Billy Dee Williams gained prominence for playing the role of Lando Calrissian in the original Star Wars trilogy. Apart from his mainstream acting talent, he also garnered limelight for his outgoing demeanor which often made headlines.
From interviews to parties, he made everyone fall in love with his charms, which also sparked speculations about his sexuality. Given that he has never been shy about talking about his great bond with people, many believed that the actor might identify as gay.
Billy Dee Williams Broke Silence on Gay Rumors
Having gained the status of s*x symbol for his lover boy roles in the movies, Billy Dee Williams was surely one of the most adored actors in Hollywood. However, his radiant personality also led him to get surrounded by gay rumors. He found himself unbothered by the same.
Talking to Page Six, he shared about being unbothered by what people thought of him in the 70s. He revealed,
“I’ve been called a ‘Closet Queen,” adding, “But, I don’t pay much attention to any of that.”
His calm demeanor is due to his long-standing experience which he wrote in his memoir, What Have We Here?
As he shares a great bond with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, he even attended gay parties during his early era. He wrote in the memoir,
“It all seemed very normal to me. I was around it all of my life, so I never really gave it much thought.”
His carefree attitude towards the rumors radiates his confidence that remained steady over these years. In the memoir, he also recalled his encounter with The Godfather actor, Marlon Brando who hit on him when he attended his star-studded party.
Marlon Brando Hit on Billy Dee Williams
Dee Williams recalled an interesting encounter with the late actor when he attended a star-studded party at Marlon Brando’s house. In an interview with USA Today, he admired his early idol as he recalled the instance,
“He was having a party, and it was really quite interesting. He and I ended up sitting in his library and having a long chat that lasted about an hour. He was like a little kid. He was wonderful. But he’s an Aries and I’m an Aries so there was that kind of kinship.”
In a PEOPLE interview, the Star Wars actor recalled that he was trying to hit on him when he passed on the former’s romantic offer by stating, “I prefer women.”
In the same interview, he detailed how that was something he was quite familiar with. He stated,
“I’ve been getting hit on all my life. Gay, straight, whatever, somebody’s always hitting on me.”
He clarified to the Last Tango in Paris actor,
“I’m not into guys.” adding, “I had no qualms with that kind of stuff. Whatever you are, that’s who you are. I’m more interested in meeting interesting people.”
Whereas, Brando garnered a major spotlight for his rumored relationships with men.
Meanwhile, Billy Dee Williams’ What Have We Here?: Portraits of A Life is available in bookstores.
