Brimley did non be illustrious until he was older, & he typically plays the gruff or even stodgy husband, notably on the Eighties drama series Our House. This typecast was parodied by the satiric newspaper The Onion, with the sidebar caption reading "Shotgun Blast To Abdomen Just Pisses Wilfred (sic) Brimley Off More."

Brimley besides is easily known for the commercial message he has manufactured, including the series of commercial message he did for Quaker Oats Oatmeal. Recently, Brimley has besides processed the series of commercial message for the diabetic supply company, Liberty Medical. He is known to Star Wars fans as Noa Briqualon in George Lucas' 1985 made for TV flick, entitled Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.

Wilford Brimley has for an unknown understanding turn into the cult figure among ROM hackers. ROM hacks featuring Wilford Brimley include "Wilford Brimley Battle" (hacked version of River City Ransom), "Wilford Kong" (hacked version of Donkey Kong), "Wilford Island" (hacked version of Adventure Island) and "Super Nazi Penis Cartel Freedom Fighters 3" (hacked version of Super Mario Bros. 3). The "Robotic Wilford Brimley" likewise appeared in the cartoon strip Pokey the Penguin, in the form of a nigrify sphere.

Wilford Brimley's diabetes was parodied within Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, with Brimley locution "It hurts me to pee, and it causes me to be short with my family. I can't sleep at night. The other day, I stubbed my toe, and took it out on the dog. And two weeks ago, I ran out of vanilla ice cream and struck my wife. Then, I find out my wife's been dead for six years. Who the hell did I hit?"

Selected Filmography
Brigham City (2001) In & Out (1997) My Fellow Americans (1996) as Joe Hollis Hard Target (1993) The Firm (1993) Cocoon (1985) and Cocoon: The Return (1988) as Ben Luckett Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins... (1985) Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985) The Natural (1984) Tender Mercies (1983) The Thing (1982) as Blair Absence of Malice (1981) Brubaker (1980) The China Syndrome (1979)