Public Figure Profiles

Billy Dee Williams

William December Williams Jr. is an American actor. He appeared as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise, first in the early 1980s for The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), and thirty-six years later in The Rise of Skywalker (2019), marking one of the longest intervals between onscreen portrayals of a character by the same actor in American film history.

Williams was born in New York City, and raised with his twin sister Loretta in Harlem. In 1945, he made his Broadway theatre debut at age seven in The Firebrand of Florence. He later graduated from The High School of Music & Art, then won a painting scholarship to the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design, where he won a Hallgarten Prize for painting in the mid-1950s. To fund his art supplies he returned to acting, including stage, films, and television. He continued painting; his work has since been shown in galleries and collections worldwide.

Williams’ film debut was in The Last Angry Man (1959), but he came to national attention in the television movie Brian's Song, (1971) which earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Actor. He has appeared in at least 70 films over six decades including critically acclaimed and popular movies such as Lady Sings the Blues (1972) and Mahogany (1975), both starring Williams paired with Diana Ross, and Nighthawks (1981). In the 1980s, he was cast in his most enduring role 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 (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). He also voiced Lando in video games, animated series, and the National Public Radio adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back. He was inducted into the Black Filmmaker's Hall of Fame in 1984, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985. Another franchise relationship started with Batman (1989), playing attorney Harvey Dent, a role that was developed into a villainous alter-ego, Two-Face, which he voiced for The Lego Batman Movie (2017).

Williams's television work includes over sixty credits starting in 1966 including recurring roles over the decades in Gideon's Crossing; Dynasty, General Hospital: Night Shift; and General Hospital. Numerous cameos and supporting roles included being paired with Marla Gibbs on The Jeffersons, 227, and The Hughleys. Later work included voice acting in the series Titan Maximum (2009), and appearing on the reality show Dancing with the Stars (2014). His work has earned him numerous awards and honors including three NAACP Image Awards, and the NAACP Lifetime Achievement award.

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Some of their strengths

Billy Dee Williams has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Brave, Intuitive, Generous, Optimistic, Intense, and Bold.

Independent and Brave

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Billy Dee Williams is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who is known for being diligent and strong.

Soulful and Intuitive

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Billy Dee Williams well know them as someone who can be graceful, romantic, and reserved, like gentle rain.

Ambitious and Forceful

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Billy Dee Williams as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.

A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.

Social and Intuitive

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Billy Dee Williams is someone who values forming deep friendships and relationships, and who has strong intuition and reasoning skills .

They are also someone who is mysterious, intuitive, and diplomatic, and who has a keen intuition, charisma, and a focus on balance and partnership.

Independent and Dynamic

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Billy Dee Williams tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.

Some of Billy Dee Williams's challenges

While Billy Dee Williams has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Billy Dee Williams can be Short-tempered, Impulsive, Rebellious, Emotionally Distant, Complicated, Brusque, and Relentless.

Short-tempered and Impulsive

One of Billy Dee Williams's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.

Billy Dee Williams must also exercise caution as they can be excessive and unrealistic.

Relentless and Inflexible

Billy Dee Williams is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.

Aggressive and Domineering

Finally, Billy Dee Williams also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.

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