Billy Dee Williams was born in New York, the son of Loretta Anne (1915-2016), a West Indian-born elevator operator from Montserrat, and William December Williams, Sr. (1910-2007), an African-American caretaker from Texas. He has a twin sister, Loretta, and grew up in Harlem, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother while his parents worked at several jobs. Williams graduated from The High School of Music & Art (later merged with the High School of Performing Arts to become the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art) in Manhattan, where he was a classmate of Diahann Carroll, who would later play the wife of his character Brady Lloyd on the 1980s prime-time soap opera Dynasty.
Movie | Is That Black Enough for You?!? | Self | 2022-10-09 |
Movie | Stallone: Frank, That Is | Self | 2021-01-19 |
Movie | The Skywalker Legacy | Self | 2020-03-18 |
Movie | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Lando Calrissian | 2019-12-18 |
Movie | Quincy | Self | 2018-09-21 |
Movie | The Lego Batman Movie | Two-Face / Harvey Dent (voice) | 2017-02-08 |
Movie | Dirty Dancing | Tito | 2017-05-24 |
Movie | Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal | Lando Calrissian (voice) | 2015-04-18 |
Movie | The Man in 3B | Cain | 2015-11-06 |
Series | The Rebels | Coach Paysinger | 2014-02-06 |
Series | Star Wars Rebels | Lando Calrissian (voice) | 2014-10-13 |
Movie | The Lego Movie | Lando (voice) | 2014-02-06 |
Movie | The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll | Ace Millstone | 2011-08-05 |
Movie | 3 Ways to Get a Husband | William | 2010-01-05 |
Movie | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III | Lando Calrissian / Teacher (voice) | 2010-12-19 |
Movie | Barry Munday | Lonnie Green | 2010-03-13 |
Movie | Diary of a Single Mom | Uncle Bo | 2009-01-27 |
Movie | Fanboys | Judge Reinhold | 2009-02-06 |
Movie | Pitching Man: Satchel Paige Defying Time | Narrator | 2009-04-29 |
Series | White Collar | Ford / Bradford Toman | 2009-10-23 |
Movie | iMurders | Robert Delgado | 2008-08-09 |
Movie | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II | Lando Calrissian / Man (voice) | 2008-11-16 |
Series | Private Practice | Unknown | 2007-09-26 |
Movie | Constellation | Helms Boxer | 2007-02-01 |
Series | General Hospital: Night Shift | 2007-07-12 | |
Movie | Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror | Pastor Charlie | 2006-06-27 |
Series | Bring Back... | Unknown | 2005-05-10 |
Series | Black in the 80s | 2005-02-01 | |
Series | Mind of Mencia | Unknown | 2005-07-06 |
Movie | Merry F#%$in' Christmas | Self | 2005-11-27 |
Movie | When Star Wars Ruled the World | Self | 2004-09-18 |
Movie | Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy | Self | 2004-09-12 |
Series | Lost | Unknown | 2004-09-22 |
Series | NCIS | Leroy Jethro Moore | 2003-09-23 |
Movie | Epoch Evolution | Ferguson | 2003-11-29 |
Movie | It's Black Entertainment | Self | 2002-02-08 |
Movie | Undercover Brother | Gen. Warren Boutwell | 2002-05-31 |
Series | Half & Half | Unknown | 2002-09-23 |
Series | Street Time | Unknown | 2002-06-23 |
Movie | Good Neighbor | Sgt. Paul Davidson | 2001-01-01 |
Movie | The Visit | Henry | 2001-04-20 |
Series | Scrubs | Unknown | 2001-10-02 |
Series | 18 Wheels of Justice | Burton Hardesty | 2000-01-12 |
Movie | Fear Runs Silent | Sheriff Hammond | 2000-03-10 |
Movie | The Ladies Man | Lester | 2000-10-13 |
Movie | The Contract | Senator Harmon | 1999-05-29 |
Movie | Woo | Himself | 1998-05-08 |
Series | That '70s Show | Unknown | 1998-08-23 |
Series | The Hughleys | Unknown | 1998-09-22 |
Movie | Hard Time | Leo Barker | 1998-12-12 |
Movie | Afro Promo | Self (archive footage) | 1997-01-31 |
Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
Movie | Steel Sharks | Adm. Jim Perry | 1997-10-10 |
