Christopher Lloyd

Christopher Lloyd Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: October 22, 1938

Age: 85 years old

Birth Place: Stamford, Connecticut

Renowned character actor Christopher Lloyd won over critics and audiences alike with the wide array of quirky, off-beat characters he brought to life on the big and small screens. A former Broadway actor, Lloyd seemed to spring from nowhere to earn a number of Emmys for his role as burnt out ex-hippie Jim Ignatowski on the acclaimed sitcom "Taxi" (ABC, 1978-82; NBC, 1982-83). Of the many times he portrayed mad scientists and inventors with unkempt hair and elastic facial expressions, his biggest legacy was that of bringing to life eccentric garage tinkerer Doc Brown in the blockbuster "Back the Future" film series. Lloyd's physical plasticity supported his penchant for the offbeat, unstable, unpredictable characters he embodied so memorably. In retrospect, it would be impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting such iconic roles as Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family" film series or and the villainous Judge Doom in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988). Many actors tried their hand at playing "kooky," but Lloyd succeeded by always going beyond the half-mad stereotype to offer an appealing humanity that kept audiences laughing with his characters rather than at them.

Christopher Lloyd was born on Oct. 22, 1938, and raised in Stamford, CT, though he received a boarding school education in Massachusetts. The youngest of six children of a lawyer and a singer, Lloyd became interested in acting when he was young, and was apprenticing in Summer Stock Theater by the time he was a teenager. He moved to New York City with acting on his mind at the age of 20, studying at The Neighborhood Playhouse before toiling in relative obscurity in comedies and off-Broadway dramas for years. He reached Broadway in a 1969 production of "Red, White and Maddox," and in 1973, earned an OBIE and Drama Desk Award for his performance in "Kaspar."

This profile boost led to Lloyd's memorable screen debut as a mental patient in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), that year's Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, in which he often stole scenes from the film's star, Jack Nicholson. Fresh off his "Cuckoo" success, he began to appear in TV guest roles and returned to Broadway in 1977 with a starring role in the musical "Happy End." The following year, he landed the role of a lifetime with 'Reverend Jim' Ignatowski, the legendary drug-addled hippie holdover on the acclaimed sitcom, "Taxi," where he enriched and deepened a character who was initially a stereotypical 1960s burnout. The child-like innocence and generosity of spirit with which he imbued Ignatowski transformed a cartoonish madman into a beloved eccentric, bringing him two Emmy Awards for his efforts.

Lloyd's panache with quirky characters found a home in appropriate films like Mel Brooks' spoof "To Be or Not to Be" (1983) and the cult favorite "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (1984). The same year, he delivered a memorable turn as the treacherous Klingon Captain Kruge in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984). That pair of sci-fi titles may have inspired Lloyd's casting as an amateur inventor in Robert Zemeckis' time travel comedy "Back to the Future" (1985), where Lloyd further demonstrated his ability to humanize broad, eccentric characters. Lloyd co-starred opposite hot young TV star Michael J. Fox as the high school student's friend and mentor, Dr. Emmett Brown. The ensuing blockbuster spent over 11 weeks at no. 1 and earned over $300 million at the box office. With the widespread success of "Back to the Future," Doc Brown became a signature character, one which Lloyd reprised for a number of spin-off media forms, including an animated series and video game. He re-teamed with Zemeckis for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) where he aptly embodied the archetypal cartoon villain Judge Doom - a live-action menace to the team of hapless `toons. The following year, Lloyd took a detour into drama and delivered a nuanced portrait of a pro ball player and unscrupulous gambler in John Sayles' "Eight Men Out" (1988).

