You may remember Tom Wilson as jackass Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future movies. But these days, the actor and comedian spends a great deal of time strumming a guitar and telling stories onstage. “It’s an autobiographical act, so I don’t go way out on tangents,” he says. It’s also a familiar routine to anyone who’s caught his performances over the past few years. Still, fans will pick up some new jokes here and there. “It’s sort of like I’ve built a big house,” says Wilson. “I make additions and I remodel the kitchen, but it’s the same basic house.”
Wilson still appears in movies and on TV. In addition to voice-over work for SpongeBob SquarePants, he plays a recurring role on Ghost Whisperer. He also was coach Ben Fredricks on the beloved cult-show Freaks and Geeks. “It never ceases to amaze me that a show that did, like, 18 episodes generates so much recognition,” he says. “Now people yell ‘Coach Fredricks!’ at the airport, rather than ‘Hey, butthead!’”
Thu., May 17, 8 p.m.; May 18-19, 7:30 & 10:15 p.m.; Sun., May 20, 7:30 p.m.
This article appears in May 16-22, 2007.