Character actors are the spine of the leisure trade. In a constellation of Hollywood stars, they’re the unassuming comets that add a contact of eccentricity or relatable normalcy to our favourite exhibits. Biff Wiff was amongst these acquainted faces the place of us do not all the time know the names to match, and he performed every little position with pleasure. Born in Chicago in 1948, the beloved actor, who all the time most popular this stage title, sadly handed away on February 12, 2025, aged 76, following a prolonged most cancers battle.
Even when transient, his moments on display screen carried a lived-in, comforting high quality. Together with his bushy beard and mild demeanor, Wiff rapidly grew to become an actor that viewers simply acknowledged. He wasn’t a family title as such, though his presence was felt. Wiff represented the custom of hard-working character actors whose contributions elevate storytelling by way of small however important roles.
Biff Wiff Was a Late Bloomer on Tv
Wiff all the time led a creative life however didn’t launch his on-screen profession till he was 38. In 1986, he secured a small however completely fashioned position in The New Gidget, a comedy concerning the lifetime of Francine ‘Gidget’ Griffin (Caryn Richman), and within the early phases of his performing journey, he appeared in different exhibits reminiscent of Moonlighting, Life Goes On, and L.A. Regulation.
As a flexible character actor, Wiff maintained a buoyant and likable presence within the trade, engaged on extremely in style collection like Roseanne, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Fairly Little Liars, It is All the time Sunny in Philadelphia, Brooklyn 9-9, and extra. Extra not too long ago, Wiff popped up on FXX’s comedy present Dave, a have a look at Lil Dicky navigating life as an aspiring rapper. He had a four-episode run on Evening Court docket, and performed Steve in Jury Responsibility. Wiff’s skill to be a well-recognized face but capable of mix into any narrative made him a widely known face for viewers at dwelling.
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Persistence Was a Advantage for Biff Wiff
As Biff Wiff grew older and his beard grew longer, his roles garnered increasingly consideration. A breakthrough got here when he joined Tim Robinson’s absurd second season of I Assume You Ought to Depart. Within the sketch “Detective Crashmore,” Wiff performed Santa Claus, who was additionally in an motion film, delivering profanity-laden one-liners with a deadpan demeanor. His dedication to the absurdity of the half rapidly elevated the sketch to a fan favourite, together with his weathered, bearded look and contours like “unprofessional bullshit.” The character’s blunt press interviews, the place he admits he is solely in it for the cash as a result of “every little thing has sucked these days,” confirmed Wiff may grasp comedic timing, which contributed to the present’s signature fashion.
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Constructing on this success, Wiff returned to the present in season three for “Darmore Doggy Door,” and likewise dropped at life the well-known “Shirt Brothers” episode. Wiff had a longtime persona and will introduce new absurdist components. Each ITYSL sketches pulled him out of the background and into the forefront. From years of apply, his open strategy to the fabric’s weird logic demonstrated why administrators valued his work and he gained broad viewers recognition. Robinson stated of Wiff’s passing, “Biff was a tremendous individual inside and outside, and his loving vitality could possibly be felt by all. We’re sending our heartfelt sympathies to his household & family members at the moment.”
Biff Wiff Was Every part, In every single place (All at As soon as)
In 2022, Wiff accomplished a modest position within the multiverse-spanning Every part In every single place All at As soon as, portraying a buyer on the laundromat. The film’s director, Daniel Kwan, shared, “Biff was a passionate, beautiful, hardworking collaborator. It was a deal with to have him with us for our complete laundromat portion of the movie, which audiences know is the center of our film.” In 2024’s Self Reliance, Wiff starred reverse Jake Johnson within the position together with his most screentime; he was heartfelt and hilarious as an unhoused man who Johnson befriends. Watch MovieWeb’s interview with the 2 males on the backside of this text.
An excellent casting group will acknowledge an interesting display screen presence and a superb director can see the place that presence will slot properly into the completed product. Wiff was a devoted contributor to leisure who proved performers can shine at any stage of life. Biff Wiff’s story is an inspiration for working actors who pursue their dream with dedication, no matter fame or recognition, and shall be remembered fondly. Watch our interview with him and Jake Johnson beneath: