Necompulsion ws sources and social media users are abuzz with talks about Billy Dee Williams this week after the actor expressed his desire to bend society’s rules around gender norms.
Billy Dee Williams is an actor best known for his role of Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. And now the actor and character are returning to the flagship Sci-fi film series in the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker movie.
To promote the film, and himself, Billy Dee Williams spoke to Esquire Magazine. In that interview, Williams shared that he tries not to limit himself in expressing his masculine and feminine sides. In fact, the actor says he will also refer to himself as herself.
Billy Dee talks about his gender self-conception a little in Esquire: https://t.co/QTR8YT3T6B pic.twitter.com/0u3hHmN2ZA
— jere✊my (@jere7my) November 26, 2019
“I never tried to be anything except myself. I think of myself as a relatively colorful character who doesn’t take himself or herself seriously… And you see I say ‘himself’ and ‘herself,’ because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine,” the actor explained. “I’m a very soft person. I’m not afraid to show that side of myself.”
The interviewer then brought up the fact that Donald Glover, who played a younger version of Lando in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, discussed incorporating gender fluidity into the role after viewing Lando was pansexual. After hearing that, Williams seemed overjoyed while referencing Glover’s “This is America.”
“Really? That kid is brilliant — just look at those videos,” said Williams.
For Williams, celebrating art that fights against gender norms is nothing new. Williams spoke fondly of a former role in the 1971 Emmy award-winning film Brian’s Song. The film followed the close friendship between two football players, roommates, and best friends.
“It was a love story, really,” Williams explained. “Between two guys. Without sex. It ended up being a kind of breakthrough in terms of racial division.”
As if we didn’t need another reason to love and appreciate Billy Dee Williams, hearing of the actor’s commitment to self-expression brings a smile to our faces.
Sources: Esquire
Really, Billy D??….Really?? After all these years of having me drool over your magnificent-hansome-ness….you’re going to come out your bag about some Fkg “feminine side”??. This world does NOT need another “feminine-sided” male!! Why couldn’t you just stay the Billy D that I knew from the ’50’s and the ’60’s? You could have kept that bit of information to yourself. Who are you trying to reach??