It has been thirty-five years since Marty McFly jumped in his time-traveling DeLorean for the first time in Back to the Future. And while Michael J. Fox was lucky enough to secure his place as the lead in the sci-fi blockbuster trilogy, many other actors didn’t quite get what they wanted, including a very young Billy Zane. At the time, Zane auditioned for the role of Biff Tannen, the sadistic bully who locks horns with Marty McFly in the first and second films. Eventually, Thomas F. Wilson landed the part. On the occasion of the Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy release, Yahoo debuted some never-seen-before footage of Zane’s audition that fans can find in the upcoming 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray set. You can check it out on their website.
RELATED: Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD Coming in October
Zane eventually landed a part in the movie as Biff’s pal Match, which was also Zane’s first cinematic role. The actor would also reprise the part in the sophomore installment of the trilogy, Back to the Future Part II.
Besides Zane, there are also plenty of Hollywood stars that attempted to land a role in Robert Zemeckis’ movie, including Ben Stiller, Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Cryer, as well as Peter DeLuise and C. Thomas Howell. Many of them agreed to make their auditions from the time public, and the footage will be available in the bonus disc of the Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy set. The collection hits stores starting today.
Would you have liked to see Billy Zane playing Biff Tannen? Or do you think that Thomas F. Wilson was perfect as the iconic bully? Let us know in the comments section below.
Recommended Reading: Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History
