• Was an accomplished art student even before his acting career began. Has had professional gallery showings where his oil canvases have sold for tens of thousands of dollars.
• He appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song "Voices That Care."
• Has a twin sister.
• Was arrested in L.A. after police received a call from his live-in girlfriend accusing him of battery. Williams was charged with cohabitational abuse and released on $50,000 bail. [30 January 1996]
• He and actress/singer Diahann Carroll were classmates at The New York City High School of the Performing Arts, the school that was featured on the popular TV show "Fame" (1982).
• Originally auditioned for the role of Han Solo in 1976.
• He accepted the role of D.A. Harvey Dent in Batman (1989) with the knowledge and expectation that Dent would eventually become Two-Face: he reportedly had a clause put into his contract reserving the role for him in any sequels, which Warner Bros. had to buy out so they could cast Tommy Lee Jones.
• Has four children
• Has a son named Corey Williams who graduated from North Hollywood in 1978. Step-daughter Miyako also attended same high school, was in the 10th grade when Corey graduated.

Billy Dee Williams has been a romantic leading man, an action super-hero, a cowboy, a policeman, federal agent, heroic friend and much more in his outstanding career.

At the age of seven, Billy Dee Williams made his debut on Broadway in The Firebrand of Florence, a production whose title may have been prophetic for Williams, who went on to make a name for himself in theatre, television and feature films.

After studying with Paul Mann and Sidney Poitier at the fabled Actor's Workshop, he soon created a buzz in productions of The Cool World, Blue Boy in Black, A Taste of Honey with Angela Lansbury and Hallelujah Baby with Leslie Uggams.

It was in ABC-TV's award-winning telefilm Brian's Song that established Williams as an important television actor, earning him an Emmy nomination. In 1970, he appeared with Diana Ross in The Lady Sings the Blues, and three years later was teamed up with Miss Ross in Mahogany.

In 1980, he was cast as the gambler and scoundrel Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back. Since that extraordinary success, he has appeared in many feature film and television productions, including Batman, The Jacksons: An American Dream, Dynasty, Chiefs, Courage, and Lonesome Dove: The Series.