Movie | The Fourth King | Gasparre | 1997-12-27 |
Movie | Mask of Death | Agent Jeffries | 1996-05-25 |
Movie | Moving Target | Detective Don Racine | 1996-11-26 |
Movie | Falling For You | Lieutenant Frank Lazaro | 1995-02-21 |
Movie | Triplecross | Agent Oscar Pierce | 1995-05-28 |
Series | Lonesome Dove: The Series | Unknown | 1994-09-09 |
Movie | Marked for Murder | Capt. Jack Reilly | 1993-01-17 |
Movie | Message from Nam | Felix | 1993-10-17 |
Movie | Alien Intruder | Commander Skyler | 1993-02-24 |
Movie | Giant Steps | Slate Thompson | 1992-09-12 |
Series | Martin | Unknown | 1992-08-27 |
Series | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Barry Gordy | 1992-11-15 |
Movie | Driving Me Crazy | Max | 1991-05-16 |
Movie | Secret Agent 00 Soul | Secret Agent Zero | 1990-02-01 |
Movie | Voices That Care | Self - Choir Member | 1990-02-28 |
Series | In Living Color | Unknown | 1990-04-15 |
Movie | Dangerous Passion | Lou | 1990-02-28 |
Movie | Batman | Harvey Dent | 1989-06-21 |
Movie | The Return of Desperado | Daniel Lancaster | 1988-02-15 |
Series | Wiseguy | Unknown | 1987-09-16 |
Movie | Number One with a Bullet | Det. Hazeltine | 1987-02-27 |
Movie | Deadly Illusion | Hamberger | 1987-10-16 |
Movie | The Right of the People | Mike Trainor | 1986-01-13 |
Movie | Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary | Self | 1986-01-14 |
Series | Double Dare | 1986-02-03 | |
Movie | Courage | Bobby Jay | 1986-09-24 |
Movie | Oceans of Fire | Jim McKinley | 1986-09-16 |
Movie | Marvin & Tige | Richard Davis | 1985-03-08 |
Movie | Night of 100 Stars II | Self | 1985-03-10 |
Series | North and South | Francis Cardozo | 1985-11-03 |
Movie | Time Bomb | Jake Calahan | 1984-03-25 |
Movie | Fear City | Wheeler | 1984-07-18 |
Movie | The Impostor | Matthew Raines | 1984-11-08 |
Movie | Terror in the Aisles | Matthew Fox (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1984-10-26 |
Movie | Shooting Stars | Douglas Hawk | 1983-07-28 |
Movie | Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever | Self | 1983-05-16 |
Movie | Return of the Jedi | Lando Calrissian | 1983-05-25 |
Movie | Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi | Narrator (voice) / Self | 1983-11-21 |
Series | Chiefs | Tyler Watts | 1983-11-13 |
Series | Dynasty | 1981-01-12 | |
Movie | Nighthawks | Matthew Fox | 1981-03-17 |
Movie | The Empire Strikes Back | Lando Calrissian | 1980-05-20 |
Movie | Children of Divorce | Walter Williams | 1980-11-24 |
Movie | The Hostage Tower | Clarence Whitlock | 1980-09-19 |
Movie | Christmas Lilies of the Field | Homer Smith | 1979-12-16 |
Movie | Scott Joplin | Scott Joplin | 1977-02-11 |
Movie | The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings | Bingo | 1976-07-16 |
Series | The Jeffersons | Unknown | 1975-01-18 |
Movie | Mahogany | Brian | 1975-10-08 |
Movie | The Conversation | Man in Yellow Hat (uncredited) | 1974-04-07 |
Movie | The Take | Sneed | 1974-05-01 |
Series | The American Film Institute Salute to ... | Unknown | 1973-04-02 |
Movie | Hit! | Nick Allen | 1973-09-18 |
Movie | Lady Sings the Blues | Louis McKay | 1972-10-12 |
Movie | The Glass House | Lennox | 1972-02-04 |
Movie | The Final Comedown | Johnny Johnson | 1972-05-31 |
Movie | Brian's Song | Gale Sayers | 1971-11-30 |
Movie | The Out-of-Towners | Clifford Robinson, Lost & Found Clerk | 1970-05-28 |
Movie | Carter's Army | Pvt. Lewis | 1970-01-27 |
Movie | Lost Flight | Merle Barnaby | 1970-08-13 |
Series | The New People | Unknown | 1969-09-22 |
Series | The Mod Squad | Unknown | 1968-09-24 |
Series | Mission: Impossible | Unknown | 1966-09-17 |
Series | The F.B.I. | Unknown | 1965-09-19 |
Series | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Unknown | 1962-10-01 |
Movie | The Last Angry Man | Josh Quincy | 1959-10-22 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |