Bio: Christopher Lloyd is an American actor with a relatively long career. His better known roles include drug-using taxicab driver Jim Ignatowski in the sitcom Taxi (1978), Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), inventor Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990), the evil Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and deranged Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).Lloyd was born on October 22, 1938 in Stamford, Connecticut. His parents were lawyer Samuel R. Lloyd and singer Ruth Lapham (1896-1984). His maternal uncle was politician Roger Lapham, Mayor of San Francisco (1883-1966, term 1944-1948). His maternal grandfather was businessman Lewis Henry Lapham (1858-1934), co-founder of Texaco Oil Company. Lloyd is a distant descendant of indentured servant John Howland (c. 1592-1673), one of the passengers of the ship Mayflower and signers of the Mayflower Compact.Lloyd was raised in the town Westport, Connecticut, which changed from a community of farmers to a suburban development during the 20th century. Many artists and writers from New York City settled in the town. Lloyd was educated at Staples High School. He was a co-founder of the Staples Players, the school's theatre company. Lloyd was interested in an acting career, and served as an apprentice at summer theaters in Mount Kisco, New York and Hyannis, Massachusetts. In 1957, he started pursuing acting classes in New York City. He took lessons at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, a full-time professional conservatory for actors. His acting teacher was Sanford Meisner (1905-1997), eponymous creator of the Meisner technique.Lloyd made his New York theatrical debut in a 1961 production of the play "And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers" by Fernando Arrabal (1932-). He was reportedly a replacement for another actor. He made his Broadway debut in a 1969 performance of Red, White and Maddox (1969). Until the mid-1970s, Lloyd was primarily a theatrical actor. He performed both on Off-Broadway shows and in Broadway. Lloyd made his film debut in the role of psychiatric patient Max Taber in the drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). His first major role in television was drug-using taxicab driver Jim Ignatowski in the sitcom Taxi (1978). His character was an aging hippie, son of an affluent Boston family , and former student of Harvard University. Ignatowski was one of the sitcom's most colorful characters and Lloyd won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.In the 1980s and early 1990s, Lloyd played most of his most notable film roles. Lloyd was first nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in Back to the Future (1985). The award was instead won by rival actor Roddy McDowall (1928-1998). He was nominated for the same award for his role as the evil Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The award was instead won by rival actor Robert Loggia (1930-2015). Lloyd also performed as a voice actor, voicing the evil sorcerer Merlock in DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990) and historical figure Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) in Anastasia (1997). Lloyd had another notable television role when cast in the role of villain Sebastian Jackal in the sci-fi series Deadly Games (1995). He also played the character Dr. Jordan Kenneth Lloyd, the despised father of the series' protagonist Dr. Gus Lloyd (played by James Calvert).Lloyd's last notable film role in the 1990s was playing the Martian Uncle Martin in My Favorite Martian (1999). The film was an adaptation of the classic sitcom My Favorite Martian (1963), and the character was previously played by Ray Walston (1914-2001). The film under-performed at the box office. In the 2000s, Lloyd played the role of recurring character Cletus Poffenberger in the comic sci-fi series Tremors (2003), and recurring character Professor Harold March in the sitcom Stacked (2005). As March, Lloyd played a retired rocket scientist who was a regular customer of the bookstore which served as the series' setting. In the 2010s, Lloyd returned to the role of Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in cameo appearances in A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) and Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie (2016), and as the protagonist of the short film Back to the Future: Doc Brown Saves the World (2015). By 2020, Lloyd has never retired from acting and continues to appear in various roles.
Tivia: For his brief 1985 scenes in Back to the Future (1985), he wore prosthetic make-up to appear 30 years older than in his 1955 scenes, which dominate the film. In the sequels, the 1985 Doc Brown has more scenes. To avoid having to put him through extensive make-up every morning, writers Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale came up with the idea of Doc Brown visiting a rejuvenation clinic in the future, which results in his face looking much younger.To prepare for the role of Taber in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), he lived in a mental institution for several weeks and studied the patients. He modeled his character after one of the patients and stayed in character throughout the filming, even when not on screen.A devoted bicyclist, he once rode through Italy, pedaling from Milan to Venice, over the Dolomites, along the Amalfi coast and to Naples.In a June 2009 interview, he said that the role of Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) was one of his favorite roles. He compared Kruge to his role of Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), both being overly evil characters he considered "fun to play".As a young actor, he performed at the Yale Repertory Theater with Meryl Streep.In Man on the Moon (1999), he appears as himself reprising his old role of Rev. Jim Ignatowski in scenes from Taxi (1978), 20 years after the sitcom had aired.During the making of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), he did not completely understand using communicators to send messages. He would often shout his lines into the air rather than speak into his communicator. He was ordered several times not to shout at the sky.Has appeared in over 200 plays, including many on Broadway, in regional and summer-stock productions.Attended and graduated from Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut (1958).Has worked with Peter Weller in the cult movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984). Both stars appeared in the very popular Star Trek series. Lloyd appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Weller appeared in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).Attended the prestigious Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts.His Taxi (1978) character, Rev. Jim Ignatowski, was a huge fan of Star Trek: The Original Series (1966). Lloyd went onto play Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).At age 19, he moved to Manhattan and began studying with acting teacher Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.In a scene in Back to the Future (1985), his character Dr. Emmett L. "Doc" Brown, hangs on the arm of a large clock. This mimics a stunt done by Harold Lloyd (no relation) in Safety Last! (1923).Younger brother of Sam Lloyd Sr..Has appeared with Danny DeVito in three films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Goin' South (1978) and Man on the Moon (1999); and Mary Steenburgen in three films: Goin' South (1978), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Wish You Were Dead (2001).Grew up in Fairfield County's New Canaan, Connecticut.Attended the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.Has appeared with Anjelica Huston in five films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), The Cowboy and the Ballerina (1984), The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).Has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant": One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Back to the Future (1985) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).His maternal grandfather, Lewis Henry Lapham (1858-1934), was an entrepreneur who made a fortune consolidating smaller business in the leather industry. He was also one of the founders of Texaco Oil Company.His maternal uncle, Roger Dearborn Lapham (1883-1966), was chairman of the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company (mid-1920s). He was also the Mayor of San Francisco from 1944 - 1948.He was the visual inspiration for Gru, the main character of Despicable Me (2010) and sequels, after he played Fester Addams in The Addams Family (1991). He was 72 years old at that point. He also was the visual inspiration for Dru, Gru's long-stranded brother, in Despicable Me 3 (2017), after playing Fester Addams again in Addams Family Values (1993).Is the youngest of seven children of Ruth (Lapham) and Samuel R. Lloyd. Many of his family lines are Colonial American (English), with deep roots in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island. His paternal great-grandmother, Frances Augustine Felix, was born on Cuba, to American parents, of partly French ancestry.He was considered for the role of Stanley Spadowski in 'Weird Al' Yankovic's UHF (1989), which went to Michael Richards.Has worked with Frank Welker in five films: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), The Pagemaster (1994) and In Search of Dr. Seuss (1994).Attended and graduated from the Darrow School, whose alumni include Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo, Gregory Hughes and photographer Jane Feldman.He was considered for the role of Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), which went to Jack Nicholson.He was considered for the role of the burglar Harry Lyme in Chris Columbus' Home Alone (1990), which went to Joe Pesci.He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor in Twenty Bucks (1993).Has appeared with Vincent Schiavelli in five films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Man on the Moon (1999) and Hey Arnold! The Movie (2002).