Who is Billy Zane?
William George Zane, better known as Billy Zane, was born on February 24, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois to Thalia and William George Zane Sr. His parents were amateur actors and ran a medical school. Billie has an older sister, actress and singer Lisa Zane.
Billy was bitten by the acting bug at a young age. In his early teens, he attended Halland his camp at Theater Arts in Elkhart, Wisconsin. In 1982, he entered the American School in Switzerland. He spent his high school years at Francis Parker High School in Chicago, Illinois. Daryl Hannah and Jennifer Beals also visited Parker before Billy attended.
Shortly after graduating from high school, Billy decided to venture to California for his first try at acting. Within three weeks, he landed his first big-screen role in Back to the Future (1985), playing the role of Match, one of Biftanen’s villains.
He later reprised this role in the sequel Back to the Future Part II (1989). After he had a small role in the sci-fi horror film Critters (1986), he had lead roles in several made-for-TV films. Billy played the villain Hughie Warriner in the Australian thriller Dead Calm (1989) and met his future wife, Lisa Collins.
He also appeared in his Memphis Belle (1990), the film version of his 1944 documentary about World War II bombers. In 1991, he appeared as John Justice Wheeler in several episodes of David Lynch’s television series Twin Peaks (1990). Billy played the superhero of the same name in The Phantom (1996) and played Caledon Hockley in the billionaire film Titanic (1997). He then appeared in the TV movie Cleopatra (1999), where he met and later broke up with his soon-to-be fiancée, actress Leonor Varela. In 2005, he had a recurring role as the poetry-loving ex-demon Drake in the television series Charmed (1998).
Zane, Cohen, and Seamasco reprized their roles in 1989’s Back to the Future Part II, and appeared as Biff’s casino minions in the 1985 alternate version. However, the trio will be replaced in Back to the Future 3, and Biff’s ancestor Mad Dog will have various sidekicks available in the western sequel.
What Does Billy Zane Acting Career Look Like?
Billy Zane was born and raised in Chicago in 1966. He was the senior son of professional stage actor Thalia and William George Zane Sr. After attending an acting camp over the summer, the teenager decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
When he turned 18, Zane planned to spend a year in Hollywood soaking up his vibes before attending acting school. However, as many aspiring actors are lucky enough to die for, Zane scored an audition for a particularly famous movie just two weeks after arriving.
Ready to play Marty McFly’s nemesis, thug Biff Tannen, Zane donned a simple, retro Jetsons t-shirt, plaid shirt, and jeans for her audition, and her hair was tousled. Zayn has since said his costume has received positive and nostalgic comments from senior casting directors.
Zane lost the villain role to Thomas F. Wilson (Wilson also goes on to see Back to the Future as his first film). Joey “Skinhead” Unger (Jeffrey Jay Cohen) and “3-D” Noguera (Casey Siemaszko) completed Biff’s gang.
Zane’s small role in Back to the Future only leads to bigger and better things. It was with Neil that he gained international fame and critical acclaim for the first time.
Titanic was the highest-grossing movie of all time and won countless awards. Zane himself won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for his role as Hockley.
Was Billy Zane in Back to the Future?
Zane’s first film role was in Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis) as Biff Tannen’s friend Match. Zane later reprised the role in the sequel Back to the Future Part II (1989, Robert Zemeckis).
He was probably best known for his role as Caledon his Hockley in the blockbuster Titanic (James Cameron, 1997) and his role as the Phantom in the cartoon Super His Hero-based Phantom (1996, Simon Winther). Zane has appeared in over 50 of his films and numerous television series.
Billy Zane made his acting debut as Biff’s friend Match in the first and second films Back to the Future, taking on a larger role than just a cameo. Zane originally auditioned for the role of Biff Tannen, but lost the role to Wilson.
Zane did not regret the casting decision, calling Wilson “one of the most charming and funny” in an interview with Chaplin Talk. He rose to fame as the excruciatingly wealthy Cal Hockley, Jack Dawson’s nemesis.
Where is Billy Zane Now?
When Billy Zane is in one sign, he makes cameos as himself (Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys) or plays larger-than-life characters (from Titanic to Netflix’s True Story). You can see that the number of projects, works will increase.
The prolific actor is currently busy with several film and TV titles, most recently playing the role of Brigadier General Enosquith in his MacGruber in Peacock. It’s a role that sees him playing the antagonist of Will Forte’s famous character.
Zane married actress Lisa Collins in 1989. The couple divorced in 1995. He was also briefly engaged to Chilean actress Leonor Varela, with whom he co-starred in the TV movie Cleopatra (1999, Frank Rodham), where he played Mark Antony.
Since 2006, Zane has been engaged to be married to British model and actress Kelly Brook, whom they met on the set of Survival Island. He is interested in frisbee, nature walks, biking, collecting cars, and more. He calls his movie heroes Sean Connery, Gene Kelly, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
