Al White

Al White, most often recognized for his work in "Back to the Future Part II" and "Airplane!" was born in Houston, but his family moved to San Francisco when he was two. White was working as a janitor at Golden Gate Park when he decided to take an acting course at the local YMCA. The class led to work with local theatre groups, and by 1976, White was sent to the Soviet Union with the American Conservatory Theater as part of the bicentennial cultural exchange. White honed his craft performing in numerous ACT productions, and originated the role of Lee in August Wilson's "Two Trains Running." The same year as his Russian tour, White made his television debut in ACT's television adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." He went on to appear in a number of popular television programs including: the classic sitcom "The Jeffersons," the crime drama "T. J. Hooker" and the cop drama "NYPD Blue." However, he is best known for his part in the comedy classic "Airplane! ." Credited as "Second Jive Dude," White was half of the riotously humorous satirical pairing, opposite Norman Alexander Gibbs. The recurring joke is that the two speak in lingo so hip they can't be understood by the baffled white flight attendants. White has said that out of the 70+ roles he's played in television and film, his favorite is his jive talker.