In 1989, Lloyd reprised Doc Brown in "Back to the Future Part 2" (1989), which found Doc and Marty McFly traveling to 2012 instead of the 1950s like the first film. The concurrently filmed third installment "Back to the Future Part III" was released the following year, and though audience interest dipped, the Western frontier-themed comedy still brought in over $200 million at the box office. Lloyd's resume of zanies grew with his characterization of Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family" (1991), the big screen adaptation of the 1960s TV series inspired by Charles Addams' macabre comic strips. Its 1993 sequel "Addams Family Values" turned the sweet-natured Fester into an unlikely sex object involved in a romance with Joan Cusack's sultry, scheming nanny. A guest appearance on an episode of the Disney Channel drama series "Road to Avonlea" (1990-96) earned Lloyd a third Emmy, while an outstanding performance as the well-spoken stick-up man of "Twenty Bucks" (1993) earned the actor an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. He returned to cartoonish villainy as Switchblade Sam in John Hughes' rendering of the comic strip "Dennis the Menace" (1993) and played off-kilter Al the Angel in the remake of "Angels in the Outfield" (1994), reprising the role in "The Wonderful World of Disney" sequel "Angels in the Endzone" (ABC, 1997).

In the short-lived UPN series "Deadly Games" (1995), Lloyd was well-cast as a villain in the convoluted sci-fi concept about video games come to life, and he was likewise a strong addition to the cast of the dark "Things to do in Denver When You're Dead" (1995) where he played an ex-con with a propensity for losing his digits. Lloyd voiced Rasputin in the animated hit "Anastasia" (1995) and stayed close to family fare to play a White Knight in NBC's TV movie of "Alice in Wonderland" (NBC, 1999) and yet another mad scientist in the ludicrous "Baby Geniuses" (1999). Reteaming with Forman decades after "Cuckoo," Lloyd had the unusual opportunity to play himself in "Man on the Moon" (1999) a biopic of "Taxi" co-star Andy Kaufman starring Jim Carrey. That particular film was widely praised by critics but its somber tone and enigmatic subject did not draw in large audiences.

The actor continued to appear regularly in lower-profile films, telepics and as a voiceover artist and commercial pitchman, with some of his more memorable work coming from guest stints on various television series. In 1999, he reteamed with Michael J. Fox for a "Spin City" (ABC, 1996-2002) two-parter, and he was also a welcome visitor on left-of-center comedies like "Ed" (NBC, 2000-04), "Malcolm in the Middle" (Fox, 2000-06) and "King of the Hill" (Fox, 1997-2009). In April 2002, Lloyd returned to the stage to play Carl Bolton in "Morning's at Seven" by Paul Osborn at Broadway's Lyceum Theater, and the following July, played Malvolio in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" at New York's Delacorte Theater.

After a three-episode turn on the movie spin-off series "Tremors" (Sci Fi Channel, 2003), Lloyd returned to series TV with the short-lived baseball drama "Clubhouse" (2004) where he played veteran grandfatherly coach, Lou Russo. In his first return to sitcoms since his Emmy-winning "Taxi" stint, Lloyd co-starred as an eccentric book store customer in the Pamela Anderson sitcom, "Stacked" (Fox, 2005-06) until it was unceremoniously cancelled in a year. His dramatic rumbling voice continued to be one of his most valuable assets, so he found steady work voicing animated family features like "The Tale of Despereaux" (2008), "Foodfight" (2008) and "Fly Me to the Moon" (2008).

