of stage work , as well . Reflecting on your career on the stage , do any significant highlights come to mind ?
Lloyd : In 1973 , I did a play called Kaspar for the Chelsea Theater Center at the Brooklyn Academy of Music . It was a real page-turner for me . It ’ s a truly brilliant play by Peter Handke . The role was just the right role for me at the time . It worked out very well , and it boosted my career to new heights .
Sherman : Just a few years later , you did One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest . How did you make the transition from stage to film ?
Lloyd : I was heading towards film for some time before One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest . I was spending time in New York on a regular basis to be interviewed or audition for a film , but it just wasn ’ t happening . Somehow , I wasn ’ t projecting what they were looking for . Some actors don ’ t make the bridge from theater to film or TV , and I began to think that the same might be true for me . It was then that the casting director for One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest came to New York . I went in , I auditioned , I came back a second time , and I got the part . One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest was very significant for me in terms of getting more TV and film roles .
Sherman : One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest had an amazing cast including , of course , Jack Nicholson . What was it like to be on the set of that film ?
Lloyd : Jack Nicholson was an idol of mine even before One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest for all of the work that he had done on Easy Rider , Five Easy Pieces , and The Last Detail . I just thought that he was “ it .” To be able to be on a set with him on-location for One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest and see him work and see how he worked with the cast was incredible . Most of the cast members were relatively young , inexperienced and wonderful to work with . Miloš Forman was a great director . It had a great script and great story , and the whole thing was very timely . I was a happy camper .
Sherman : After One Flew Over the Cuckoo ’ s Nest , you then famously went on to star in the television series Taxi as Reverend Jim . Were you concerned about crossing over from film into television ?
Lloyd : I wasn ’ t too worried about it . I felt that my careers in film and television complemented one another . I did have a bit of an attitude about doing “ sitcoms ” when I was still in New York . I didn ’ t really want to do one . I felt — as a New York actor — that doing a sitcom was a bit like “ selling out ” in some fashion . I talked about it with my agent , Bob Gersh , and we worked through it . He got me auditions for various sitcoms and TV series , including Taxi , and it just worked out .
Sherman : Taxi had a cast that included Judd Hirsch , Andy Kaufman , Danny DeVito , Marilu Henner , and Tony Danza , among others . You ’ ve worked with some incredible actors and created some iconic television and film characters and unforgettable moments . Among the different characters you ’ ve played , the most well-known is arguably Doc Brown from Back to the Future . What is the line most frequently quoted back to you from that film ?
Lloyd : “ Great Scott !” is probably the most frequently-quoted line . Also , “ Roads ? Where we ’ re going , we don ’ t need roads .” Those are definitely fan favorites .
Sherman : Did you find that being so well-known as Doc Brown from Back to the Future worked against you in terms of certain roles that you were hoping to pursue ?
Lloyd : I really haven ’ t found that . I ’ ve done quite a number of roles since Back to the Future . Some are independent films which maybe didn ’ t get that much visibility , but also other roles and other productions that turned out very well . I like doing character work and making each character distinctive and unique on its own . If I ’ m doing a role and I suddenly hear my voice turn into “ Doc Brown ” or “ Reverend Jim ” or any other character that I ’ ve done before , an alarm will go off in my mind , and I have to find a different way to do the same character . I don ’ t want to interpret a character in a way that reminds people of what I did before . I want to be completely different .
Sherman : What is your actual process as an actor for developing a character ?
Lloyd : I just try to find who the character is , as I ’ m reading . I go through the scenes to identify what the circumstances are that the character is living through . I then have to decide how I feel about those circumstances and how to express those feelings as an actor . I also start imagining how I should appear as the character . I think about what kind of makeup I ’ ll wear and how I ’ ll wear my hair . I think about whether or not I ’ ll have facial hair , a beard or mustache , and what kind of costuming is going to enhance the character that I ’ m working towards . As I ’ m working through all of that , I continue to work with the script until I feel that I understand every moment and how each moment is connected . That ’ s what I ’ m doing now with King Lear ; I just keep going over the script and working through it . Every time I go over it , I find another connection or additional value in the words that I haven ’ t seen before .
Sherman : I know that you have also been working on quite a few other projects , including a recent film with George Clooney and Ben Affleck . Can you tell us about that ?
Lloyd : I play the role of a grandpa , who is Ben Affleck ’ s dad . It ’ s based on a novel called The Tender Bar . It ’ s about a family in the 1950s and their interactions at the bar and all of the things that go on there . It ’ s a wonderful story . It was a pleasure to work with George Clooney , who is such a master at his craft . He does it with great aplomb . Working with Ben Affleck was great , and the film has a fantastic cast . I ’ m hopeful that people are going to enjoy it .
Sherman : I had the chance to see you at Weston Playhouse a few years back . Could you tell us a bit about your experiences in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont region ?
10 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE July 2021