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While his portrayal of Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back may have initially upset fans for betraying Han Solo, Billy Dee Williams quickly won hearts back with his undeniable charm and talent. Often referred to as “the black Clark Gable,” Williams is a multi-talented artist whose career in film and theater has flourished for over seven decades.
Williams, who once summarized his career by saying, "I focus on doing my best in every role, earning my paycheck, and moving on to the next project," celebrates his 80th birthday today. In tribute to his remarkable journey, here are some intriguing details about the man whose legacy extends far beyond Lando Calrissian.
1. HIS MIDDLE NAME “DEE” REFERS TO DECEMBER.
Billy Dee Williams was born in New York City in 1937, sharing his birth year with his twin sister, Loretta. His name, a blend of his stage persona and birth name, is William December Williams Jr., inherited from his father, a Texan janitor who worked multiple jobs in Harlem to provide for his family. Billy and Loretta were primarily cared for by their maternal grandmother.
2. HE STARTED ACTING AS A CHILD BUT TOOK A 10-YEAR BREAK FROM THE INDUSTRY.
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Williams's mother, Loretta, who dreamed of becoming a performer, worked as an elevator operator at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre. When the theater needed child actors for the Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin musical The Firebrand of Florence, she offered her 7-year-old son for the role of a background page boy.
Reflecting on the experience years later, Williams downplayed his involvement, telling Mademoiselle in an interview, "I just walked across the stage twice." This underwhelming debut likely contributed to his decision to step away from acting for the next 10 years.
“Children should enjoy their childhood and not be forced into careers," Williams remarked in a 1975 conversation with Roger Ebert. "I went to school, played baseball, and even injured my arm trying to perfect a professional throw. It still hurts!"
3. HE STUDIED TO BECOME A PAINTER.
While staying active in sports, Williams remained dedicated to the arts. He enrolled at New York City's prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, the institution famously depicted in Fame, where he honed his skills in visual arts. Later, he earned a scholarship to the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design in New York, specializing in the study of “classical painting techniques.”
Although acting became his primary career, Williams never stopped painting. His artwork is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, the Schomburg Museum in Harlem, and galleries worldwide. Since 1990, he has also designed the program artwork for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Washington, D.C. For those interested, some of his pieces are available for purchase on
“I describe my paintings as 'abstract reality,'" Williams explains on the official website for his art. "Sometimes I call them 'impressions/expressions.' It’s the best way I can define my style."
4. HE RETURNED TO ACTING TO FUND HIS ART SUPPLIES.
A Taste of Honey // By Bill Doll and Company, New York, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Even with a two-year art scholarship, creativity comes with a price. Legend has it that when Williams couldn’t afford art supplies anymore, he turned to something he hadn’t done since childhood: acting.
“A producer was searching for an actor for Take a Giant Step and liked my appearance, asking if I could act,” Williams told Roger Ebert. “I said, ‘Absolutely!’ So, I got into acting mainly to earn money for paints and canvases.”
Although the role in the 1953 stage production initially went to Louis Gossett Jr., Williams soon found steady work in theater. His big break came on Broadway in the play A Taste of Honey.
“I want to die either holding a paintbrush or delivering a soliloquy on stage," Williams shared in a 2001 interview.
5. A SPORTS INJURY PAVED THE WAY FOR HIS BREAKTHROUGH.
Although Williams missed out on the stage role to Gossett Jr., a twist of fate involving Gossett Jr. launched Williams’s film career.
Gossett Jr. was originally cast as Gale Sayers, the star Chicago Bears halfback, in the 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song. However, he ruptured his Achilles tendon during training just days before filming began. The production team urgently needed a replacement to play opposite James Caan, who portrayed Brian Piccolo, a football player fighting terminal cancer. Williams seamlessly took on the role.
The performance earned Williams an Emmy nomination (shared with Caan in the same category) and led to his casting as Louis McKay, Billie Holiday’s husband, in the 1972 biopic Lady Sings the Blues, starring Diana Ross.
6. GEORGE LUCAS INITIALLY WANTED HIM TO PORTRAY LANDO CALRISSIAN.
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Despite his roles in acclaimed films like the Oscar-nominated Lady Sings the Blues and 1975's Mahogany, where he reunited with Diana Ross, Williams is best known for playing the charming con artist Lando Calrissian in George Lucas’s original Star Wars sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Lucas conceived the character of Han Solo’s ally without a specific actor or ethnicity in mind, but Williams was among his top choices. While drafting the screenplay, Lucas jotted down: “Actor–Billy Dee Williams—Cloud City leader.”
Williams caught Lucas’s attention after starring in the 1976 film The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, written by Lucas’s friends Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins. Irvin Kershner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back, noted that Williams’s “charismatic screen presence” secured him the role. Kershner added, “Billy embodies the charm of a Mississippi riverboat gambler perfectly.”
In a 1981 interview with Ebony, Williams described Lando as “a groundbreaking role that avoids clichés and stereotypes.” He added, “The name Lando Calrissian—it’s Armenian. It sidesteps all those preconceived notions. He’s a universal character.”
7. HE’S A PLATINUM-SELLING, BILLBOARD-CHARTING MUSIC ARTIST.
Beyond acting, painting, and his undeniable charm, Williams is also a talented singer.
In 1961, Williams released a jazz and swing album titled Let’s Misbehave, which achieved commercial success. However, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that he made a significant impact on the music charts, and he wasn’t alone in this endeavor.
Williams joined a star-studded charity single, “Voices That Care,” created to honor U.S. troops in Operation Desert Storm and support the International Red Cross. The track featured an eclectic mix of celebrities, including Wayne Gretzky, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chevy Chase, Sally Field, Don King, Meryl Streep, Michael Jordan, and many others.
Despite its noble intentions, the single’s timing was slightly off. Released on March 13, 1991—just two weeks after the Gulf War concluded—the track still managed to reach No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later secured a platinum certification.
8. HE LANDED THE COLT 45 SPOKESPERSON ROLE FOR BEING THE “COOLEST.”
One of Williams’s most iconic roles wasn’t in film or theater. In the late 1980s, he became the face of Colt 45 malt liquor. Despite debates about the campaign’s implications and audience, Williams secured the role—complete with his famous “works every time” catchphrase—simply because he exuded unmatched coolness.
Back at the bar #workseverytime @coltfortyfive pic.twitter.com/Ir86T4P0M3
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) December 16, 2015
“For better or worse, it was my idea,” ad executive Jim Dale admitted in 2016. “He had just starred in the first Star Wars film. Everyone—men and women alike—thought he was the coolest guy around.”
Before Williams took on the role of spokesperson, Colt 45 lagged behind its competitor Schlitz in barrel production. However, within a year of Williams’s widespread 1986 ad campaign, Colt 45’s production surged to 2 million barrels, securing its position as the leading malt liquor brand. Williams reprised his role as Colt 45’s spokesperson in 2016.
