Actor Billy Dee Williams Comes Out As Gender Fluid

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82-year-old Billy Dee Williams, who starred as Lando Calrissian in 1980โ€™s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back has revealed, in an interview with Esquire, that they identify as gender fluid.

He told the magazine, โ€œI say โ€˜himselfโ€™ and โ€˜herself,โ€™ because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine,โ€ going on to say, โ€œIโ€™m a very soft person. Iโ€™m not afraid to show that side of myself.โ€

In the interview with Matt Miller, writing for Esquire, Williams says, โ€œI never tried to be anything except myself. I think of myself as a relatively colorful character who doesnโ€™t take himself or herself too seriously.โ€

Premiere Of Disney Pictures And Lucasfilm's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" - Red Carpet
Billy Dee Williams attends the premiere of Disney Pictures and Lucasfilmโ€™s โ€œSolo: A Star Wars Storyโ€ at the El Capitan Theatre on May 10, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Getty Images)

The actor, artist and clothing designer who now lives in California, spoke to Miller from the Russian Tea Room in New York, where both dined on chicken Kiev, calling ahead to make sure Williamsโ€™ favorite menu item was still available.

Williams grew up in New York City, on the edge of Harlem, where guys on the streets had โ€œa little more smoothness about them,โ€ says Williams.

It was Williamsโ€™ portrayal in the role of Lando Calrissian which earned the character the label of the most charismatic figure in the galaxy.

40 Years of Star Wars Panel at the 2017 Star Wars Celebration
Billy Dee Williams at Orange County Convention Center on April 13, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Getty Images)

Later on, when actor Donald Glover played the role in 2018โ€™s โ€œSolo: A Star Wars Story,โ€ writer for the film, Jonathan Kasdan, told the Huffington Post that Lando Calrissianโ€™s character is โ€œpansexual.โ€

Kasdan said, โ€œthere is a fluidity to Donald and Billy Deeโ€™s sexuality,โ€ speaking on the two actorsโ€™ portrayal of the role.

Glover said in an interview on SiriusXM, โ€œhow can you not be pansexual in space?โ€ going on to say, โ€œyouโ€™re in space, the doorโ€™s wide open.โ€

Simone I. Smith Personal Appearance
Billy Dee Williams at Bloomingdaleโ€™s on May 12, 2011 in Century City, California. (Photo by Getty Images)

Williams will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian for The Rise of Skywalker which is the final film in the Skywalker saga. The movie is set to release December 20, 2019, and will contain unused footage of Carrie Fisher to help complete the story. Fisher died in 2016 before filming was complete.

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