christopher lloyd
actor
Profile on Christopher Lloyd as “King Lear” in King Lear.
Iconic onscreen and onstage actor Christopher Lloyd has been busy. This spring he will star in the thriller, Nobody, alongside Bob Odenkirk. Lloyd is also set to appear in the coming-of-age drama, The Tender Bar, directed by George Clooney and starring Ben Affleck.
Yet, he isn’t too busy to play one of his dream roles. This summer Lloyd will be the lead in Shakespeare & Company’s production of King Lear at The New Spruce Theatre from July 2nd through August 28th. This will be the premiere performance in the intimately bucolic outdoor venue, and it will be filmed for livestreaming. The production was schedule for last summer, but was postponed due to COVID-19.
“It’s the ultimate part, and a huge challenge. The play features some of Shakespeare’s greatest dramatic writing,” Lloyd says. “It’s like a plate of all the ingredients you might enjoy from one of his works.”
Lloyd is no stranger to Shakespeare or the King Lear saga for that matter. After studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, he appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and in three King Lear productions, though never cast as “King Lear.” “Early on, I found I had a feel for Shakespeare. I liked the drama and the depth of the roles,” he explains.
After formative theater work, Lloyd went onto establishing himself as a versatile theater, film, and television actor in a bevy of beloved roles, including era-defining roles as “Dr. Emmett ‘Doc’ Brown” in the Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990); and as “Reverend Jim Ignatowski” in the comedic series Taxi (1978–1983) for which he earned two Emmy Awards. Most recently, Lloyd has been enjoying voicing the playful monster “Hacker” on the hit PBS kids animated show, Cyberchase. In 1992, he won an Emmy for his guest appearance as “Alistair Dimple” in Road to Avonlea. Lloyd has also won an Independent Spirit Award, and he has been nominated for two Saturn Awards and a BIFA Award.
The road to King Lear began when Christopher met Allyn Burrows, Shakespeare & Company’s artistic director in New York City a few years back. “I always wanted to do the role, but I wanted to be sure wherever I did it was a special place. When I met Allyn, I felt like we were on the same page, and I asked him about doing King Lear in the Berkshires. He didn’t hesitate in saying yes,” Lloyd recalls.
In preparing for the role, Lloyd says he initially toyed with reviewing the lineage of King Lear in film. “I ended up feeling viewing what others had done before wouldn’t be a substitute for exploring what I need to bring to the role on my own,” Lloyd shares. While immersing himself in King Lear, Lloyd sympathized with Lear’s struggles with mortality. “The issue of a man growing old and trying to wrap things up while facing death is universal,” Lloyd shares. “I have to deal with the fact that my time is limited—I didn’t think about life that way years ago.”
Another consideration Lloyd had to contend with was the famous storm in the production. Since, he will be performing the role outdoors without electric lights and sound effects, he will have to address those central dramatic moments through other means. “We will do our performance in somewhat the same way as Shakespeare was performed in his day. Back then you had to act it; they found a way to conjure the storm, the lightening, and the rain in broad daylight,” Lloyd says. He continues: “Of course, the storm happens in Lear’s head and others are affected by it.”
King Lear was scheduled to debut last year but was canceled due to the pandemic, giving Lloyd more time to explore the role. “I spent every day working on every aspect of the role,” he says of the extra time. He concludes: “I probably won’t sleep the night of the first performance. It’s unbelievable to get to do this play. I am looking forward to it, and I am looking forward to seeing how the production evolves.”