Page 56 - Esquire - USA (Winter 2020)

Song. “It was a love story, really. Between two guys.
Without sex. It ended up being a kind of breakthrough
in terms of racial division,” he tells me. The same could
be said about his portrayal of Lando in 1980’s The Em-
pire Strikes Back, which marked the inclusion of a com-
plex black character in a genre that was—and remains—
notoriously white. In fact, over the summer, when he was
at Disney’s D23 Expo in support of the upcoming Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (for which he is reprising his
iconic role), he hung out with the Rock and Jamie Foxx,
both of whom said their careers are indebted to Lando.
“The Rock calls me the OG,” Williams says. “What I pre-
sented on that screen people didn’t expect to see. And I
deliberately presented something that nobody had expe-
rienced before: a romantic brown-skinned boy.”
J.J. Abrams, who is directing the conclusion to the Sky-
walker saga, tells me via email that Williams’s charisma
and charm are unmatched. While Abrams says he can’t
begin to imagine what it must have been like for people
of color to see a character like Lando onscreen in 1980,
he recognizes Williams’s place in film history. “Lando
was always written as a complex, contradictory, nuanced
character. And Billy Dee played him to suave perfec-
tion,” Abrams says. “It wasn’t just that people of color
were seeing themselves represented; they were seeing
themselves represented in a rich, wonderful, intriguing
way. Also, he has the best smile in Hollywood.”
Before he was even cast, Williams was a fan of George
Lucas, beginning with 1971’s THX 1138. And direc-
tor Irvin Kershner thought the actor had the right style
for Lando, so Williams didn’t even have to audition for “I deliberately presented something that nobody had experienced before:
Empire. “He knew I could pull off someone who was a romantic brown-skinned boy.”
likable and charming. The most interesting charac-
ters are those who are dubious...but you want the au-
dience to really fall in love with them,” Williams tells their project to life in a way that they’re looking for.”
me. (For the record, he understands why Lando had to Having built his career playing pivotal examples of
double-cross Han and Leia. “He was up against Darth TV and film diversity, Williams is well aware of what
Vader. I don’t blame him for what he did.”) Kershner the new trilogy’s young leads went through—namely,
went to Williams’s house to persuade him to be in the racism and sexism from online trolls—when they were
film; it didn’t take much, the actor says, to get him to ap- launched into the spotlight. “You’re always going to have
pear in one of the most anticipated sequels of all time. people making stupid comments,” he says. “One deals
On set, he befriended costars Carrie Fisher (who he says with indignities all the time. Do you sit around with ven-
had a brilliant mind) and Harrison Ford (whom he still geance in your soul? You can’t do that. I’m not forcing
considers a dear friend), and he avoided any workplace people to listen to my point of view, but if I can pres-
gossip. “As far as I’m concerned, I mean, I don’t care ent it in some creative fashion—I’m the painter, tweak-
what people are—if they’re fucking each other and ing, adding, contributing, putting in something that you
they’re sucking each other, whatever they’re doing, Lando’s rakish allure haven’t thought about, maybe.”
that’s fine with me. I don’t care,” he says of Fisher and was partly inspired Thinking about struggles in the world around him,
Ford’s romance, as described in her memoir. by Rudolph Valentino. Williams mentions his encounter with Donald Trump
Now, for the first time since 1983’s Return of the Jedi, at an event in the ’80s: “He was very charming. And
he’ll play Lando once again. Between Jedi and the events very good at being charming. You know the story of
of the new trilogy, Williams says, “I always imagined Lando Narcissus? Who looked at himself in the water, fell in
being like Steve Wynn, running Las Vegas. Because he’s love with himself, and then fell in and drowned? I mean,
a gambler. But he was a bit of a showman, a bit of an en- this might be one of those kinds of things.”
trepreneur. That’s how I see Lando. I never necessarily As for what’s next, Williams is writing a memoir. So
saw him as a general running around shooting things.” is this the end of Lando? He laughs as he eats a cup of
We don’t know exactly what’s behind Lando’s return passion-fruit sorbet with a shot of vodka poured on top.
to the franchise, but trailers show the hero back in the (For me: a double espresso with Grand Marnier that he
cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. Stepping onto that set insisted I try. I didn’t sleep that night.)
again, Williams says, was cool—but also work. “You’re “It’s a conclusion—certainly it depends on how much
bringing something that helps move the vision that the On his role in Skywalker: money is generated. That’s when they determine
director or producer or writer is looking for. I’m there “It’s a conclusion,” says where’s the conclusion,” he says. “The one thing about
not only for myself, but I’m there to help them bring Williams. Probably. show business, you can resurrect anything.”

48 Winter 2020_Esquire Coat ($2,695) by Dunhill; shirt and trousers by Serj Custom Suits & Tailoring; loafers, collection by Magnanni, saks.com.