Billy Dee Williams turned down Marlon Brando after he hit on him: ‘I prefer women’
"I had no qualms with that kind of stuff. Whatever you are, that’s who you are"
Screen icon Billy Dee Williams has shared the time he was hit on by fellow legendary actor, Marlon Brando.
Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in the original Star Wars films (and The Rise of Skywalker), shared the anecdote in his upcoming memoir, What Have We Here?: Portraits of A Life. The title comes from a line of Williams’ in The Empire Strikes Back when he meets Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)
As reported by People, Williams said the incident with Brando took place at the library in the latter’s Hollywood home. Brando was hosting a party for the Hollywood glitterati. Recounting that “I’ve been getting hit on all my life,” Williams indicated he was used to attention from men and women. “Gay, straight, whatever, somebody’s always hitting on me,” he also wrote.
Turning to Brando, Williams says he turned down The Streetcar Named Desire star because “I prefer women.” He also said that he told Brando: “I’m not into guys.” Brando was known to have relationships with both men and women. He is reported as saying in 1976, “Like a large number of men, I, too, have had homosexual experiences, and I am not ashamed.”
Refreshingly, Williams seems to have been unperturbed by the incident and seemed accepting of everyone’s identity. “I had no qualms with that kind of stuff,” People reported him as writing. “Whatever you are, that’s who you are. I’m more interested in meeting interesting people.”
The Star Wars actor also said: “I’ve spent a lot of my life around gay people. James Baldwin, who was gay, was my dearest friend.”
What Have We Here?: Portraits of A Life is available on 13 February.