Wrong Side of the River is granted its first exclusive, thanks to Glenn Withrow whose memorable portrayal of Biff Wilcox has intrigued fans of Rumble Fish.

On his fan website, you can read how he was inspired to become an actor and answers to questions about his career. Here, Glenn graciously answered a few questions for us about working specifically with Coppola, starting with The Outsiders and his work on Rumble Fish.

Had you read any of Susie Hinton's books prior to the auditions for The Outsiders?

I didn’t read any of Susie’s books before my first audition for “The Outsiders.”  I went in 7 times over the course of a year auditioning for Tim Shepard.  When the call came in from my agent she said I had to be on a plane that night for Tulsa. I read the book on the plane.


How did you get the part of Biff Wilcox, did you have to audition again or did Francis ask you to stay in Tulsa for the part?

I never had to audition again for Francis after the “Outsiders.”

What were the challenges during the action packed rumble sequence between Biff and Rusty-James as choreographed by Michael Smuin? Did you work closely with the stuntmen?

All of it was a challenge. Playing someone cranked-up. Creating the reality that I’d been pulverized. We filmed that sequence over seven days. If you break the fight into sections, we would do about a section a night, from dusk to dawn. I did work closely with the stunt coordinator – who choreographed it -  Buddy Joe Hooker.

For his films of Hinton's novels, Coppola seems to have often asked actors to dye their hair. Can you share the reasoning behind Biff being such a dramatic blonde compared to Tim Shepard as a brunette?

One of the great things about working with Francis, is if he hires you, he really trusts your instincts as an actor.  After our first read-through at Zoetrope in Los Angeles, he went around the table and asked each member of the cast to give him our impression of our character. When it was my turn, all that came to my mind was the word, FLASH, so I said that. He liked it and I took it from there. Because the film was shot in black & white, my choice was to make Biff as visually dramatic as I could. I think the platinum hair color, set against that dark underworld, worked.

Were you close friends with any of the casts in particular especially since you went on to star with Nicolas Cage in The Cotton Club and When Peggy Sue Got Married?

I’m still friends with Nick.

How did starring in these Coppola films inspire you to move forward in your career?

When you see someone like Francis work, he’s the guy to emulate, period. He inspires you to dream big. So I have. That ‘s how I built In House Media, and the acting school. As far as pursuing acting - there’s time. There are always great roles at any stage in life.

What are your thoughts as you look back on Rumble Fish now, what in your opinion makes it so special?

Obviously, the style of the film was unique. I think about some of the films Francis screened for us, for example,  “The Seventh Seal” by Ingmar Bergman. Imagine watching something like that, with a master filmmaker, explaining philosophically all the allegorical themes and contrasts of that film and how they will relate to the film we were preparing to make. Imagine Stuart Copeland playing the drums during the rehearsal period. Now imagine going to work.

I enjoy your other performances that I have seen in films such as By Dawns Early Light and Pass The Ammo, do you have a particular film that you enjoyed working on the most?

Pass the Ammo.

Glenn in more recent years

Nick and Glenn in "The Cotton Club"

Outsider Tim Shepard

Glenn on working with Francis:

"He's the guy to emulate...He inspires you to dream big."

Glenn as flash Biff in the rumble.

Glenn in "Pass The Ammo".