Thomas F. Wilson

Tom: [On his Back to the Future character, Biff Tannen] People love the character because ultimately Biff is a failure. Biff doesn't win in the end, which is why people like him. He's this horrible guy throughout the movie, but you can be pretty confidant that he's going to get slugged in the head and be unconscious at the end.

David Letterman: (After Tom does a sarcastic imitation of previous guest Arnold Schwarzenegger and his over the top praise of the movie "Total Recall") You are a very very brave man. This Back to the Future III better be the runaway blockbuster hit of the year.

Tom: Philadelphia is the home of the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, hoagies, cheesesteaks, TastyKakes, water ice, and …well…me.

Tom: The first night I ever went to the Improv and try to perform was a very long time ago. The comedian Rich Hall was a friend of mine, and Rich tried to introduce me to Budd Friedman, the owner of the place. I stuck out my hand to shake his – "Nice to meet you, Mr. Friedman,' I said, all smiley and gentlemanly. "Get out of the way," he replied, walking past me toward the showroom.

Tom: I've been to Ohio many times, but for some reason I've always stayed near the border in Cleveland, Cincinatti, or Steubenville, but this time I gritted my teeth and said… "I'm goin' in."

Tom: Most people look at me and say "Hey, you look like that dude in Back In The Future! What was his name…Butt?" And I say "Biff," and they say "Right! Biff!" and I say "I am the guy," and they say "No, you're not."

Tom: It seems that there are two, only two "Tom Wilsons" in the country. I am one of them. The cartoonist who draws the "Ziggy" comic is the other. I have received many, many requests for autographs from people who just love Ziggy, and who've sent me books, mugs, notecards and comics ripped out of the paper to sign. Well, for a long time I signed every one, filling the country with Ziggy comics autographed by me. But I don't even do that anymore.

Tom: Look, if a kid comes up to me with a piece of paper, of course I sign it. I just can't keep throwing stamped manila envelopes into the maw of the pop cultural beast.

Tom: The internet has done many things for humanity, but it's also created large databases where people download lists of "nice celebrities" who'll send you an autograph if you ask them. I've done thousands of them, for many, many years, but the numbers of requests have become a mountain that I can no longer climb. I don't have a large staff to take care of them, and I don't want to be phony and send off fake signatures, so I've had to stop.

Tom: It was a lot of fun to act in a big western like Back To The Future III, where I got to ride horses and learn to rope and quick draw a gun, but I was very pleased and proud to act in the movie Andersonville, since it's a part of my family's history, and it meant a lot to my Dad.

Tom: I was featured in the commercial that introduced biscuits at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I played a construction worker. Basically, without me there wouldn't be biscuits at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Tom: As a teenager, I acted in high school, and then in summer stock Shakespeare plays, and experimental theatre. When I lived in New York, and jobs as an actor were scarce, I put together a stand up comedy act and began getting stage time at east coast comedy clubs. I moved to L.A. and became a regular at The Comedy Store and The Improv, and before long was acting in commercials and T.V. shows. In 1985 I was cast in Back To The Future, and was a pop-cultural icon before I knew it.

Tom: I take great pride in my life-threatening fist fights with both Batman and Superman. And a whole lot of other cartoons. I'm too lazy to list them.

Tom: I've done many voices on SpongeBob: Flats, the flounder, Reg, the bouncer at The Salty Spitoon, Patrick's real dad and fake dad, the Tattletale Strangler, and Victor, the bane of every bubble blowing baby in the bar, among others.

Tom: I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa., and consider myself an "east coast" guy, but I've lived in California for so long that I own a surfboard and occasionally even use the term "dude."