Credits

Knuckles

Actor
Miniseries
2024

Cyberchase: Weather or Not

Voice
Hacker
Show
2023

Camp HideoutStream

Actor
Falco
Movie
2023
33%

Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose

Actor
Dr. Harry Price
Movie
2023

Self RelianceStream

Actor
Movie
2023
72%

Tankhouse

Actor
Buford
Movie
2022

Spirit Halloween: The Movie

Actor
Alex Windsor
Movie
2022

Expedition: Back to the FutureStream

Executive Producer
Series
2021

Expedition: Back to the FutureStream

Self
Series
2021

Nobody

Actor
Hutch's Father
Movie
2021

Senior Moment

Actor
Sal Spinelli
Movie
2021

Queen Bees

Actor
Arthur
Movie
2021

The Tender BarStream

Actor
Grandpa
Movie
2021
51%

Next Stop, ChristmasStream

Actor
Ticket Agent/Conductor
Movie
2021

Cyberchase: Space Waste Odyssey

Voice
The Hacker
Show
2019

Dr. Jack and Mr. Nicholson

Self
Show
2018

Big City GreensStream

Guest Voice
Santa Claus
Series
2018

James Cameron's Story of Science FictionStream

Guest
Docuseries
2018
83%

A.P. BioStream

Guest Star
Melvin
Series
2018
88%

Boundaries

Actor
Stanley
Movie
2018

Making a Killing

Actor
Lloyd Mickey
Movie
2018

ReRUN

Actor
Movie
2018

Going in Style

Actor
Milton Kupchak
Movie
2017

The Sound

Actor
Clinton Jones
Movie
2017

Musa

Actor
Bernad Rauschen
Movie
2017

The Sound

Actor
Clinton Jones
Movie
2017

50 Years of Star Trek

Self
Show
2016

Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows

Guest
Show
2016

I Am Not a Serial Killer

Actor
Crowley
Movie
2016

Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie

Actor
Doc Brown
Movie
2016

Cold Moon

Actor
James Redfield
Movie
2016

12 MonkeysStream

Guest Star
Zalmon Shaw
Series
2015
88%

Expedition UnknownStream

Actor
Reality
2015

88

Actor
Cyrus
Movie
2015

Back in Time

Self
Movie
2015

The Boat Builder

Actor
Abner
Movie
2015

Just in Time for ChristmasStream

Actor
Grandpa Bob
Movie
2015

Meteor

Actor
Show
2014

Over the Garden Wall

Voice
Woodsman
Show
2014

Over the Garden WallStream

Voice
Woodsman
Miniseries
2014

Blood Lake: Lost Footage

Actor
Show
2014

A Million Ways to Die in the WestStream

Actor
Doc Brown
Movie
2014
33%

Zodiac: Signs of the Apocalypse

Actor
Harry Setag
Movie
2014

Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys

Actor
Akerman
Movie
2014

Pirate's Code: The Adventures of Mickey Matson

Actor
Grandpa Jack
Movie
2014

The One I Wrote for You

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Pop
Movie
2014

Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Actor
Kroenig
Movie
2014

Crackanory

Narrator
Show
2013

The Michael J. Fox ShowStream

Guest Star
Principal McTavish
Series
2013
70%

Freedom Force

Voice
Professor
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2013

Jungle Master

Voice
Dr. Wells
Movie
2013

Sid the Science Kid: The Movie

Voice
Dr. Bonanodon
Movie
2013

Adventures of Serial Buddies

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Dr.Von Gearheart
Movie
2013

Les sorcières d'Oz

Actor
Show
2012

The Witches of Oz

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The Wizard of Oz
Show
2012

Last Call

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Pete
Movie
2012

Foodfight!

Voice
Mr. Clipboard
Movie
2012

The Narrative of Victor Karloch

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Victor Karloch
Movie
2012

Piranha 3DD

Actor
Mr. Goodman
Movie
2012

Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy

Actor
Grandpa Jack
Movie
2012

The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure

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Lero Sombrero
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2012

Excuse Me for Living

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Lars
Movie
2012

Delhi Safari

Voice
Air India
Movie
2012

Anything but Christmas

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Harry Brooking
Movie
2012

Dead Before Dawn

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Horus Galloway
Movie
2012

Meteor

Actor
Show
2011

Snowflake, the White Gorilla

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Dr. Archibald
Movie
2011

The Witches of Oz

Actor
The Wizard of Oz
Movie
2011

Love, Wedding, Marriage

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Dr. George
Movie
2011

In/Sight

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Shep
Movie
2011

The Chateau Meroux

Actor
Nathan
Movie
2011

R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series

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Show
2010

Raising HopeStream

Guest Star
Series
2010
96%

Piranha 3D

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Mr. Goodman
Movie
2010

Snowmen

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The Caretaker
Movie
2010

Meteor

Actor
Show
2009

Knights of Bloodsteel

Actor
Show
2009

Jack and the Beanstalk

Actor
Headmaster
Movie
2009

Call of the Wild

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'Grandpa' Bill Hale
Movie
2009

Santa BuddiesStream

Actor
Stan Cruge
Movie
2009
20%

The Macabre World of Lavender Williams

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Lester
Movie
2009

FringeStream

Guest Star
Roscoe Joyce
Series
2008
90%

Fly Me to the Moon

Voice
Grandpa
Movie
2008

The Tale of Despereaux

Voice
Hovis
Movie
2008

ChuckStream

Guest Star
Series
2007
90%

The Big Bang TheoryStream

Guest Star
Theodore
Series
2007
81%

Head Case

Guest Star
Show
2007

Flakes

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Willie
Movie
2007

The One Show

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2006

PsychStream

Guest Star
Series
2006
89%

A Perfect Day

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Michael
Movie
2006

Masters of HorrorStream

Actor
Series
2005

StackedStream

Actor
Harold March
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2005

Robot ChickenStream

Guest Voice
Series
2005

NUMB3RSStream

Guest Star
Series
2005

Here Comes Peter Cottontail: The Movie

Voice
Seymour S. Sassafras
Movie
2005

Clubhouse

Actor
Lou Russo
Series
2004

Admissions

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Stewart Worthy
Movie
2004

Buffalo Bill's Defunct: Stories From the New West

Actor
Chris
Movie
2004

NCISStream

Guest Star
Joseph "Joe" Smith
Series
2003

Perfect Crimes

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2003

CyberchaseStream

Voice
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2002

Hey Arnold! The Movie

Voice
City Coroner
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2002

The Big Time

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Doc Powers
Movie
2002

Interstate 60

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Ray
Movie
2002

The Tick

Guest Star
Mr. Fishladder
Show
2001

Law & Order: Criminal IntentStream

Guest Star
Carmine
Series
2001

Space Case

Voice
Narrator
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2001

WitStream

Actor
Dr. Harvey Kelekian
Movie
2001
83%

Kids World

Actor
Leo
Movie
2001

When Good Ghouls Go Bad

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Uncle Fred Walker
Movie
2001

Ed

Guest Star
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2000

Malcolm in the MiddleStream

Guest Star
Series
2000

Wish You Were Dead

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Bruce
Movie
2000

Chasing Destiny

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Jet James
Movie
2000

The West WingStream

Guest Star
Professor Lawrence Lessig
Series
1999
81%

Alice in Wonderland

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White Knight
Show
1999

Alice in WonderlandStream

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White Knight
Movie
1999
33%

My Favorite Martian

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Uncle Martin
Movie
1999

Baby Geniuses

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Heep
Movie
1999

It Came From the Sky

Actor
Jarvis Moody
Movie
1999

Convergence

Actor
Morley Allen
Movie
1999

Man on the MoonStream

Actor
Actor in Taxi Recreation (uncredited)
Movie
1999
64%

The Ransom of Red Chief

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Sam Howard
Movie
1998

The Animated Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Voice
Judge Thatcher
Movie
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

