Crispin Glover facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crispin Glover
Glover in 2010
Born	Crispin Hellion Glover (1964-04-20) April 20, 1964 (age 61) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1978–present
Parent(s)	Bruce Glover (father)

Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and artist. He is known for playing unusual and memorable characters in movies. His big break came when he played George McFly in Back to the Future (1985). After that, he starred as Layne in River's Edge (1986).

In the 1990s, Glover took on smaller but important roles. These included Cousin Del in Wild at Heart (1990) and Andy Warhol in The Doors (1991). He also played Bobby McBurney in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).

Starting in the 2000s, Glover appeared in more well-known films. He played the Thin Man in Charlie's Angels (2000) and its sequel. He also played the main character in Willard (2003). Later, he was Grendel in Beowulf (2007). In 2010, he played The Knave of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. From 2017 to 2021, he starred as Mr. World in the TV show American Gods.

In the late 1980s, Glover started his own company, Volcanic Eruptions. This company publishes his books, like Rat Catching (1988). It also produces the films he directs, such as What Is It? (2005) and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007). These films are usually shown during special tours where Glover meets with the audience.

Early life and education

Crispin Glover was born in New York City. When he was five, his family moved to Los Angeles. His father, Bruce Glover, is an actor. His mother, Marion Elizabeth Lillian Betty Krachey, was an actress and dancer. She stopped acting when Crispin was born.

His parents named him after a famous speech from William Shakespeare's play Henry V. His middle name, "Hellion," was a name his father used to use. Glover's family background includes English, Czech, Swedish, and German roots. As a child, he went to the Mirman School. He later attended Venice High and Beverly Hills High School, graduating in 1982.

Career in acting

Glover at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.

Glover began acting professionally at age 13. His first role was Friedrich von Trapp in a play called The Sound of Music. As a teenager, he appeared in TV shows like Happy Days and Family Ties. His first movie role was in My Tutor (1983). He also appeared in Teachers and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (both 1984).

His most famous early role was George McFly in Back to the Future (1985). This movie was a huge success worldwide. Interestingly, he played the father of Marty McFly, even though he was three years younger than Michael J. Fox, who played Marty. During filming, Glover had some disagreements about the movie's ending. He felt it focused too much on money. Because of these disagreements and a pay dispute, Glover did not return for the Back to the Future sequels. Another actor, Jeffrey Weissman, took over his role.

After Back to the Future, Glover looked for movies that made people think. He wanted films that matched his own interests. This led him to star as Layne in River's Edge (1986). He also worked with directors he admired, like David Lynch on Wild at Heart (1990). He was the first actor to play Andy Warhol in a major film, The Doors (1991).

In the 2000s, Glover started choosing acting roles to help fund his own films. This led him to appear in more mainstream movies. He played the Thin Man in Charlie's Angels and its 2003 sequel. He convinced the filmmakers to remove his character's speaking lines. He felt this made the character more mysterious. He then played the main character in Willard (2003). This was his first time playing the hero in a big studio movie.

Glover also appeared in Beowulf (2007) as the creature Grendel. He played the part using performance capture technology. This was his first time working with director Robert Zemeckis since Back to the Future. In 2010, Glover played Ilosovic Stayne, the Knave of Hearts, in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. He also played Phil, a bellhop, in Hot Tub Time Machine.

From 2017 to 2021, Glover had his first regular TV role as Mr. World in American Gods. He continued to act in films like We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018). In 2022, he appeared in the Netflix horror show Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. He played the title character in the episode "Pickman's Model."

Filmmaking career

Glover in 2008

Glover directed his first film, What Is It?, in 2005. This was a dream-like film. It featured actors with Down syndrome. He sees it as the first part of a series he calls the "It?" trilogy. The film was shown at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It cost about $150,000 to make. It took almost ten years to finish, even though it was first planned as a short film. Most of the main filming was done in 12 days over two and a half years.

