Crispin Glover, who stars as Mr. World in American Gods, is a rare talent who defies genres.
He was our beloved meek George McFly from the iconic Back to the Future series, and has now come full-circle as a terrifying soft-spoken ‘new god’ villain in Neil Gaiman and Starz’ series.
Born in New York in 1964, Crispin Hellion Glover is both an actor and director, as well as a screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author.
He found his creative refuge in a 1600s era chateau in the Czech Republic, which he bought and now lives in.
There he excels in finding the esoteric subjects he likes to explore in his films, music, and writing.
He is unquestionably anti “corporate entertainment”, a true nonconformist, which makes his off-balanced energetic approach to Mr. World a pleasure to watch.
His career path is similar to corporate-Hollywood-eschewing Viggo Mortensen, another child of the world who focuses on writing, publishing, creating music and filmmaking.
Glover’s forte is finding obscure literature and creating films and interpretive art that defies genres.
Finishing his current project, the “It” trilogy of films, touring them and putting on performances are set to be his main focus after American Gods, according to our exclusive interview with him ahead of the Starz series.
To describe Glover after interviewing him is not an easy task, as his fiercely intelligent demeanor is only equaled by his unfailing politeness.
Even in his odd 1987 “in-character” David Letterman appearance as Rubin Farr, he was nice about it all in his creative bid to promote the film River’s Edge.
Glover is probably best known for his roles in Back to the Future and Charlie’s Angels.
Nearly 20 years ago, Glover began his self-funded “It” trilogy of films, touring worldwide with the first two installments — What Is it? and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine.
Now he is finalizing the latest one, producing and directing with his father, character actor Bruce Glover.
American Gods author Neil Gaiman, who worked with Glover on the 2007 film Beowulf, hand-picked him as the precise and menacing villain Mr. World for the screen adaptation of his book.
However, in our interview, Glover admitted he had not read the novel, and decided specifically not to read it, before taking on the role.
In the series his character is an “omniscient leader” anchoring the New Gods coalition, who has his eye on Ian McShane’s Old God leader Mr. Wednesday.
The New Gods want to up-end the existence of the old-world celestials.
Tonight Shadow and Wednesday meet Mr. World for the first time — an eccentric, intense force of nature who drips in a creepy, dreadful way…
American Gods airs Sundays at 10/9c on Starz.