Billy Dee Williams

Billy Dee Williams was born April 6, 1937 in New York City, New York.  Williams' father was from Texas and his mother was West Indian.  He was raised in Harlem with his twin sister Loretta. While his parents juggled many jobs his maternal grandmother helped to bring up young William and his sister.  At 7 Williams first appeared on Broadway in the musical The Firebrand of Florence 1945.  He attended Booker T. Washington Junior High School at 108th and Columbus (Thanks to Pat, NHA.n is the first to know this info!) where he had dreams of becoming a painter, he then attended New York's High School of Music and Art and the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design.  Williams, at 19 won the prestigious Guggenheim and Hallgarten Awards.  In his pursuit of studying the arts he learned about the Stanislavsky method of natural acting through Sidney Poitier and Paul Mann at the Actors Workshop in Harlem.  Williams saw acting as a way to earn needed money for art supplies, but by the early 60's he found that all of his energy and time was devoted to acting.  His first film work was in 1959 in The Last Angry Man and in one of his first stage performances A Taste of Honey 1960 (which won the New York Drama Critic's 1961 Award for best foreign play.

He had two marriages first to Audrey Sellers and then to Marlene Clark both of which ended in divorce.  In 1964 he went into a bit of a depression but made a wonderful reappearance in the 1970 film Brian's Song playing Gale Sayers, this performance was Emmy nominated.  That success brought a seven year contract with Motown's Berry Gordy and he co-starred with Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues in 1972, his break-through role, and Mahogany in 1975.

The 80's brought him a whole new audience with his portrayal of Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and on TV's Dynasty.

Williams was inducted into the Black Filmmaker's Hall of Fame in 1984 and in 1985 was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Williams has always had a fascination with psychic phenomena and psychic readings.  He has even teamed up with author Rob MacGregor to write PSI/Net 1999, Just In Time 2000 and Twilight 2001.  

Williams is an accomplished artist, art which he deems Impressions/Expressions and Abstract Reality.  He opened his own gallery, displaying his own paintings, serigraphs, lithos and other people's work in 'Billy Dee Williams' World Gallery' .   

He was given the OK by Lucas to sell lithographs of a montage he painted of Lando Calrissian.  His works hang throughout galleries around the world.

 

 

Film

One Night in Newport~2008 - narrator

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa~2006 - narrator

Hood of Horror~2006 - Pastor Charlie

Barry Munday~2006 - 

Constellation~2005 - Helms Boxer 

Oedipus~2004 (voice) - Bartender

Undercover Brother~2002 - General Boutwell

Last Place On Earth, The~2002 - Dr. Davis

Star Wars vs. Star Trek~ 2001 - interviewee

Good Neighbor~2001

Very Heavy Love~2001 - Dante Brown

Last Place On Earth, The~2000 - Dr Davis

Ladies Man, The~2000 - Lester the bartender

Visit, The~2000 - Henry Waters (see Actor Connections - Film)

Fear Runs Silent~1999 - Sheriff Hammond

Contract, The~1998 - Senator Harmon

Woo~1998 (uncredited) - Himself

Mask of Death~1996 - Agent Jeffries

Moving Target~1996 - Detective Don Racine

Prince, The~1996 - Jamie Hicks

Steel Sharks~1996 - Admiral Perry

Driving Me Crazy~1992 - Max

Giant Steps~1992 - Slate Thompson

Secret Agent 00 Soul~1990 - Secret Agent Zero

Batman~1989 - Harvey Dent, Gotham District Attorney (see Actor Connections - Film)

Deadly Illustion~1987 - Hamberger

Number One with a Bullet~1987 - Hazeltine

Fear City~1984 - Wheeler

Time Bomb1984 - Wes Tanner

Marvin and Tige~1983 - Richard Davis

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi~1983 - Lando Calrissian

Nighthawks~1981 - Matthew Fox

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back~1980 - Lando Calrissian

Scott Joplin~1977 - Scott Joplin

Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, The~1976 - Bingo Long (see Actor Connections - Film)

Mahogany~1975 - Brian

Take, The~1974 - Sneed

Hit!~1973 - Nick Allen

Final Comedown, The~1972 - Johnny Johnson

Lady Sings the Blues~1972 - Louis McKay

Out-of-Towners, The~1970 - Man in 'Lost Property' Office, Clifford Robinson

Last Angry Man, The~1959 - Josh

 

TV

General Hospital: Night Shift~2007 - Toussaint

Lost~2004 - Mr. LaShade in Exposi (#3.14) 3/28/07 (see Actor Connections - TV)

Jimmy Kimmel Live~2003 - Himself in a parody of recent LOST episodes October 2006 (Thanks to Grant Gould for pointing me in the direction of the videos!)

Weekends at the DL~2005 - God in Arianna Huffington/Bryan Cranston/Nick Cannon (#1.16) 9/17/05

Merry F#%$in' Christmas~2005 - Himself singing with other guests...the Bare Naked Ladies' version of Jingle Bells 11/27/05

AFI Tribute to George Lucas~2005 - Himself

Clubhouse~2004 - Billy Beaumont in Seems Like Old Timers (#1.10) 2004

Half & Half~2002 - Otis "Omar Funk" Wright in The Big Fetish What You Started Episode (#2.22) 5/10/04

Beavis and Butt-head's Decade of Power~2005 - Host as himself in a mock infomercial.

Epoch: Evolution~2003 - Ferguson

That '70s Show~1998 - Pastor Dan in Baby Don't You Do It (#6.14) 3/3/04

Street Time~2002 - Charles White in 

    Pack of Rats (#2.7) 9/17/03

    Born to Kill (#2.6) 9/10/03

SportsCentury~2001 - Interviewee in Brian Piccolo 11/2/01

Big Breakfast (Ch 4 UK) - Guest/himself  Also partaking in a game show on the program, 'Star Bores' see TV2 references  under Big Breakfast.

