In 1983, Backus was a public service announcer for
KBST. and in 2015, he was with the
San Diego Film Commission. Backus is a member of the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He became a member around 1986 assigned to visit over 170,000 students annually across eight states in the Western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Reception Phyllis Wolfe at
The Des Moines Register said his performance as
Malcolm in
Macbeth "hones his battle ax with a low, resounding ring downstage" and brought clarity to his lines. Ron Cowan at
Statesman Journal said his performance in
Moliere Plays Paris "is briefly but unforgettably seen as a king who offhandedly invents the musical comedy." Steven Winn at
SFGate said Backus' scene in
Arcadia was the best one, playing "a bored king who is both generous and high-handed." George Weinberg-Harter at
Backstage Magazine said Backus' performance as Edward Carson in
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde was the "understated seriousness of a complete legal professional." == Personal life ==