American actor Crispin Glover, son of actor and drama coach Bruce Glover, debuted on-stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles at age 14 in The Sound of Music. He made his feature-film debut four years later in My Tutor (1982). Glover is known for his peculiar acting style that includes nearly whispered speech punctuated by small karate-like gesticulations. His breakthrough came in the role of the wimpy, nerdy father, George McFly, in Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future (1985), after which he landed increasingly important roles. Glover's reputation as an eccentric was partly borne out of his personal editing and republishing of books such as Rat Catching (a modernized version of a 100-year-old text to which he added new pictures of mutilated rats) and the equally strange Concrete Inspection. But despite his disturbing eccentricities, Glover has been considered by some to be one of the more original and intense actors of his generation.
Crispin Glover
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Biography by AllMovie
Movie Highlights
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Factsheet
- Attended the Mirman School for Academically Gifted Children for nine years.
- At 14, appeared opposite Florence Henderson in a stage version of The Sound of Music.
- Challenged David Letterman to an arm-wrestling match in a notorious 1987 appearance on Late Night With David Letterman, then did a karate kick close to the host's head.
- Recorded the whimsical album The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution. The Solution = Let It Be in 1989.
- Made his directorial debut with What Is It?, a 2005 art film featuring a cast mainly comprised of actors with Down syndrome.
- Has published multiple books through his publishing/production company Volcanic Eruptions. The works spawned Crispin Hellion Glover's Big Slide Show, a live show in which he performs excerpts from his heavily illustrated books.