Billy Dee Williams

Billy Dee Williams Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: April 6, 1937

Age: 86 years old

Birth Place: New York City, New York

Billy Dee Williams' career included a few notable turns that helped him ascend to a new level of popularity every few years. Born and raised in New York City, he made his film acting debut at age 22 in "The Last Angry Man" (1959). For the next decade, he steadily worked but it wasn't until his Emmy-nominated turn as Gale Sayers in "Brian's Song" (1971) that Williams became a more known name. The rest of the '70s were filmed with leading roles, most notably in the Billie Holiday biopic "Lady Sings the Blues" (1972) as the husband of the jazz singer, played by Diana Ross. In 1980, Williams took his talent to space with his supporting role in "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), the second entry in the Star Wars series. He played charming scoundrel Lando Calrissian, reprising the role in "Return of the Jedi" (1983) and a wide variety of video games, TV shows, and more. After his interstellar stint, Williams kept busy with a recurring role on "Dynasty" (ABC 1981-89). He made his next big pop culture splash appearing as Harvey Dent in Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989). However, despite stated intentions from Burton in turning Williams into Dent's villainous alter-ego Two-Face, Williams only ever appeared in the first movie, with Two-Face being played by Tommy Lee Jones in the sequel. While he kept busy over the next 20 years, the majority of his work was in cameo appearances or small-scale projects. While Williams' Lando appeared in other Star Wars projects, he never returned to play him again in live action, though it was reported that he would reappear in the role in "Star Wars: Episode IX" (2019).

Credits

LEGO Star Wars Summer VacationStream

Voice
Lando (Holovid)
Special
2022

Stallone: Frank, That IsStream

Actor
Movie
2021
60%

LEGO Star Wars Holiday SpecialStream

Voice
Lando Calrissian
Special
2020

Earth to Ned

Guest
Series
2020
83%

Jimmy Kimmel Live After Darth: A Star Wars Special

Actor
Show
2019

The Kelly Clarkson ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2019

Star Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerStream

Actor
Lando Calrissian
Movie
2019
52%

Daily Blast Live

Guest
Show
2017

Dirty Dancing

Actor
Tito
Show
2017

The Lego Batman MovieStream

Voice
Two-Face
Movie
2017
89%

Dirty DancingStream

Actor
Tito
Movie
2017
19%

The Man in 3B

Actor
Cain
Movie
2015

The Lego MovieStream

Voice
Lando
Movie
2014
96%

The Arsenio Hall Show

Guest
Show
2013

King of the NerdsStream

Guest Star
Game Show
2013

Baggage Battles

Self
Show
2012

The Trace

Actor
Judge Devi
Movie
2012

Man Up!Stream

Guest Star
Himself
Series
2011
21%

Access Hollywood Live

Guest
Show
2010

The 18th Annual Trumpet Awards Show

Guest
Show
2010

3 Ways to Get a Husband

Actor
Show
2010

3 Ways to Get a Husband

Actor
William
Movie
2010

Barry Munday

Actor
Lonnie Green
Movie
2010

White CollarStream

Guest Star
Ford/Bradford Toman
Series
2009
96%

The Cleveland ShowStream

Guest Voice
Lando Calrissian
Series
2009

Modern FamilyStream

Guest Star
Billy Dee Williams
Series
2009
85%

The Project

Guest
Show
2009

GleeStream

Guest Star
Andy Collins
Series
2009
70%

Fanboys

Actor
Judge Reinhold
Movie
2009

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II

Voice
Show
2008

iMurders

Actor
Robert Delgado
Movie
2008

Private PracticeStream

Guest Star
Henry
Series
2007

General Hospital: Night Shift

Actor
Soap
2007

The Better Show

Guest
Show
2007

Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror

Actor
Pastor Charlie
Movie
2006

Dancing With the StarsStream

Contestant
Reality
2005

Robot ChickenStream

Guest Voice
Series
2005

Constellation

Actor
Helms Boxer
Movie
2005

LostStream

Guest Star
Himself
Series
2004
86%

Oedipus

Voice
Bartender
Show
2004

The Maintenance Man

Actor
Movie
2004

NCISStream

Guest Star
Leroy Jethro Moore
Series
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Epoch: Evolution

Actor
Ferguson
Movie
2003

Half & HalfStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

Undercover Brother

Actor
General Boutwell
Movie
2002

The Last Place on Earth

Actor
Dr. Davis
Movie
2002

ScrubsStream

Guest Star
Billy Dee Williams
Series
2001
83%

The Killer Next Door

Actor
Sgt. Paul Davidson
Movie
2001

Gideon's Crossing

Guest Star
Show
2000

18 Wheels of JusticeStream

Actor
Burton Hardesty
Series
2000

Silent Fear

Actor
Sheriff Hammond
Movie
2000

Fear Runs Silent

Actor
Sheriff Hammond
Movie
2000

The Visit

Actor
Henry
Movie
2000

The Ladies ManStream

Actor
Lester
Movie
2000
11%

The Contract

Actor
Senator Harmon
Movie
2000

Code Name: Eternity

Guest Star
Show
1999

The Hughleys

Guest Star
Series
1998

That '70s ShowStream

Guest Star
Series
1998

Woo

Self
Movie
1998

Hard Time

Actor
Leo Barker
Movie
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Il quarto re

