Happy Birthday Billy Dee Williams! The television drama, Brian’s Song (1971) nominated his performance for a Best Actor Emmy. Next, he starred in Lady Sings the Blues (1972), a biographical drama based on singer Billie Holiday played by Diana Ross. Then, Williams was in Mahogany (1975) also with co-star Ross. He played the ragtime composer in the tv movie, Scott Joplin (1977). His iconic role, Lando Calrissian, was in Empire Strikes Back (1980). He starred in the Slyvester Stallone action movie, Nighthawks (1981). Williams voiced Lando on the National Public Radio production of Empire Strikes Back (1983). He became General Lando Calrissian in Return of the Jedi (1983). Williams recieved his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985. Williams starred in Colt 45 malt liquor commercials that became wildly popular. In 1987, he was a replacement for James Earl Jones in the Broadway production of August Wilson’s Fences. Yup, Lando took over for Darth Vader, and the part is one of the most dramatic for any actor!
Billy Dee Williams played Billy Diamond, undercover agent, in the television drama, Double Dare (1985). He starred as district attorney Harvey Dent, who later became Two-Face, in Batman (1989). Fanboys (2009) had some fans try to sneak into Skywalker Ranch and they encounter a judge named Reinhold, ok pun, played by Williams. He was able to return as Lando in the animated Lego Movie (2014). Then, Williams voiced Lando Calrissian in 2015 episodes of Star Wars: Rebels. He reprised his Colt 45 commercials in 2016. Finally, Williams was able to play Two-Face voicing him in the animated The Lego Batman Movie (2017). It was another role Williams reprised as Lando in The Rise of Skywalker (2019). A welcome return was voicing the charaxter in The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020). There is an upcoming Lando series so we can always hope to see more Billy Dee Williams. Happy Birthday Billy Dee Williams!
#BillyDeeWilliams, #LadySingstheBlues, #EmpireStrikesBack, #Batman
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