I've Had a GREAT LIFE

The longtime actor opens up about his favorite roles and future goals

- -Susan Hornik

Billy Dee Williams approached Lando Calrissian, his character in The Empire Strikes Back, as a swaggering intergalactic buccaneer. "When I got the cape, that sort of solidified it," Billy tells Closer. "I started thinking of him as a swashbuckler - devoid of all of the discussions about race. I wanted to create a bigger-than-life character."

An actor, artist and author, Billy, 87, has been leading a very large life, starting from his childhood in New York's Harlem neighborhood. "Even at my age, I continue to stay open and childlike," he says. "I'm still embracing and understanding life." The performer, who was honored at the TCM Classic Film Festival, recently released his memoir, What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life.

What was your childhood like?

I had a really wonderful upbringing in New York City, on 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth avenues, right across the street from Central Park. Mommy, Daddy, Grandmommy, me and my twin sister, Lady. They are the ones that shaped my life. My sister was eight minutes older than me. Lady was her nickname. We had a great relationship.

You started acting at age 7. How did that come about?

My mom was interested in becoming a movie star-she studied opera for many, many years. She was working in New York for Ben Boyer and Max Gordon, who were producers and theater managers. They were putting on this musical called The Firebrand of Florence and they needed a little boy. So she had me audition. They had me walk across the stage two times, but because I was so enamored, I decided I wanted to walk across the third time. So at that point, I started crying. I've always said that I cried my way into show business!

Did you ever want to follow in your mother's footsteps as a singer?