Biff Howard Tannen is a fictional character in the Back to the Future trilogy. Thomas F. Wilson plays Biff in all three films as well as the Universal Studios ride, and voiced the character in the. Biff is the main antagonist of the first and second films. Biff's great-grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, fills a similar role in the third. The character is portrayed as a towering, violent and aggressive sinister bully who obtains what he wants by intimidating others into doing his work for him, or by cheating. He and his family members are shown to misuse idioms in a way that makes them appear stupid and pathetic despite their intention to insult or scare. His favorite insult is "butthead".
Biff was born in Hill Valley, California. He is the great-grandson of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, son of Irving “Kid” Tannen and grandfather of Griff Tannen. Rather than studying in high school, he prefers to bully George McFly into doing his homework for him while he drinks and hangs out with his friends. Feared by most of his schoolmates, he is less brave without his gang. The only person at HillValley High school that Biff is afraid of is Mr. Strickland. He has been living with his grandmother, Gertrude Tannen, at 1809 Mason Street for some time by November 1955. In 1955, Biff was often seen driving his black 1946 Ford Deluxe convertible around Hill Valley.
Relationships
In 1955, Biff had a crush on Lorraine Baines who does not return the sentiments. In the original 1985, Biff's marital status is unknown as no mention of a wife was ever made in the trilogy. However, the alternate 1985 reveals that Lorraine, widowed after the murder of George McFly, ended up marrying Biff so her children could live a better life.
Children
By 2015, Biff has a teenage grandson, Griff, suggesting that Biff had at least one child by 1985. The animated series reveals that Biff has a son, Biff Jr.
Character creation
The character is named for studio executiveNed Tanen following an incident years earlier where Tanen reacted aggressively to a script being pitched by the film's writers Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis. Tanen accused the two of attempting to produce an antisemitic work with their 1978 filmI WannaHold Your Hand. Drafts of Back to the Future show the character with the middle initial of "H", but this detail was omitted in further revisions. As the films' important October 2015 date approached, commentators began noting the similarities between the older version of the character and then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump. When the comparison was brought to Gale's attention in an interview, he stated that elements of Tannen's personality were actually based on Trump who was already well known in the late 1980s for real estate and tabloid controversies.
