Back To The Future Actor Thomas F. Wilson Didn't Want To Play A Bully, Doesn't Even Like Saying 'Ass'

If you were trying to pick the greatest bully in movie history, I don't think you'd get very much pushback if you said that it was Biff Tannen from the Back To The Future franchise.

However, the actor who played that iconic role — Thomas F. Wilson — says that he never wanted to play a bully in the first place.

Wilson posted an hour-long documentary to his YouTube channel called "Humbly Super Famous" and in it, he talked a little bit about his most famous role.

"I'm gonna kick your ass," Wilsons said, showing that he does indeed still have his bully-playing fastball whether he likes it or not. From there Wilson launched into a monologue…

…or is it a soliloquy? I mix those up.

"It had to be my approach. It had to be. I don't even like to say 'ass,' I say 'a-double-scribble.'"

"A-double-scribble?" As far as four-letter words go, "ass" is entry-level. It's not even four letters. 

"The role was for a bully. I'd never played a bully before. I didn't want to play the role of a bully. I've been pushed around by bullies my whole life."

Michel J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, and Tom Wilson speak during the ‘Back to the Future’ reunion at MegaCon Orlando 2024. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

According to People, Wilson is a Philadelphia native, and he said that in his youth he had more than his share of run-ins with bullies. He talked about one occasion where he got punched by a bully who wanted his bike.

"I watched Columbo and Starsky & Hutch; when you get punched in the face, you get knocked unconscious. Turns out, you just cry and have an asthma attack and give the kid your bike," Wilson said.

As you might expect, that soured Wilson on bullies.

"I hate bullies," he said before showing a level of compassion that was not found in several generations of Tannens. "Jesus wants me to love everyone. Everyone is my brother, my sister. My parents, they taught me to approach everyone with compassion. Smile on your brother. Everyone get together, try to love one another right now. I hate bullies."

Man… he seemed like a natural. Apparently, he wasn't, just one  ̶h̶e̶l̶l̶ heck of an actor.

Hearing this makes Wilson's performance — which was obviously great — even more impressive.