‘Star Wars’ icon Billy Dee Williams to release autobiography detailing his 8-decade long career

Los Angeles:  ‘Star Wars’ icon Billy Dee Williams, who is known for playing the famous character Lando Calrissian from the movies, will now be releasing a memoir titled ‘What Have We Here?’ which will cover his  nearly eight-decade long career in show business.

Earlier, the actor had revealed the cover for his memoir with People magazine which showcased him dressed up as Lando Calrissian from ‘Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back’, twirling around in a cape strikingly reminiscent of the one he wore in the sci-fi franchise as head of the massive cloud city of Bespin.

I saw how many times throughout my life I wanted to go right and some force in the universe caused me to turn left instead, and things worked out,’ he told People in the interview for his cover reveal.

As reported by Daily Mail, the actor said in a new interview that he began reflecting on his life while writing his autobiography stating that he “I saw how absurd my life has been at times. And how fortunate it’s been. I had fun reliving those memories. I hope it brings back memories for readers, too.”

Publisher Knopf, said that the book will examine a career “unchecked by the racism and typecasting so rife in the mostly all-white industry in which he triumphed.”

Talking about his autobiography, the 86-year old actor said: “So many people over the years have let me into their life. Now it’s my turn to let people into mine.”

The book will dwell into Dee’s personal life as well, going all the way from his upbringing to his troubled career and the controversies he was drawn into back in the 1990s, none of which really stuck and the actor denied them completely.

Born in Harlem in 1937, Billy Dee had an upbringing suffused with the arts thanks to his mother Loretta, who trained to sing opera and worked as an elevator operator at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway.

By the time Billy Dee turned eight he had already made his Broadway debut in the Kurt Weill operetta The Firebrand Of Florence, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

‘What Have We Here?’ will be published on February 13, 2024.

–IANS