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Arguably, his most famous role is [[Lando Calrissian]], which he played in ''[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back|The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi|Return of the Jedi]]''; Williams had originally auditioned for the role of [[Han Solo]] during the casting of ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]''. He later reprised this role, when he lent his voice for the character in the [[2002 in video gaming|2002]] video game ''[[Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast]]'' (in which his characters signature mustache remained intact), as well as the audio dramatization of ''[[Dark Empire]]''.
Arguably, his most famous role is [[Lando Calrissian]], which he played in ''[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back|The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and ''[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi|Return of the Jedi]]''; Williams had originally auditioned for the role of [[Han Solo]] during the casting of ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]''. He later reprised this role, when he lent his voice for the character in the [[2002 in video gaming|2002]] video game ''[[Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast]]'' (in which his characters signature mustache remained intact), as well as the audio dramatization of ''[[Dark Empire]]''.


He also made several guest appearances, as himself on the TV Show "The Jefferson's."
He also made several guest appearances, as himself on the TV Show "The Jeffersons."


Williams appeared in numerous other [[film]]s, most recently lending his voice to ''[[Oedipus (movie)|Oedipus]]'' ([[2004 in film|2004]]). One of his most notable roles was in [[1989 in film|1989's]] ''[[Batman (1989 movie)|Batman]]'' as [[district attorney]] Harvey Dent. Williams originally took the role believing that it would land him in a sequel playing the [[supervillain]] [[Two-Face]] and arranged a [[pay or play contract]] in preparation for the role. However, the studio decided to pay the penalty fee instead when the time came for the third installment, ''[[Batman Forever]]'' in order cast to [[Tommy Lee Jones]] for the role.
Williams appeared in numerous other [[film]]s, most recently lending his voice to ''[[Oedipus (movie)|Oedipus]]'' ([[2004 in film|2004]]). One of his most notable roles was in [[1989 in film|1989's]] ''[[Batman (1989 movie)|Batman]]'' as [[district attorney]] Harvey Dent. Williams originally took the role believing that it would land him in a sequel playing the [[supervillain]] [[Two-Face]] and arranged a [[pay or play contract]] in preparation for the role. However, the studio decided to pay the penalty fee instead when the time came for the third installment, ''[[Batman Forever]]'' in order cast to [[Tommy Lee Jones]] for the role.

Revision as of 21:08, 1 November 2007

Billy Dee Williams
File:Harvdent.jpg
Harvey Dent in Batman (1989), played by Billy Dee Williams.
Born
William December Williams, Jr.
Years active1959 - present

Billy Dee Williams (born April 6, 1937) is an American actor who for a period in the 1970s rivaled Sidney Poitier as the most popular black actor in American film[citation needed].

Biography

Early life

Williams was born William December Williams, Jr. in New York City, New York to William December Williams, Sr. a Texas-born janitor, and Loretta, a West Indian-born elevator operator.[1][2] He has a sister, Loretta, and grew up in Harlem, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother while his parents worked at several jobs. Williams graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts.

Career

His first big break was in the acclaimed television movie, Brian's Song in which he played Gale Sayers. His next hit came in 1972 when he played Billie Holliday's husband Louis McKay in Motown Productions' Holliday biopic Lady Sings the Blues. Diana Ross starred in Lady Sings the Blues opposite Williams; Motown paired the two of them again three years later in Mahogany.

Arguably, his most famous role is Lando Calrissian, which he played in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi; Williams had originally auditioned for the role of Han Solo during the casting of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. He later reprised this role, when he lent his voice for the character in the 2002 video game Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (in which his characters signature mustache remained intact), as well as the audio dramatization of Dark Empire.

He also made several guest appearances, as himself on the TV Show "The Jeffersons."

Williams appeared in numerous other films, most recently lending his voice to Oedipus (2004). One of his most notable roles was in 1989's Batman as district attorney Harvey Dent. Williams originally took the role believing that it would land him in a sequel playing the supervillain Two-Face and arranged a pay or play contract in preparation for the role. However, the studio decided to pay the penalty fee instead when the time came for the third installment, Batman Forever in order cast to Tommy Lee Jones for the role.

William's television work included a recurring guest-starring role on the short-lived show Gideon's Crossing. He has had a brief cameo in the hit TV show Scrubs season 5, where he plays the godfather of Julie (Mandy Moore). He is also well-known for his appearance in advertisements for Colt 45, a low-cost brand of malt liquor, for which he received much criticism. Williams responded indifferently to the criticism of his appearances in the liquor commercials. When questioned about his appearances he was quoted as saying, "I drink, you drink. Hell, if marijuana was legal, I'd appear in a commercial for it."

He also plays a live action character, GDI Director Redmond Boyle, in the video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, making him the second former Star Wars actor to appear in a Command and Conquer game, with the first being James Earl Jones as GDI General James Solomon in Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. Williams portrayed Pastor Dan in an episode of That 70's Show. In this episode entitled "Baby Don't You Do It" (2004) his character is obsessed with "Star Wars", and uses this to help counsel Eric and Donna about their premarital relationship.

Williams made a cameo appearance as himself on the TV series Lost in the episode "Exposé".

He later met and married Maura James, a noted author of mysteries and children's book. The couple met while he was on location filming "Shorter Rain" in Tuscany, Italy in 1982. Though they are separated now, the two remain "the warmest of friends".

In a pun from the television series Family Guy (episode 86 "Road to Rupert"), Peter turns over his pillow to the "cool side" on which Williams' face appears and talks to him.

Williams also appears regularly on short clips on the Jimmy Kimmel Live as a semi-parody of himself.

He played Toussaint Dubois for General Hospital: Night Shift in 2007.

Filmography

Books

  • PSI/Net (1999), ISBN 978-0-312-86766-9
  • JUST/In Time (2001), ISBN 978-0-8125-7240-7
  • Twilight: A Novel (2002), ISBN 978-0-312-87909-9

Video Games

References

  1. ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/79/Billy-Dee-Williams.html
  2. ^ http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/BillyDeeWilliams.html
  • Nishikawa, Kinohi. "Billy Dee Williams." The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Literature. Ed. Hans Ostrom and J. David Macey, Jr. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2005. 1742-43.
Preceded by
None
 Actors to portray Harvey Dent/Two-Face
1989-1995 		Succeeded by
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