Billy Dee Williams

Billy Dee Williams (2015)

William December "Billy Dee" Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937 in New York City ) is an American actor , singer , author and painter . He was best known for his role as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars films.

Life

Billy Dee Williams has appeared as an actor since the late 1950s. Until the early 1970s, he was mainly seen in various television series and films. In the early 1970s, he starred in two major cinema productions alongside Diana Ross in the male lead. With Lady Sings the Blues (1972) and Mahogany (1975), both Oscar nominees, Williams rose to become one of the most popular African American actors of the decade.

He became internationally known with the role of Lando Calrissian in George Lucas ' successful films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983). To this day, Williams appears at Star Wars conventions and lends his voice to the character in radio plays and computer games ( Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast ) as well as in various series. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker , he was seen again in the role in 2019.

In 1989, he played district attorney Harvey Dent in Tim Burton's comic book adaptation of Batman . In the third part of the Batman series, Batman Forever , this role was later taken on by Tommy Lee Jones .

In the computer game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars , which was released on March 29, 2007 in Europe, Williams took over the role of GDI Director Redmond Boyle.

His work includes more than 140 productions. In 1972 he received the Image Award for his role in Lady Sings the Blues . In 1985 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Filmography (selection)

• 1959: The wrath of the righteous (The Last Angry Man)
• 1970: Never Again New York (The Out-of-Towners)
• 1970: Lost in the Pacific ( Lost Flight , TV movie)
• 1971: Friends to the Dead ( Brian's Song , TV movie)
• 1972: Lady Sings the Blues
• 1974: The Take
• 1975: Mahogany (Mahogany)
• 1976: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
• 1977: Scott Joplin
• 1980: The Empire Strikes Back (The Empire Strikes Back)
• 1980: Operation Eiffel Tower ( The Hostage Tower , TV movie)
• 1981: Nighthawks (Nighthawks)
• 1983: Return of the Jedi (Return of the Jedi)
• 1983: The Police Chiefs of Delano ( Chiefs , miniseries, 3 episodes)
• 1984: The Bomb is Ticking ( Time Bomb , TV movie)
• 1984: Fear City - Manhattan 2 a.m. (Fear City)
• 1984–1985: The Denver Clan ( Dynasty , TV series, 5 episodes)
• 1987: Deadly Illusion
• 1989: Batman
• 1991: Trabbi goes to Hollywood (Driving Me Crazy)
• 1992: The Jacksons - An American Dream ( The Jacksons: An American Dream , TV movie)
• 1993: Alien Intruder
• 1994: Torches in the Storm ( Heaven and Hell , TV series, 3 episodes)
• 1997: The Holy Four Kings ( Il quarto re , TV film)
• 1997: Steel Sharks - survival is their goal (Steel Sharks)
• 1998: The Contract
• 2000: The Ladies Man
• 2000–2001: Highway to Hell - 18 Wheels Of Justice ( 18 Wheels Of Justice , TV series, 25 episodes)
• 2001: The Killer Next Door
• 2002: The Last Place On Earth
• 2002: Undercover Brother
• 2004: The Wild Seventies ( That '70s Show , TV series, episode 6x14)
• 2006: Scrubs ( Scrubs , TV series, episode 5x10)
• 2007: Lost (TV series, episode 3x14)
• 2009: Fanboys
• 2010: White Collar (TV series, episode 2x13)
• 2012, 2014: Navy CIS ( NCIS , TV series, 2 episodes)
• 2013: Modern Family (TV series, episode 4x11)
• 2014: The LEGO Movie (voice)
• 2014: Glee (TV series, episode 5x19)
• 2015: Star Wars Rebels (animation series, 2 episodes)
• 2017: The LEGO Batman Movie (voice)
• 2017: Dirty Dancing (TV movie)
• 2019: Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker

Web links

Commons : Billy Dee Williams  - collection of images

• Billy Dee Williams in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ A Flip Of The Coin: Billy Dee Williams Plays Two-Face (Again) In 'The LEGO Batman Movie'! Retrieved December 3, 2019 .