William December Williams Jr. Was born on April 6, 1937. He is an American Actor, a novelist and painter. Some of his famous characters which are, Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise, in the early 1980s for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return Of The Jedi in 1983, and after 36 years in The Rise Of Skywalker in 2019, the longest intervals between onscreen characters of a role by the same celeb in American film history.
He was born in New York City, and grew up in Harlem along with his twin sisters, Loretta. Billy starred in his Broadway Theatre debut at age 7 in The Firebrand Of Florence in 1945. He completed his graduation from The High School of Music & Art, Billy also won a painting scholarship to the National Academy of Fine Arts & Design, where he received a Hallgarten Prize for painting in the amid of 1950s
. He didn’t had much fund for his painting so he returned to acting, including stage, movies and TV. Billy continued his painting; his work has since been shown in art studios and collection widely.
Billy’s first project was, The Last Angry Man in 1959, but he came to national fame in the TV movie Brian’s Song in 1971, for whom he received a Emmy nomination for Best Actor. He later starred in at least 70 movies over 60 years additionally critical acclaimed and famous films including, Lady Sings The Blues in 1972, and Mahogany in 1975, both Billy and Diana Ross, and Nighthawk in 1981.
Billy starred in the most durable portrayal as Lando Calrissian, becoming the first Actor of Black/African descent with a major on screen role in the Star Wars franchise, in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return Of The Jedi in 1983. Billy also gave voice over to Lando in Video games, animated series, and the National Public Radio adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back.
Billy was enlist into the Black Filmmaker’s Hall Of Fame in 1984, and got a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 1985. In 1989, other franchise started their relations with Batman, playing lawyer Harvey Dent, a character that was developed into a wicked alter attitude, Two Face, in which he gave voice to The Lego Batman Movie in 2017.
Billy’s performance in TV has over 60 credits starting in 1966, such as, Gideon’s Crossing; Dynasty, General Hospital: Night Shift; and General Hospital. Various, cameos and supporting roles including being starring in pair with Marla Gibbs on The Jeffersons , 227, and The Hughleys.
He also worked as a voice artist for series Titan Maximum in 2009, and starring on the reality show Dancing with the Stars in 2014. Billy’s projects has won many awards and nominations including 3 NAACP Image Awards, and the NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award.
Billy was born in New York City, Billy’s mother, Loretta Anne (1915-2016), who was an elevator operator at the Lyceum Theatre and ambitious performer from Montserrat, and his father, William December Williams Sr. (1909-1973), he was an African American caretaker, with some Native American ancestry from Texas.
Billy was grew up in Harlem on 110th Street, between Lenox and 5th, adjacent to Central Park North- 110th Street Station. He would love to move Central Park to see the Negro League Players and the Cuban Baseball League.
Billy’s twin sisters, both are raised by their maternal grandmother while their parents worked at various work place. Billy’s mom had attended Opera for study, becoming an accomplished opera star who wanted to break into movies, the family was greatly cultured, showing the children early on to drawing, painting, theatre and same creative experiences, he would remain a fan of the arts and opera.
Billy began his Broadway career when he was 7, after playing a page in The Firebrand of Florence, Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin’s operetta starring Lotte Lenya, in March 1945. His mom, worked at the theater, volunteered him for some work which he found boring.
Billy had a dream of being a painter, he attended Booker T. Washington junior School. He completed his graduation from The LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and performing arts in Manhattan in 1955, where Billy majored in drawing with a focus on visual arts.
Billy got there a two year scholarship for the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design in New York- after some time the name changed to National Academy Of Design- to study with a focus on Classical Principals of painting. In the amid of 1950s Billy won a Hallgarten Prize, for creative ability in the arts.
Billy married to Audrey Sellers in 1959. The couple divorced after some years later, after there divorce he apparently became depressed. He said once, there was a time when he really became, despondent, broke, stressed, my 1st marriage was on the rocks. He has a son, Corey Dee Williams, with her first ex wife, their son was born in 1960.
Later, in 1968, he married to model and actress Marlene Clark in Hawaii. The couple divorced in 1971. On December 27, 1972, he married to Teruko Nakagami. He has a daughter, Miyako who was born in 1962, from her earlier marriage to musician Wayne Shorter. Together they have a daughter, Hanako who was born in 1973. In 1993 Billy filed a lawsuit for amicable divorce to Teruko, but they adjust and reconciled again living together by 1997.
On January 30, 1996, he got arrested for repeatedly assaulting his live-in partner, whom the police didn’t let identified. Billy posted a $50, 000 bail. Police said that the lady had scratches on her body. After the passage of time, the same lady addressed that the incident was her mistake and request the police would leave the case. In a plea, Billy allowed to undergo 52 counselling sessions. And, in 2019, Billy stated, he never slapped or abused women.
