Billy Dee Williams says he was once ‘propositioned’ by Marlon Brando
Billy Dee Williams has said he was once ‘propositioned’ by Marlon Brando. (Getty Images)
Star Wars actor Billy Dee Williams has claimed in a new interview that he was once “propositioned” by ultimate Hollywood heartthrob Marlon Brando.
Williams, best known for playing Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars film series, told all during the press tour for his upcoming memoir What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life.
Having been a heartthrob in his own right, thanks to lead roles in films like Lady Sings the Blues (1972) and Mahogany (1975) the legendary actor is used to getting hit on, but being approached by Academy Award winner Marlon Brando was an experience that Williams had to include in his memoir.
“I’ve been getting hit on all my life,” Williams told People ahead of the book release.
“Gay, straight, whatever, somebody’s always hitting on me.”
He told the publication of one particular instance, which he promises to cover in his memoir, about being “propositioned” by Brando during a party at the A Streetcar Named Desire actor’s home.
Williams claims that he politely declined Brando’s advance, explaining: “I prefer women.”
Brando famously had many girlfriends and was married three times over the course of his career, but had often spoken about his bisexuality.
While the Star Wars icon is “not into guys”, he added that he had “no qualms with that kind of stuff.”
He continued: “Whatever you are, that’s who you are. I’m more interested in meeting interesting people.”
While Williams certainly identifies as an LGBTQ+ ally, the actor made headlines in 2019 when he was mistakenly described as gender fluid.
The Lando Calrissian star had told Esquire in an interview at the time: “I think of myself as a relatively colourful character who doesn’t take himself or herself too seriously…. I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine.”
The quote led many to believe that he was coming out as gender fluid. However, in a follow-up interview with the New York Times, Williams suggested that his words had been misinterpreted, and he didn’t “really know what it means.”
“I was talking about, I think that men should get in touch with their female self,” he clarified.
“Men should not be afraid or ashamed of expressing the soft side of themselves.”
While that may be the case for Billy Dee Williams, Star Wars creatives have confirmed in recent years that the actor’s famous character Lando Calrissian is sexually fluid.
After Solo: A Star Wars Story co-writer Jonathan Kasdan confirmed that Lando had “a [sexual] fluidity” to him, Donald Glover, who plays a younger Lando in the same film backed this up in an interview with SiriusXM.
“How can you not be pansexual in space,” asked Glover. “There are so many things to have sex with! I’m serious. It just didn’t seem that weird to me. You’re in space; the door is open.”
What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life drops on 13 February.