King of the HillStream

Guest Voice
Smitty
Series
1997

Changing Habits

Actor
Theo Teagarden
Movie
1997

Quicksilver Highway

Actor
Aaron Quicksilver
Movie
1997

Angels in the Endzone

Actor
Al
Movie
1997

The Real Blonde

Actor
Ernst
Movie
1997

AnastasiaStream

Voice
Rasputin
Movie
1997
84%

Dinner at Fred's

Actor
Dad
Movie
1997

Hey Arnold!Stream

Guest Voice
Series
1996

Spin CityStream

Guest Star
Series
1996
69%

Le Monde merveilleux de Disney

Actor
Show
1996

The Right to Remain Silent

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Johnny Benjamin
Movie
1996

Cadillac Ranch

Actor
Wood Grimes
Movie
1996

Deadly Games

Actor
Show
1995

Things to Do in Denver When You're DeadStream

Actor
Pieces
Movie
1995
37%

Rent-a-Kid

Actor
Lawrence 'Larry' Kayvey
Movie
1995

Histoires fantastiques

Actor
Show
1994

Ángeles en el Diamante

Actor
Movie
1994

Angels in the Outfield

Actor
Al the Boss Angel
Movie
1994

Camp Nowhere

Actor
Dennis Van Welker
Movie
1994

In Search of Dr. Seuss

Actor
Mr. Hunch
Movie
1994

Radioland Murders

Actor
Zoltan
Movie
1994

The Pagemaster

Actor
Mr. Dewey and The Pagemaster
Movie
1994

FrasierStream

Writer
Series
1993
95%

Fallen Angels

Actor
The Continental Op
Series
1993

Twenty Bucks

Actor
Jimmy
Movie
1993

Dennis the Menace

Actor
Switchblade Sam (Town Robber)
Movie
1993

Addams Family ValuesStream

Actor
Uncle Fester Addams
Movie
1993
75%

T Bone N Weasel

Actor
William "Weasel" Weasler
Movie
1992

Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster

Actor
Frank Iarossi
Movie
1992

Back to the Future

Voice
Show
1991

Suburban Commando

Actor
Charlie Wilcox
Movie
1991

The Addams FamilyStream

Actor
Uncle Fester/Gordon Craven
Movie
1991
67%

Why Me?

Actor
Bruno Daley
Movie
1990

Pato Aventuras la Película

Voice
Movie
1990

Back to the Future Part IIIStream

Actor
Dr. Emmett Brown
Movie
1990
80%

DuckTales, the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp

Voice
Merlock
Movie
1990

The SimpsonsStream

Guest Voice
Reverend Jim Ignatowski
Series
1989
85%

The Dream Team

Actor
Henry Sikorsky
Movie
1989

Amazing Stories: The Movie

Actor
Professor B.O. Beanes
Movie
1989

Back to the Future Part IIStream

Actor
Dr. Emmett Brown
Movie
1989
63%

RoseanneStream

Guest Star
Lou
Series
1988
76%

Track 29

Actor
Henry Henry
Movie
1988

Who Framed Roger RabbitStream

Actor
Judge Doom
Movie
1988
96%

Eight Men OutStream

Actor
Bill Burns
Movie
1988
87%

Instinto de Lobo

Actor
Movie
1987

Histoires fantastiques

Actor
Movie
1987

Walk Like a Man

Actor
Reggie Shand/Henry Shand
Movie
1987

Bialy smok

Actor
Jim Martin
Movie
1986

Tout va trop bien

Actor
Movie
1986

Miracles

Actor
Harry
Movie
1986

Amazing StoriesStream

Actor
Series
1985

Street HawkStream

Guest Star
Anthony Corrido
Series
1985

Back to the FutureStream

Actor
Dr. Emmett Brown
Movie
1985
93%

ClueStream

Actor
Professor Plum
Movie
1985
70%

The Cowboy and the Ballerina

Actor
Woody
Movie
1984

Joy of SexStream

Actor
Coach Hindenberg
Movie
1984

Star Trek III: The Search for SpockStream

Actor
Commander Kruge
Movie
1984
78%

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th DimensionStream

Actor
John Bigboote
Movie
1984
66%

September Gun

Actor
Jack Brian
Movie
1983

Mr. MomStream

Actor
Larry
Movie
1983
76%

To Be or Not to Be

Actor
Capt. Schultz
Movie
1983
55%

CheersStream

Guest Star
Phillip Semenko
Series
1982
87%

Best of the West

Guest Star
Show
1981

The Postman Always Rings TwiceStream

Actor
The Salesman
Movie
1981
79%

National Lampoon's Movie Madness

Actor
Samuel Starkman
Movie
1981

La Légende de l'homme au masque

Actor
Movie
1981

The Legend of the Lone RangerStream

Actor
Maj. Bartholomew "Butch" Cavendish
Movie
1981

Schizoid

Actor
Gilbert
Movie
1980

Stunt Seven

Actor
Skip Hartman
Movie
1979

The Lady in Red

Actor
Frognose
Movie
1979

The Onion Field

Actor
Jailhouse lawyer
Movie
1979
86%

Guns, Sin and Bathtub Gin

Actor
Frognose
Movie
1979

TaxiStream

Actor
Reverend Jim Ignatowski
Series
1978

TaxiStream

Guest Star
Reverend Jim Ignatowski
Series
1978

Goin' South

Actor
Deputy Towfield
Movie
1978

Barney MillerStream

Guest Star
Arnold Scully
Series
1975

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestStream

Actor
Taber
Movie
1975
93%

Today

Guest
News
1952

News aboutChristopher Lloyd