My experience with Thomas F. Wilson!
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stevenackerman69 — 16 years ago(November 16, 2009 03:34 PM)
Each celebrity handles things differently. I have a friend who had a nasty experience with Robert Goulet. He was getting an autograph from him after seeing him La Cage Aux Folles and he mentions Fantasticks that Goulet did on tour and Goulet really ripped into him cursing, "Why the beep are you bringing that up?" Look if Goulet didn't like it, he could've been tactful about it. But he was a nasty drunk.
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scorpion04 — 15 years ago(September 01, 2010 01:20 PM)
This is long overdue, but I needed to add my two cents on this. I have seen Tom Wilson's show twice (about a year apart) and he was about the most gracious person you'd ever want to meet. My four kids are such big fans of BTTF that I brought them back the next day after the first time I saw him (they were not old enough to get into the show)and we waited outside the venue - he looked like he was in a rush on the way in but when he saw my kids, he stopped cold and spent 15 minutes with them, joking and doing all the "Biff" stuff with them. Then, a full year later when he was back in town, I saw him after the show and he remembered me and asked me how my kids were doing. This is a very nice and good man and meeting him and having my kids meet him has dramatically enhanced my already pro5b4found love of the BTTF franchise. I completely understand his desire to not be stereotyped to the Biff role forever like Adam West and Batman, because he has a tremendous amount of talent and can act in diverse roles and wants to have his own identity, but to the poster who said Tom almost ruined BTTF, that is RIDICULOUS - long before I ever met him, I would have said that, like the other key members of the cast, BTTF was PERFECTLY cast and having anyone else in any of the key roles would have made it just another movie rather than one of the all-time greats that it is - in fact, Tom's roles in BTTF II and III, in my opinion, largely carried those movies to make BTTF a worthy overall trilogy.
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franscutchy — 15 years ago(September 03, 2010 06:16 PM)
That's a great story. I agree, Tom is an all around great guy. For the record, I was disapp5b4ointed at the time that he doesn't sign stuff, BUT this is no way ruined Back to the Future for me. He's a great guy and his choice is his choice. He gave me 2 hugs and took a picture with me; the next time I see him, I'll have him sign the picture and display it proudly at my job.
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minority-2 — 15 years ago(September 18, 2010 09:17 PM)
I couldn't possibly agree more. Tom especially makes BTTF 3 what it is. When I was a kid, I thought Mad Dog was played by a completely different actor until I compared the credits on my VHS tapes way back when. It blew my mind that it was the same guy. There isn't a single person alive that could've done the Tannen roles better.
I wish I could meet the guy in person or see his stand up. He's a phenomenal actor that never ultimately got his dues. Personally, I can't stand it when fans pigeonhole somebody famous they meet because of a single moment they had with them in that person's enti2000re life. It's ridiculous, and beyond unfair. But whaddya gonna do -
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Thats_A_Print — 14 years ago(May 26, 2011 08:06 PM)
Tom wasn't very nice to me I was really disappointed when I met him after his show. I will never go to his show again. Don't know why he puts down Back to the Future? It was the only role people know him for. No one I know can tell me who Tom Wilson is until I tell them Biff and no one can tell me of another role he played. He has a bigger ego than his career. Maybe if he had treated his fans better he would have been in more demand for bigger roles after BTTF.
Tom Wilson just lost a fan yesterday!
End of line. -
cyberdynesystems101 — 14 years ago(June 04, 2011 08:51 PM)
Don't know why he puts down Back to the Future?
He doesn't put down Back to the Future, he just doesn't want everyone to solely remember him in that role. He wants to remember for his newer things like his art and comedy. On his site he says that's trying to distant himself from the past and concentrate on his current endeavors. One of my friends has an art teacher who use to draw Spawn comics and he anytime they ask him to draw it he says pretty much the same thing.
It was the only role people know him for.
That's not really a good thing.
I an't afraid of no ghosts! -
Thats_A_Print — 14 years ago(June 27, 2011 11:13 PM)
Poor comparison with the guy drawing Spawn characters to getting and autograph. Thats like asking an accountant to do my taxed when I meet him at a comedy club. An autograph is not a comic strip drawing.
Tom is fooling himself that if he ignores his past with BTTF people will notice his new work. its backwards. if he rides the coat tale of BTTF then people will notice his new work.
How many times does Christopher Lloyd get asked to immitate Jim from Taxi?.. it was his start but he has done so much since but everytime Christopher gets asked to do Jim he does it. He knows how to cultivate and sustain his fans. Tom has his head up is a$$.
I went to the BTTF movie over a year ago. The entire cinema clapped for all the well known actors. When Tom WIlsons name came in the beginning credits only one guy clapped for him out of a sold out theater of 500 peopleNO ONE knows who the heck Tom Wilson is. He needs to wake up to that.
End of line. -
DorsiaRes — 14 years ago(July 16, 2011 09:33 AM)
i had a slightly similar experience. saw his stand up in portland, oregon last night and it was hilarious. he was selling dvds after the show, my friend and i got a picture taken with him. i was trying to tell him a story about my dad getting the griff costume after BTTF 2 wrapped and his hoverboard, but he cut me off after the first sentence and said the same thing "yeah? cool" you could tell he was not interested! i do understand though that there was a lobby full of people waiting to meet him, and he had to go on stage again that night but still made me feel bad! i am glad he at least took a picture with me.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284534_10150237155825980_561405979_7805403_3610639_n.jpg -
franscutchy — 14 years ago(July 17, 2011 09:39 AM)
That's a cool picture
I have to say, Tom's a nice guy, but he doesn't make any sense. It's like he's in some kind of "limbo". He mentions Biff in his act right off the bat BUT he won't sign BTTF stuff or listen to fans' stories about it. He wants to be a standup comedian.
HOWEVER, he's not putting hims1c84elf out there or selling himself as a standup comedian! Standup is a very big field and when you think of standup, you think of Dane Cook, Dimitri Martin and other guys.
On his youtube his latest video is him performing on a cruise ship. He steps out to his MASSIVE audience that packed the house. They're cheering and applauding. Question: is that crowd really there just to hear him tell jokes? Or, is that crowd there because they want to see Biff in person?
My point. nobody knows who "Tom Wilson" is. You have to say "Biff" for people to know who he is. I agree with everyone else here on the board. he should embrace what made him famous and people will appreciate and respect his other talents. -
ZFPeterson — 14 years ago(October 05, 2011 03:08 AM)
Clearly, I am the only person who would greet the guy and talk to him about Wing Commander. Perhaps not being another boring BTTF fan asking him the same questions would engraciate him towards me.
I like to think actors like to be asked about their less well known works, because it's something a bit different for them. God knows, I get irritated having to tell the same anecdote to three or four different groups of people in the pub or at work, when they ask me about a holiday or some such.
And it's not like Wing Commander is some forgotten one off for him - he was in three games (Wing Commander III, IV and Prophecy) and 13 episodes of the cartoon series, Wing Commander Academy. That's got to be close to his Back to the Future screen time.
