Back To The Future Star Talks about His Career
"Great Scott!" Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd made an appearance on Friday at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts to treat his adoring fans to a screening and Q & A of his famous film, "Back to the Future."
Lloyd decided to ride the seemingly endless wave of interest from one generation to the next by continuing to keep the love alive for the film.
If it hadn't of been for his agent setting him up with an audition for another cult classic, "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest (1975)," Lloyd might not be where he is today. That was the film where he was discovered and rocketed to stardom.
"I liked the idea that Jack Nicholson was the lead, he's one of my idol's," Lloyd said.
Lloyd played quirky, highly eccentric characters in these two films, as well as the TV show "Taxi."
"Luckily, I wasn't typecast and have acted on projects over the course of my career that were for 'normal' roles," Lloyd said.
He won an Emmy Award in 1982 and '83 for Oustanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the show "Taxi."
In Back to the Future, in which he was nominated for the Saturn Award, the 79-year-old Lloyd formed one of the greatest duos in film history with his co-star Michael J. Fox. They had a special chemistry on and off the set. It was fortunate for Lloyd, when actor Eric Stoltz, who was originally cast to play the part of Marty McFly, was replaced by Fox six weeks into filming.
"Stoltz, although a good actor, was too much of a method trained actor," Lloyd said. "The role needed comedy and Michael was perfect for the part." Fox was working on the TV show "Family Ties" at the time.
When Lloyd was asked who his favorite leading lady was that he worked with in all his films to date, he jokingly said the voluptuous toon Jessica Rabbit from the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," also directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg.
Lloyd is a survivor, not only in the entertainment business, but also during the recent fires in Santa Barbara. His home in Montecito had a very close call with the raging fires, causing him and his wife to move out temporarily. Luckily, his home was also bypassed by the floods that destroyed many homes in the area.
When I asked him if he had any plans on retiring, he said he plans to continue acting indefinitely. He currently joined the cast of a new comedy pilot called "Guess Who Died" by 95-year-old Norman Lear, which is now in development at NBC. This is after Lloyd recently appeared on "The Big Bang Theory," "12 Monkeys," and starred in the horror film "I Am Not A Serial Killer." This would be his first series regular role since 2005.
Out of the three Back to the Future films, he chose the third installment as his favorite. Lloyd is a big fan of the Westerns and the wild, wild west.
Let's hope for a Part IIII sometime in the near 'future.'
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