What Have We Here?
Billy Dee Williams is a remarkable actor known for his smooth charm and captivating performances. With a career spanning decades, he has graced both the big screen and television with his undeniable talent. Billy Dee Williams is perhaps best recognized for his iconic portrayal of Lando Calrissian in the legendary “Star Wars” franchise. His charisma and suave demeanor have earned him a special place in the fandom. Beyond “Star Wars,” he has left an impact through various roles in films and TV shows, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
In an Tweet posted yesterday, Williams announced his upcoming book, “What Have We Here?” that will release February 2024 from Penguin Random House.
✨💫What Have We Here?
Coming in February 2024, I will be sharing my life’s story—from Harlem to Star Wars and beyond—on all that has sustained and carried me through a lifetime of dreams and adventure.
Head to the link in the bio to preorder your copy today!@AAKnopf
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) August 1, 2023
The Life of a Legend
Film luminary Billy Dee Williams recalls his remarkable life—a heralded actor who’s played the roles he wanted, from Brian’s Song to Lando in the Star Wars universe—unchecked by the racism and typecasting so rife in the mostly all-white industry in which he triumphed.
Starting with his birth in Harlem in 1937, What Have We Here details Billy’s experiences through his young adulthood, to his first film role in Paul Muni’s The Last Angry Man. It was Muni who gave Billy the advice that sent him soaring as an actor, “You can play any character you want to play no matter who you are, no matter the way you look or the color of your skin.” And Williams writes, “I wanted to be anyone I wanted to be.”He writes of landing the role of a lifetime in Brian’s Song and describes his experinces as the first Black character in the Star Wars universe, where he became a true pop culture icon, playing Lando Calrissian in George Lucas’s The Empire Strikes Back.
A legendary actor, in his own words, on all that has sustained and carried him through a lifetime of dreams and adventure.Coming in February 2024
