Billy Dee Williams is an American actor known to most viewers for his role as Lando Calrissian in two films of the Star Wars franchise. Comic fans know Williams thanks to the role of Harvey Dent in Tim Burton's superhero action movie Batman. In the television filmography of Billy Dee Williams, the soap opera Dynasty, popular in the 80s, deserves special attention.
Biography
The future actor was born in 1937 in New York in the family of William and Loretta Williams. Billy Dee Williams has a twin sister, Loretta. Billy grew up in Harlem, raised by his grandmother, as his parents spent most of their time at work. He studied at the Higher School of Music and Art.
Movie career
Billy Dee Williams made his film debut in 1959 - director Daniel Mann approved him for a supporting role in his drama The Last Angry Man. The young actor had the opportunity to work with the star of that time - Paul Mooney. The film did not gain much fame, despite the good cast.
The next 11 years, the actor worked exclusively on television. He returned to feature films only at the beginning of 70 and played in several low-budget films.
A real breakthrough for Williams was the role of Lando Calrissian in the blockbuster Star Wars Episode V, which was released in 1980. The film collected a huge amount at the box office - $ 538 million. Critics also responded favorably about the picture. The role in "Star Wars" brought Williams the long-awaited fame and many offers from eminent directors.
The following year, the actor played in the action movie Bruce Moult "Night Hawks." Critics praised the acting, but coldly responded to the script of the picture.
In 1983, the sixth part of Star Wars was released. Williams returned to the role of Lando Calrissian. Like the previous part, the tape became a box office hit, collecting $ 475 million at the box office. The critics' reviews of the film were mostly positive, although not as enthusiastic as the previous part.
The next project in the career of the actor was the thriller "City of Fear" by Abel Ferrara. The film passed by most viewers, and now not many moviegoers know about it.
In 1989, Williams played another starring role - the role of Harvey Dent in the superhero movie "Batman" directed by Tim Burton. The picture was shot in a dark, Gothic atmosphere, not typical for films based on comics of those times. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but this did not prevent him from collecting a good box office - $ 411 million. A photo of Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent (Two-Faced) is presented below.
In 1991, the actor starred in the comedy Crazy Story. The film was a failure - neither critics nor the audience liked it.
The next 10 years were not the most successful in the career of an actor - films with his participation either failed at the box office, or because of the small budget they remained unknown to the general public.
In 2002, Billy Dee Williams played a small role in the comedy action movie The Secret Brother, in which he played with Denise Richards and Eddie Griffin.
In 2009, Williams appeared in a cameo role in the comedy "Fans", which tells about the adventures of ardent Star Wars fans.
In 2017, Harvey Dent spoke in the animated film "The Lego Movie: Batman." The tape became a box office hit, collecting more than $ 300 million at the box office.
TV roles
The actor’s television career began in 1959 with a small role in the anthology series Look Up and Live.
In 1984, Williams got the role of Brady Lloyd in the soap opera Dynasty.
During his nearly sixty-year career, Williams has played in more than thirty TV shows and television films, but he has been given mostly small roles. One of the most famous projects in his television filmography is the well-known cult series Lost, in which the actor played himself.
The actor also got a small role in the youth series "Losers", quite popular in the US and Europe. In total, the series was watched by about 10 million viewers.
Since 2015, the actor has been working on the animated series Star Wars Rebels.
