in Alice in Wonderland, 9, Hot Tub Time Machine

A gangly character actor known for his quirky signature look, Crispin Glover was born in New York City on April 20, 1964. While he's never been a typical leading man, Crispin Glover has distinguished himself as one of the most intriguing personalities in the movie business. His unusual characters and personal projects have inspired a cult-like following that has dubbed him both madman and genius.

When reminded by David Letterman in 1992 of his first appearance on the "Late Night with David Letterman" (1982) show, when Glover had aimed a kick at the TV host's head, Crispin replied, "What a crazy thing to do!". Glover's most defining Hollywood moment happened when he appeared as George McFly (Michael J. Fox's father) in the instant classic Back to the Future (1985).

The underdog character struck a chord with moviegoers. Oddly enough, the actor delivered one of his favorite performances around the same time - playing a small-town kid obsessed with Olivia Newton-John in the indie The Orkly Kid (1985)--but the smaller film was completely overshadowed by his commercial success. Glover did, however, receive critical praise for his next indie role, a starring turn as a high-strung murder witness in River's Edge (1986).

Glover and the producers did not come to a financial agreement for him to reprise the role of George McFly in Back to the Future Part II (1989). The producers brought the character back to life by splicing together archived footage and new scenes (using an actor in prosthetic makeup). Glover, who hadn't given permission for his likeness to be used, sued the film's producer, Steven Spielberg, and won.

The case prompted the Screen Actors Guild to devise new regulations about the use of actors' images. www.imdb.com/name/nm0000417/.

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