Actor
Gasparre
Movie
1997

Access Hollywood

Guest
News
1996

Moving Target

Actor
Detective Don Racine
Movie
1996

The Prince

Actor
Jamie Hicks
Movie
1996

Steel Sharks

Actor
Adm. Jim Perry
Movie
1996

Falling for You

Actor
Lieutenant Frank Lazaro
Movie
1995

Triplecross

Actor
Agent Oscar Pierce
Movie
1995

Mask of Death

Actor
Agent Jeffries
Movie
1995

Heaven and Hell: North and South, Book III

Actor
Francis Cardozo
Show
1994

Marked for Murder

Actor
Capt. Jack Reilly
Movie
1993

Alien Intruder

Actor
Cmdr. Skyler
Movie
1993

Percy and Thunder

Actor
Ralph Tate
Movie
1993

Message From Nam

Actor
Felix
Movie
1993

The Jacksons: An American Dream

Actor
Berry Gordy
Miniseries
1992

Giant Steps

Actor
Slate Thompson
Movie
1992

Trabbi Goes to Hollywood

Actor
Max
Movie
1991

Dangerous Passion

Actor
Lou
Movie
1990

Secret Agent 00-Soul

Actor
Secret Agent Zero
Movie
1990

The Joan Rivers ShowStream

Guest
Talk
1989

BatmanStream

Actor
D.A. Harvey Dent
Movie
1989
76%

The Return of Desperado

Actor
Daniel Lancaster
Movie
1988

A Different WorldStream

Guest Star
Series
1987

WiseguyStream

Guest Star
Jesse Hains
Series
1987

Deadly Illusion

Actor
Hamberger
Movie
1987

Number One With a Bullet

Actor
Det. Hazeltine
Movie
1987

Le droit au meurtre

Actor
Movie
1986

La Ley del Gatillo

Actor
Movie
1986

Courage

Actor
Bobby Jay
Movie
1986

Right of the People

Actor
Mike Trainor
Movie
1986

Oceans of Fire

Actor
Jim McKinley
Movie
1986

Océan en feu

Actor
Movie
1986

227Stream

Guest Star
Series
1985

The Imposter

Actor
Matthew Raines
Movie
1984

Time Bomb

Actor
Wes Tanner
Movie
1984

Fear City

Actor
Al Wheeler
Movie
1984

New York, deux heures du matin

Actor
Movie
1984

Chiefs

Actor
Tyler Watts
Movie
1983

Shooting Stars

Actor
Douglas Hawk
Movie
1983

Marvin and Tige

Actor
Richard Davis
Movie
1983

Return of the JediStream

Actor
Lando Calrissian
Movie
1983
83%

Nighthawks

Actor
Matthew Fox
Movie
1981

The Hostage Tower

Actor
Clarence Whitlock
Movie
1980

Children of Divorce

Actor
Walter Williams
Movie
1980

The Empire Strikes BackStream

Actor
Lando Calrissian
Movie
1980
95%

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
News
1979

Christmas Lilies of the Field

Actor
Homer Smith
Movie
1979

Scott Joplin

Actor
Scott Joplin
Movie
1977

Bingo Long y los Ases Ambulantes

Actor
Movie
1976

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor KingsStream

Actor
Bingo Long
Movie
1976
90%

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

The JeffersonsStream

Guest Star
Himself
Series
1975

The JeffersonsStream

Writer
Series
1975

MahoganyStream

Actor
Brian
Movie
1975
29%

The Take

Actor
Sneed
Movie
1974

Hit!

Actor
Nick Allen
Movie
1973

Commando sur les stupéfiants

Actor
Movie
1973

The Glass House

Actor
Lennox
Movie
1972

Lady Sings the Blues

Actor
Louis McKay
Movie
1972
70%

Billie Holiday chante le blues

Actor
Movie
1972

The Final Comedown

Actor
Johnny Johnson
Movie
1972

Brian's SongStream

Actor
Gale Sayers
Movie
1971
92%

Dan August

Guest Star
Steve MacAdams
Series
1970

The Interns

Guest Star
Show
1970

The Out-of-TownersStream

Actor
Lost & Found
Movie
1970
63%

Black Brigade

Actor
Pvt. Lewis
Movie
1969

Mod Squad

Guest Star
Dr. Joe Goodson
Series
1968

Premiere

Actor
David Arnold
Show
1968

Hawk

Guest Star
Show
1966

The Last Angry Man

Actor
Josh Quincy
Movie
1959

News aboutBilly Dee Williams