Stephen Colbert welcomed Billy Dee Williams to the stage atStar WarsCelebration in Chicago this morning. The crowd was stunned and gave the actor an amazing reaction. However, during the interview, Colbert asked if it was hard to get back into playing Lando Calrissian, to which he said, “Lando never left me,” and the first picture of the iconic character fromStar Wars 9popped up the large video screen behind him. Williams was all smiles and definitely appreciative of the chance to get back into theStar Warsuniverse.
When it was revealedStar Wars 9was going to feature the return ofLando Calrissian, fans were ecstatic. It was kept under wraps forever, but Billy Dee Williams was spotted doing the same workouts Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill did before signing on forThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi. The actor is 82-years old, but you would never guess it when looking at the actor on stage today. Williams took to the stage and thanked J.J. Abrams for giving him the opportunity, noting that he loved his name.
J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy spoke about what is was like working withBilly Dee Williamsfor the first time, with Kennedy stating the actor had no idea how excited they all were. Abrams then mentioned his first scene with Lando Calrissian takes place with a lot of extras and said, one could feel the air get sucked out of the room when Williams walked on to theStar Wars 9set. That must have been in epic feeling for Mr. Williams after all of these years away from the role.
When Billy Dee Williams was welcomed to the stage, he noted he was a “very lucky person,” before saying he never expected to return to theStar Warsuniverse. At that moment, someone from the crowd yelled, “about time!” and Williams said, “I agree with you,” which received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. The actor went on to explain the Lando character, and then asked why he has to keep doing this stuff, everybody knows the answers, but he’s sick of people asking why Lando betrayed Han Solo, which is very understandable.
Billy Dee Williams has been acting for 60 years and regardsStar Wars 9as a “true highlight” of his life. It’s true Lando never left the actor. He looks a little older, but the Williams swagger is still there in all of its glory andStar Warsfans are very excited to have him back after all of this time, which Williams is genuinely grateful for the love. It will be interesting to see how big of a part he plays in the upcomingStar Wars 9. You can see the first photo of Lando Calrissian in the movie below, thanks to the officialStar Warswebsite.
