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Billy Dee Williams

Birth Place: New York, NY, USA

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BIO

Williams appeared on Broadway in 1945's The Firebrand of Florence and returned in 1960 in the play version of The Cool Word. He appeared in A Taste of Honey in 1961. A 1976 Broadway production, I Have a Dream, was directed by Robert Greenwald and starrEd Williams as Martin Luther King, Jr. His most recent Broadway appearance was in August Wilson's Fences, as a replacement for James Earl Jones in the role of Troy Maxson in 1988.



He rose to stardom after starring in the critically lauded blockbuster biographical TV movie, Brian's Song (1971), in which he played Chicago Bears star football player Gale Sayers, who stood by his friend Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan), during his struggle with terminal cancer. The film became so popular that it was given a theatrical release. Both Williams and Caan were nominated for Emmy Awards for best actor for their performances.

Williams became America's leading black film actor in the 1970s after starring in a string of critically acclaimed and popular movies. In 1972, starred as Billie Holiday's husband Louis McKay in Motown Productions' Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues. The film was a box office blockbuster, becoming one of the highest grossing films of the year and received five Academy Award nominations. Diana Ross starred in Lady Sings the Blues opposite Williams; Motown paired the two of them again three years later in the successful follow-up project Mahogany.
The early 1980s brought Williams the role of Lando Calrissian, which he played in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

The Mambo Kings The Mambo Kings
[Broadway]
Closed on the road, 2005
Fernando Perez [Replacement]
[Replacement]
Fences
[Broadway]
1987
Troy Maxson [Replacement]
[Replacement]
I Have a Dream
[Broadway]
1976
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hallelujah, Baby!
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1967
Clem [Replacement]
[Replacement]
Tiger Tiger Burning Bright
[Broadway]
1962
Performer (Understudy)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
A Taste of Honey
[Broadway]
1960
The Boy
The Cool World
[Broadway]
1960
Duke Custis

Writing

Movies

The Last Angry Man
[ 1959 ] Josh Quincy
The Out of Towners
[ 1970 ] Lost & Found - Boston
The Final Comedown
[ 1972 ] Johnny Johnson
Lady Sings the Blues
[ 1972 ] Louis McKay
Hit!
[ 1973 ] Nick Allen
The Take
[ 1974 ] Sneed
Mahogany
[ 1975 ] Brian Walker
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
[ 1976 ] Bingo Long P
Scott Joplin
[ 1977 ] Scott Joplin
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
[ 1980 ] Lando Calrissian
Nighthawks
[ 1981 ] Matthew Fox
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
[ 1983 ] Lando Calrissian
Marvin & Tige
[ 1983 ] Richard Davis
Fear City
[ 1984 ] Al Wheeler
Number One with a Bullet
[ 1987 ] Det. Hazeltine
Deadly Illusion
[ 1987 ] Hamberger
Batman
[ 1989 ] Harvey Dent
Secret Agent OO Soul
[ 1990 ] Secret Agent Zero
Driving Me Crazy
[ 1991 ] Max
Giant Steps
[ 1992 ] Slate Thompson
Moving Target
[ 1995 ] Detective Don Racine
Mask of Death
[ 1996 ] Agent Jeffries
The Prince
[ 1996 ] Jamie Hicks
Steel Sharks
[ 1997 ] Adm. Jim Perry
The Fourth King
[ 1997 ] Gparre
The Contract
[ 1999 ] Senator Harmon
The Visit
[ 2000 ] Henry
The Ladies Man
[ 2000 ] Lester
Very Heavy Love
[ 2001 ] Dante Brown
Good Neighbor
[ 2001 ] Sgt. Paul Davidson
The Last Place on Earth
[ 2002 ] Dr. Davis
Undercover Brother
[ 2002 ] General Warren Boutwell
Today Will Be Yesterday Tomorrow
[ 2003 ] Godot
Constellation
[ 2005 ] Helms Boxer
Hood of Horror
[ 2006 ] Ptor Charlie
iMurders
[ 2008 ] Robert Delgado
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
[ 2009 ] Ace Millstone
Fanboys
[ 2009 ] Judge Reinhold
Barry Munday
[ 2010 ] Lonnie Green
This Bitter Earth
[ 2012 ] Joe Watkins
Blood Lines
[ 2014 ] Judge Devi
The Lego Movie
[ 2014 ] Lando
The Man in 3B
[ 2015 ] Cain
The Lego Batman Movie
[ 2017 ] Two-Face
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
[ 2019 ] Lando Calrissian

TV Shows

227
Billy Dee Williams
18 Wheels of Justice
Burton Hardesty
Diary of a Single Mom
Uncle Bo
Dynasty
Brady Lloyd
General Hospital: Night Shift
Touissant DuBois, Toussaint DuBois, Toussaint Dubois
NCIS
Leroy Jethro Moore
The F.B.I.
James Borden, Nate Phelps, Edward Tobin
The Hughleys
Jerry Rose
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
Landolorian
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
Landolorian

Videos

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News


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Billy Dee Williams been in?

Billy Dee Williams has appeared on Broadway in 7 shows.

How many West End shows has Billy Dee Williams been in?

Billy Dee Williams has not appeared in the West End.

How many shows has Billy Dee Williams written?

Billy Dee Williams has written 1 shows including Cirque Dreams (Composer).

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