- To prepare for the role of Taber in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), he resided in a mental institution for several weeks and studied the patients. He modeled his character after one of the patients and stayed in character throughout the filming, even when not on screen.
- For his brief 1985 scenes in Back to the Future (1985), he wore prosthetic make-up to appear 30 years older than in his 1955 scenes, which dominate the film. In the sequels, the 1985 Doc Brown has more scenes. To avoid having to put him through extensive make-up every morning, writers Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale came up with the idea of Doc Brown visiting a rejuvenation clinic in the future, which results in his face looking much younger.
- A devoted bicyclist, he once rode through Italy, pedaling from Milan to Venice, over the Dolomites, along the Amalfi coast and to Naples.
- As a young actor, he performed at the Yale Repertory Theater with Meryl Streep.
- In Man on the Moon (1999), he appears as himself reprising his old role of Rev. Jim Ignatowski in scenes from Taxi (1978), 20 years after the sitcom had aired.
- Has appeared in over 200 plays, including many on Broadway, in regional and summer-stock productions.
- Attended and graduated from Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut (1958).
- Attended the prestigious Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts.
- At age 19, he moved to Manhattan and began studying with acting teacher Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
- His Taxi (1978) character, Rev. Jim Ignatowski, was a huge fan of Star Trek (1966). Lloyd went onto play Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).
- In a scene in Back to the Future (1985), his character Dr. Emmett L. "Doc" Brown, hangs on the arm of a large clock. This mimics a stunt done by Harold Lloyd (no relation) in Safety Last! (1923).
- Younger brother of Sam Lloyd Sr..
- Grew up in Fairfield County's New Canaan, Connecticut.
- Is the youngest of seven children of Ruth (Lapham) and Samuel R. Lloyd. Many of his family lines are Colonial American (English), with deep roots in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. His paternal great-grandmother, Francis Augustine Felix, was born on Cuba, to American parents, of partly French ancestry.
- Attended and graduated from the Darrow School, whose alumni include Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo, Gregory Hughes and photographer Jane Feldman.
- His maternal grandfather, Lewis Henry Lapham (1858-1934), was an entrepreneur who made a fortune consolidating smaller business in the leather industry. He was also one of the founders of Texaco Oil Company.
- His maternal uncle, Roger Dearborn Lapham (1883-1966), was chairman of the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company (mid-1920s). He also served as the 32nd mayor of San Francisco from 1944 - 1948.
- In a June 2009 interview, he said that the role of Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) was one of his favorite roles. He compared Kruge to his role of Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), both being overly evil characters he considered "fun to play".
- During the making of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), he did not completely understand using communicators to send messages. He would often shout his lines into the air rather than speak into his communicator. He was ordered several times not to shout at the sky.
- During the making of the black comedy mystery Clue (1985), Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull, Michael McKean and Lee Ving would often spend time on the Billiard Room set playing pool. Eileen Brennan also occasionally stopped by to watch and cheer everybody on.
- He was the visual inspiration for Gru, the main character of Despicable Me (2010) and its sequels, after he played Fester Addams in The Addams Family (1991). He was 72 years old at that point. He also was the visual inspiration of Dru, Gru's long-stranded brother, in Despicable Me 3 (2017), after he played Fester Addams again in Addams Family Values (1993).
- Has worked with Peter Weller in the cult movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984). Both stars appeared in the very popular Star Trek series. Lloyd appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Weller appeared in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
- Has appeared with Danny DeVito in three films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Goin' South (1978) and Man on the Moon (1999); and Mary Steenburgen in three films: Goin' South (1978), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Wish You Were Dead (2001).
- Has appeared with Anjelica Huston in five films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), The Cowboy and the Ballerina (1984), The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).
- He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant": One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Back to the Future (1985) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
- Has admitted to not getting along initially with Michael J. Fox who replaced Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future (1985) as Marty McFly. After shooting for many weeks with Stoltz when producer Bob Gale and director Robert Zemeckis announced Stoltz was to be fired and replaced with Fox, Lloyd admitted he was the only one to object to the decision as opposed to Thomas F. Wilson, who did not get along with Stoltz on account of his extreme method acting. While the filmmakers and Wilson welcomed Fox with open arms to the set, Lloyd remained aloof and distant from Fox initially not wanting to reshoot most of the scenes and feeling Stoltz was fine as Marty. However, after enough time filming with Fox, Lloyd warmed up to him knowing he had a special chemistry with Fox that could not be replaced. Naturally, Lloyd later acknowledged he was wrong and Fox was the best choice for Marty and working on three films, they became close friends and remain so to the present day. Lloyd admits his stubbornness and resistance to Fox initially was a huge mistake and he has continued to be a very loyal friend to Fox and has supported him through his battle with Parkinson's disease, which Fox was diagnosed with shortly after the filming of Back to the Future Part III (1990) has finished.
- His former house in Montecito, California was destroyed in the Tea Fire of November 2008.
- He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor in Twenty Bucks (1993).
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