If you’ve ever seen a guy on the street and felt the sudden, inexplicable urge to shout "Buttheaad!" at him, you’re probably a Back to the Future fan. And the guy you're thinking of is Tom Wilson. He played Biff Tannen, the quintessential 1980s bully who ended up covered in manure more times than any self-respecting actor should. But while Biff was a loud-mouthed jerk who couldn’t take a hint, the man behind the sneer, Thomas F. Wilson, is basically the polar opposite. He’s a painter, a musician, a deeply religious guy, and—most shockingly for Hollywood—he’s been married to the same woman since the Reagan administration.
Thomas F Wilson wife, Caroline Thomas, is the woman who has been by his side through the whirlwind of sudden 80s superstardom, the years of typecasting, and his eventual pivot into a successful career as a voice actor and fine artist.
The Wedding That Happened Right Under Our Noses
Most people don't realize that 1985 wasn't just the year Back to the Future changed cinema history. It was the year Tom and Caroline officially tied the knot. Specifically, they got married on July 6, 1985.
Think about that timeline for a second. The movie premiered on July 3, 1985. Literally three days later, the guy playing the world's most famous bully was standing at an altar saying "I do." While the rest of the world was busy obsessing over Marty McFly and Flux Capacitors, Tom was starting a life with Caroline. Honestly, the fact that they’ve stayed together for over four decades is more impressive than any box office record.
Caroline Thomas wasn't some starlet looking for a red carpet plus-one. In fact, back in the day, she worked in the defense industry at Hughes Aircraft. Talk about a power couple—one person is pretending to be a hoverboard-riding villain, and the other is dealing with high-level aerospace tech.
👉 See also: Why Taylor Swift People Mag Covers Actually Define Her Career Eras
Living a Private Life in a Very Loud Town
You don’t see Tom and Caroline in the tabloids. They aren’t "unpacked" in gossip columns or spotted in "who wore it better" segments. That’s entirely by design. They live in Los Angeles, but they’ve managed to create a sort of protective bubble around their family.
They have four kids:
- Anna May
- Emily
- Gracie
- Tommy
There’s a hilarious story Tom tells about filming Back to the Future Part II. Because he was playing the "Old Biff" version of himself, he’d spend hours in heavy prosthetic makeup. His eldest daughter got so used to seeing him as a hunched-over, cranky old man that she’d get confused when he came home looking like his normal, younger self. That’s the kind of childhood you only get when your dad is a character actor.
Faith, Art, and Taking Out the Trash
One of the reasons this marriage has lasted is likely their shared foundation. Tom is a devout Catholic. He even released a Contemporary Christian album back in 2000 called In the Name of the Father. When he’s not acting or doing stand-up, he’s a legit painter—his "Pop Fugue" collection is actually quite famous in the art world.
✨ Don't miss: Does Emmanuel Macron Have Children? The Real Story of the French President’s Family Life
He once said something that really puts his fame in perspective. He mentioned that even though people see him as a "legend" or a "pop icon," at the end of the day, he’s just a guy who goes home, takes out the trash, and has dinner with his wife.
That groundedness is rare. Usually, when someone gets a role as big as Biff, the ego takes over. But with Caroline there since before he was a household name, it seems like she’s been the anchor that kept him from floating off into the "do you know who I am?" stratosphere.
What Most People Get Wrong About Celebrity Spouses
People often assume that to be a "celebrity wife," you have to be part of the industry. Caroline proves that’s just not true. By maintaining her own identity and staying out of the spotlight, she’s helped maintain a sense of normalcy for their four children.
They’ve navigated the "Biff" phenomenon together. If you've ever seen Tom's "Question Song" (the one where he answers all the repetitive Back to the Future questions through a song), you know he gets asked the same things thousands of times. Caroline has been there for every single one of those fan encounters. She’s seen the "Biff" postcard he hands out to fans. She’s been the one standing there while a stranger asks her husband for the 500th time if the manure was real. (Spoilers: It was actually peat moss and carpet padding).
🔗 Read more: Judge Dana and Keith Cutler: What Most People Get Wrong About TV’s Favorite Legal Couple
Actionable Insights for Fans and Families
So, what can we actually learn from the enduring marriage of Thomas F. Wilson and Caroline Thomas? It’s not just "celebrity trivia."
- Prioritize the Private Over the Public: They chose to raise their kids away from the paparazzi. You don’t need to share every anniversary post to have a successful relationship.
- Find a Shared Foundation: Whether it's faith, a hobby, or just a similar sense of humor about the absurdity of Hollywood, having a core "thing" helps.
- Longevity Requires Adaptation: Tom went from a physical actor to a voice actor to a painter. Caroline supported those pivots.
- Humor is Mandatory: If you’re married to a guy who played Griff Tannen, you’ve gotta be able to laugh at the weirdness of life.
If you’re looking to follow Tom’s journey more closely, he’s actually super active on YouTube and social media, where he shares his art and stories from his life. He isn't just "that guy from the 80s"—he’s a working artist who clearly values his family above his filmography.
To see more of the man behind the bully, check out his official website or his YouTube channel, where he often posts vlogs about his painting process. It’s a great way to see the human side of a guy we all grew up "hating" on screen.
Next Steps: You can dive deeper into Tom's world by checking out his "Pop Fugue" art series online. It's a fascinating look at how he processed his fame through oil paints and canvas.