Biff Tannen
USABiography of Biff Tannen
Biff Howard Tannen is a fictional character portrayed by Thomas Wilson in the "Back to the Future" film series. Biff Tannen is known for his portrayal of a bully and troublemaker. He is a lively character, combining aggressiveness with cowardice, and his love for using vulgar language adds to his portrayal as a dimwitted hooligan.
Born on March 26, 1937, in Hill Valley, California, Biff Tannen shares his notorious character traits with his great-grandfather, Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen. Biff is characterized by his extremely unpleasant personality, always achieving his goals through violence or deception. One of his victims is George McFly, the future father of the trilogy's main character, Marty McFly. Biff openly referred to Lorraine Baines, Marty's future mother, as his girlfriend, although this was far from the truth.
Little is known about Biff's life before 1955. By November 1955, he lived with his grandmother, Gertrude Tannen, and there is no information regarding his parents in the film. In the animated series, Biff's father is referred to as Sergeant Frank Tannen, and in the video game "Back to the Future: The Game," he is referred to as Kid Tannen.
Biff managed to get through his studies by having George McFly do most of his homework. It appears that Biff repeated a year in school, which is why he was in the same class as George and Lorraine, despite being a year older. In the original timeline, Biff continued to torment George after school and eventually became his boss. Biff's love for Lorraine remained unrequited, as she ended up marrying George.
However, Marty's first time travel adventure in 1955 changed the future and put his own existence at risk. Marty not only disrupted his parents' relationship, but he also confronted Biff twice. The first confrontation resulted in a citywide chase, where Marty managed to escape Biff and orchestrated a collision between Biff's car and a manure truck. The second conflict between Marty and Biff almost ended in a much worse situation, with Biff nearly assaulting Lorraine. Fortunately, George McFly intervened and won Lorraine's heart by standing up to Biff. This victory altered the future for both George and Biff. In the new 1985, George became a successful writer, and Biff, inspired by the car repair he had to do after the truck collision, became subservient to George.
However, Biff Tannen sought revenge after receiving a sports almanac from his future self in 2015. The older Biff traveled back to 1955 and gave the almanac to his younger self, allowing him to become incredibly wealthy by betting on sporting events. This altered the timeline, turning Hill Valley into a crime-infested city. Biff's actions also affected the larger scale of history, as Richard Nixon remained the president until at least 1985, and the Vietnam War was still ongoing in May 1983.
Despite his wealth, Biff couldn't solve his personal problems, as his beloved Lorraine continued to elude him. It is suggested that Biff had affairs with Marilyn Monroe and possibly Jayne Mansfield. On March 15, 1973, Biff cold-bloodedly killed his old rival George McFly, who opposed his "Biffco" company. Biff not only got away with the crime but also managed to marry Lorraine, who was left as a widow with three children and unable to support herself.
In 2015, Biff warned his younger self about the dangers of being questioned about the almanac by "a kid or a crazy scientist." He was ready to eliminate the inquisitive Marty, but Doc Brown intervened and saved Marty's life. Another time travel journey was necessary to steal the almanac from young Biff, ensuring the timeline was restored.
The events of the third film could no longer change Biff Tannen's fate, although his distant ancestor made life considerably more difficult for the heroes.
