*Heartthrob Billy Dee Williams, renowned for his portrayal of Lando Calrissian in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, remained puzzled by inquiries about his sexuality during the 1970s. In a convo with Page Six addressing the rumors that could have jeopardized his career, he remarked, “I’ve been called a ‘Closet Queen.’ But, I don’t pay important attention to any of that.”
Earlier this month, the actor unveiled his lively biography “What Have We Here?” detailing not just his seven-decade career but also encounters with luminaries like Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, Laurence Olivier, and Angela Lansbury.
Reflecting on his roots in Harlem and nearing his 87th birthday in April, Williams reminisces about his comfort mingling with members of the LGBTQIA community, even participating in clandestine gay gatherings in the Metropolitan Opera’s basement during his early days as an extra.
“It all sounded veritably normal to me,” he shares. “I was around it all of my life, so I never really gave it important study.”
In his biography, the “Brian’s Song” actor recounts a recent dialogue with his son, exploring Carl Jung’s proposition of anima and animus, which posits unconscious masculine and feminine aspects in individuals.
“I told my son about it,” he recalls. “I was talking about why men should get further in touch with the womanish side of themselves and also my son told me — the first time I ever heard the expression — gender fluid. My son was veritably happy to suppose that I was gender fluid!”
Williams finds the contemporary conversations on gender wars “really entertaining, to say the least.” Williams achieved matinee hero status in films such as “Lady Sings the Blues” and “Mahogany” and garnered global acclaim for his role in the “Star Wars” saga, which he describes as “a real intriguing trip.”
“Especially, when you do the conventions and you’re doing Q & A’s, and you get some little 10-time-old sprat who wants to kill you because you’ve betrayed Han Solo! So it becomes really, a kind of intriguing adventure,” he writes.
He further reflects on cases where he felt compelled to interpret the “whole question of the treason,” admitting the enjoyment he derives from similar engagements.
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