. He portrayed Noah Curry in the film. He published his own comedy album, ‘Tom Wilson Is Funny!’ in 2005. He appeared in the films ‘Larry the Cable Guy: The Health Inspector’ and ‘Zoom’ the following year. In 2007, he returned to television in the drama ‘Whatever It Takes,’ as Lou, the father of Dr. House’s patient. The following year, he resumed his foray into television by portraying a former police officer accused with murder in the ABC drama ‘Boston Legal’ in the episode ‘Attack of the Xenophobes.’
Two of his films were released in 2009: ‘House Broke,’ in which he played Fire Chief Henry Decker, and ‘The Informant!,’ in which he played Mark Cheviron. In the same year, he appeared on British television as himself in the comedy pilot ‘Vidiotic,’ which aired on BBC Three. In 2011, he presented the Big Pop Fun podcast. He held informal chats with pals including Samm Levine, Blake Clark, Steve Oedekerk, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, and others on the show. In the same year, he lent his voice to the animated film ‘Rio.’
In the 2012 film ‘Atlas Shrugged: Part II,’ he played Robert Collins. The next year, he played Captain Frank Woods in the film ‘The Heat.’ He even provided the voice for ‘Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure,’ a direct-to-video picture.
In terms of television appearances, he played Mr Stone in an episode of ‘Melissa & Joey’ and in the television series ‘Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous.’ He also contributed his voice to the films ‘Dragons: Rider of the Berk’ and ‘Mad.’
Personal History and Legacy
Few people are aware that, in addition to being an entertainer, he is also a skilled painter. The majority of his works are on toys that children used to play with in the past. He was invited to join the California Featured Artists Series at Disneyland in 2006 as a well-known artisan.
He published a Contemporary Christian album called ‘Name of the Father’ in 2000, and he is a devout Catholic.
Estimated Net Worth
Thomas F. Wilson has a net worth of $4 million as an actor, writer, director, stand-up comedian, and voice over artist in the United States. Thomas F. Wilson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and went on to study International Politics at Arizona State University. After that, he moved to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he began his stand-up comedy career.
Trivia
In the ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy, this gifted actor played bully Biff Tannen. However, he was the focus of bullies at school.