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Billy Dee Williams

Billy Dee Williams

Acting

Born April 6, 1937, New York City, New York, USA

William December "Billy Dee" Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American actor, artist, and singer. He is best known as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise, first in the early 1980s, and nearly forty years later in The Rise of Skywalker (2019), marking one of the longest intervals between onscreen portrayals of a character by the same actor in American film history. He made his film debut in 1959 in The Last Angry Man starring Paul Muni, in which he portrayed a juvenile delinquent. His first big break was in the acclaimed television movie, Brian's Song in which he played Gale Sayers. In 1972 he played Billie Holliday's husband Louis McKay in Motown Productions' Holiday 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. His work has earned him numerous awards and honors including three NAACP Image Awards, and the NAACP Lifetime Achievement award. He was inducted into the Black Filmmaker's Hall of Fame in 1984, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.

Filmography

Appearances as themselves (41)
  • Icons Unearthed: Batman — Self
  • 2023Clear Lines of Sight: Sidney J. Furie at Paramount — Himself
  • 2022In Search of Tomorrow — Self
  • 2022Is That Black Enough for You?!? — Self
  • 2021Stallone: Frank, That Is — Self
  • 2020The Skywalker Legacy — Self
  • 2019Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Adventure Awaits — Self
  • The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
  • 2018Quincy — Self
  • 2017I Am Not Your Negro — Self (archive footage)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self
  • Comic Book Men — Self
  • Celebrity Ghost Stories — Self
  • Modern Family — Himself
  • 2008Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight — Self
  • Black in the 80s — Self
  • Bring Back... — Self
  • Dancing with the Stars — Self - Contestant
  • 2005Merry F#%$in' Christmas — Self
  • The Boondocks — Himself (voice)
  • 2004Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy — Self
  • 2004When Star Wars Ruled the World — Self
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Guest, Self - National Unfriend Day Spokesperson, Self - Commemorative Plate Spokesperson
  • 2002It's Black Entertainment — Self
  • 1998Woo — Himself
  • 1997Afro Promo — Self (archive footage)
  • 1997Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery — Self
  • The View — Self
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
  • 1991Voices That Care — Self - Choir Member
  • 1987Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues — Self
  • 1986Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary — Self
  • 1985Night of 100 Stars II — Self
  • 1983Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever — Self
  • Late Night with David Letterman — Self - Guest
  • Dinah! — Self
  • The American Film Institute Salute to ... — Self
  • The Mike Douglas Show — Self
  • Tony Awards — Self - Performer
  • The Oscars — Self
  • Diamonds on the Silver Screen — Self
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