Glover's second film, It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine., is the second part of the "It?" trilogy. It was written by Steven C. Stewart, who had severe cerebral palsy. The film tells a fantasy story about life from Stewart's point of view. Glover used money he earned from acting in films like Charlie's Angels to pay for this movie. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Glover usually shows his films during live performances. He travels to theaters around the world for these screenings. His films have won awards from festivals like the Ann Arbor Film Festival. In 2013, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City honored his directing work. They showed all his films and held live performances.

Glover has finished filming his third movie as a director. He made this film so he and his father, Bruce Glover, could act together. He filmed it at his property in the Czech Republic. This film is not part of the "It?" trilogy.

He looks up to directors like Luis Buñuel, Stanley Kubrick, and Werner Herzog. Glover has talked about how these directors influenced his film What Is It?.

Books and writing

Glover says he has published between 15 and 20 books. His books, like Oak-Mot and Rat Catching, are a big part of his live show called Big Slide Show. In this show, he reads from his books. He also projects art from the books behind him.

He creates his books by using old novels and other publications. These books are old enough that anyone can use them freely. For example, Rat Catching was made from an 1896 book called Studies in the Art of Rat Catching. He changes the text, blacks out parts, and adds his own writing and pictures. This creates a completely new story. Six of his books have been published for sale through his company, Volcanic Eruptions.

Here are some of his published books:

• Billow and the Rock (1983)
• Rat Catching (1988)
• Oak-Mot (1989)
• Concrete Inspection (1990)
• What it is, and How it is Done (1992)
• Round My House (2016)

He also wrote a short essay for a book called Apocalypse Culture II in 2000.

Music projects

In 1989, Glover released a music album called The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution, The Solution Equals Let It Be. It included his own songs, like "Clowny Clown Clown." He also sang unusual versions of other artists' songs. The album's notes include pages from his art books. He also directed a music video for "Clowny Clown Clown."

Glover recorded a version of the Michael Jackson song "Ben" for his 2003 film Willard. In the music video for the song, directed by Glover, he sings to a rat named Ben.

Some artists have recorded songs named after Crispin Glover. These include the band Scarling. and musician Wesley Willis.

Personal life and home

Glover has homes in Los Angeles, New York City, and the Czech Republic. His home in the Czech Republic is a 17th-century chateau called Zámek Konárovice. It is about 45 minutes east of Prague. This property is recognized as historically important by the Czech government. It needs constant care and repair. Glover says it is a "lifetime project" that will always be changing.

Glover is single and does not have children. He has said that his busy career makes him feel he cannot be the kind of father he believes children deserve.

Famous TV appearance

Glover appeared on Late Night with David Letterman on July 28, 1987. He was there to promote his film River's Edge. He surprised everyone by wearing platform shoes and a wig. During the interview, Glover acted very strangely. He almost kicked Letterman in the face. Letterman then left the set briefly.

Later, a film called Rubin & Ed came out, where Glover played the main character, Rubin Farr. Some people wondered if Glover was acting as Rubin Farr during his TV appearance. Glover has never fully explained his behavior on the show. He says he is happy that fans still talk about it years later.

Lawsuit over Back to the Future Part II

In Back to the Future Part II, the filmmakers used short clips of Glover from the first movie. They combined these old clips with new footage of another actor, Jeffrey Weissman. Weissman wore makeup to look like Glover. They also filmed him in ways that made it hard to see his face clearly. This made it seem like Glover himself was in the movie.

Glover sued the producers because they used his image without his permission. He also said they did not pay him for using the old footage. The case was settled out of court. Glover reportedly received $760,000. Because of this lawsuit, new rules were added to the Screen Actors Guild agreements. These rules say that filmmakers cannot use these methods to make it look like an actor is in a film if they are not. This lawsuit helped create important protections for actors' rights to their own image.

Filmography

Film roles

Television roles

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Crispin Glover para niños