18 Wheels of Justice~2000 - Burton Hardesty in Slight of Mind (# 2.14) 4/3/01 (see Actor Connections - TV)

2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, The~2001  - himself

It's Black Entertainment~2000  - Himself

Gideon's Crossing~2000 - Clark Boies in Others, The (#1.16) and in Prodigal Dad (#1.15) 2/23-3/5/2001 and in Filaments & Ligatures (# 1.18) 3/19/01

18 Wheels of Justice~2000  series - Burton Hardesty

Code Name: Eternity~1999  series - Dr Graham

Hughleys, The~1998 - Jerry Rose in Roots: Part 2 (#2.8) 11/12/99

Promised Land~1996 - Lennie Trebant in Dark Visible (#3.21) 5/13/99

Hard Time~1998  - Leo Barker

Quarto re, II~1996  - Gasparre

Triplecross~1995  - Oscar Pierce

Falling for You~1995  - Lieutenant Frank Lazaro

Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III~1994  mini-series - Francis Cardozo

Message from Nam~1993  - Felix

Percy & Thunder~1993  - Ralph Tate

Marked for Murder~1993  - Captain Jack Reilly

Martin~1992 - Himself in Break Up: Part 3 (#1.21) 1993

Different World, A~1987 - Langston Page in College Kid (#6.24) 1993

Jacksons: An American Dream, The~1992  - Berry Gordy

Lonesome Dove: The Series~1992  series - Aaron Grayson

In Living Color~1990 - Himself

Dangerous Passion~1990  - Lou

227~1985 -  Billy Dee Hasbro in  Play It Again, Stan (# 4.11) 1/14/89

Return of Desperado, The~1988  - Daniel Lancaster

227~1985 -  Himself in  Washington Affair (# 2.3) 11/1/86

Oceans of Fire~1986  - Jim McKinley

Right of the People, The~1986  - Mike Trainor

Courage~1986  - Bobby Jay

Double Dare~1985  series - Billy Diamond

Impostor, The~1984  - Matthew Raines

Dynasty~1981  series - Brady Lloyd (1984-1985)

Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever~1983  - Himself

Shooting Stars~1983  - Douglas Hawk

Chiefs~1983  mini-series - Tyler Watts (aka Willie Cole)

Children of Divorce~1980  - Walter Williams

Hostage Tower, The~1980   - Clarence Whitlock

Christmas Lilies of the Field~1979  - Homer Smith

Jeffersons, The~1975 - Himself in Me and Billy Dee (#5.11) 11/4/78

Glass House, The~1972  - Lennox Beach (see Actor Connections - TV)

Brian's Song~1971  - Gale Sayers

Mission: Impossible~1966 - Hank Benton in Miracle, The (#6.6) 10/23/71

FBI, The~1965 - in Architect, The (#6.143) 10/11/70

Carter's Army~1969  - Lewis

Lost Flight~1969  -

New People, The~1969 - Heath in Prisoner of Bomano, The (#1/14) 12/29/69

FBI,The~1965 in Sanctuary, The (#5.123) 11/16/69 and Eye of the Storm (#4.102) 1/5/69

Coronet Blue~1967 - The Second Technician in Six Months to Mars (#1.5) 7/3/67

Nurses, The~1965 - in Witnesses, The (#3.28) 4/27/65

Defenders, The~1961 - in Survival (#3.22) 3/14/64

Guiding Light, The~1952  series - Dr Jim Frazier (#1) 1966

 

Writer

Jeffersons, The~1975 - 'Some Enchanted Evening'

 

Commercials

Colt 45~1980's - himself

 

Theater

Mambo Kings~2005 - withdrawing due to hip difficulties.

Fences~1988 - (Broadway)

A Taste of Honey~1960

Firebrand and Florence~1945 (he was 7)

 

Live Appearances

20th Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition~2006 - Host

19th Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition~2005 - Host 9/18-19/05

 

Radio

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back -  Radio Dramas NPR~1983 - Lando Calrissian

 

Video Games

Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars~2006 - GDI Director Redmond Boyle (screenshot from trailer)

Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast~2002 (voice) - Lando Calrissian

 

Music Videos

'Voices that Care' - sang in the choir

Montell Jordan's 'When You Get Home'

Temptations' 'I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now'

 

Awards, Honors and Nominations

Black Filmmaker's Hall of Fame:

Inducted 1984

Black Reel Awards:

Nom 2002 Theatrical - Best Supporting Actor for The Visit

Emmy Awards:

Nom 1971 Best Actor in a  - Drama for Brian's Song

Guggenheim and Hallgarten Awards:

Rec'd 1956 for fine art

Hollywood Walk of Fame:

Rec'd Star 1985

Independent Spirit Award:

Nom 2001 Best Supporting Male for The Visit

Multicultural Motion Picture Association (Diversity Awards):

Rec'd 2000-2001? Lifetime Achievement Honor 

NAACP Awards (Image):

Rec'd 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award for an individual who has made numerous contributions to the entertainment industry.

Nom  2001 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture The Visit

 

Books

PSI/Net~1999  (with Rob MacGregor)

Just In Time~2000 (with Rob MacGregor)

Twilight~2001 (with Elizabeth Atkins Bowman)

 

Audio Books

Star Wars: Dark Empire~1997 - voice of Lando Calrissian

Shooting Stars~1988 - voice

 

Miscellany

Owns his own art gallery

 

 

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