Thomas F. Wilson played one of the most recognizable villains in film history, Biff Tannen, in the "Back to the Future" series. So, understandably, he gets recognized wherever he goes for the iconic role.
The attention must be nice, but it has to get exhausting answering the same questions day in and day out about the films. So Wilson created a card that he carries with him to hand out to people that answers all the questions he gets asked on a daily basis.
The FAQ page provides the inside scoop on hoverboards, manure, and even the word "butthead." It also addresses Wilson's feelings about his co-stars from the film. Evidently, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are "nice."
Here's what the card says.
"I'm Tom Wilson. I was in all three 'Back To The Future' movies. Michael J. Fox is nice. I'm not in close contact with him. Christopher Lloyd is nice. He is a very shy man. Crispin Glover is unusual, but not as unusual as he sometimes presents himself. We got along nicely. Lea Thompson is nice. Eric Stoltz originally played Marty, but was fired due to performance issues.
The first movie was shot in 1984 and '85. The sequels were shot 'back to back,' never before attempted by a movie studio. The hoverboards didn't really fly, we were hanging by wires from a crane. The manure was made of peat moss, cork, dirt, and a food agent that made it sticky. The Delorean was an inferior automobile, and nearly impossible for a person of normal size like myself to enter and exit.
There are many tiny plot points hidden in the movies, but I don't know what they are. Among many improvisations of the set, I coined the term 'butthead,' as well as 'Make like a tree, and get out of here.' The third movie was my favorite, since I got to learn western skills like riding, roping, quick draw, and shooting a six-shooter, a great adventure for a guy from Philadelphia.
I hold my co-workers in the best light, but have no idea what any of them are doing right now. Steven Spielberg was the executive producer of the movie, but Robert Zemeckis directed it. Nobody had any idea that the movies would become a cultural touchstone, but the themes of friendship and adventure moved the audience so powerfully that I felt the need to create this postcard as a time-saver. It was the first movie I ever acted in, if you don't count being killed in the Kung-Fu movie 'Ninja Turf.'
Love is more important than material possessions. I made less money than you think. I don't talk about the movies much because I'm busy with standup comedy and music performances. Those performances aren't near the magnitude of the movies, but I find them enjoyable and satisfying, so that's the area of my concentration.
I've performed on 'The Tonight Show' with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, but not at the same time. I'm pleased and proud of my acting credits, listed at imdb.com. I'm a painter as well. You can contact me at www.tomwilsonusa.com. Thank you and God bless you."
Wilson also wrote a hilarious song that deals with the same questions.
Biff's Question Song (Stand-up Comedy)www.youtube.com
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Researchers in Australia believe they've discovered something that could be a flying leap forward in the battle against Parkinson's disease:
Photo by Jens Maus/Wikimedia Commons.
The breakthrough? A way to detect the disease using a simple blood test.
Photo by PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay.
If they're right, this would be a big bleeping deal.
According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, currently there is no uniform method of testing for the condition. Prospective patients are observed by a neurologist for symptoms that indicate brain cell loss has already begun.
A blood test, like the one developed by the La Trobe University team, could detect the disease before symptoms show up, allowing patients to start treatment before they suffer too much irreversible damage.
How does the test work?
Photo by JPC24M/Flickr.
Science.
No, seriously. How does it work?
The research team discovered that Parkinson's causes cell mitochondria — which the faint, half-remembered voice of your ninth-grade biology teacher is currently reminding you is the "power plant of the cell" — to become hyperactive.
The test scans for byproducts of the abnormally behaving mitochondria.
As always, there's still lots more work to do.
Speaking to The Guardian, lead researcher Paul Fisher said his team didn't have the financial resources to study whether the hyperactive mitochondria detected by the test are entirely specific to Parkinson's or also occur in others with similar neurological conditions.
They've also run only one trial to date.
But it's the kind of discovery that provides a lot of hope to a lot of people.
Actor Michael J. Fox's foundation provided funding for the research that led to the discovery of the test. Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images.
In addition to the estimated 500,000 to 1 million people with Parkinson's in the U.S. (about 60,000 new Parkinson's patients are diagnosed annually) and the 7 million to 10 million with it worldwide, there are also millions more people whose family history puts them at a greater risk to develop it.
Early detection might be the key to helping them live longer, healthier lives.
Actor and longtime anti-Parkinson's advocate Michael J. Fox's foundation provided funding for the research, once again proving that when you give money to science, science gives you back something awesome.
No flying cars yet.
GIF from "Back to the Future"/Universal.
But I'll take showing a debilitating disease who's boss any day of the week.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't