At 82 years old, Billy Dee Williams is not only making moves as an iconic actor but as an iconic person.
In his recent feature interview for Esquire, Williams opened up about the ways in which he expresses his own gender identity.
“And you see I say ‘himself’ and ‘herself,’ because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine,” Williams confirmed. “I’m a very soft person. I’m not afraid to show that side of myself.”
Writer Matt Miller then mentioned Donald Glover, who portrays the younger version of Williams’ character Lando Calrissian in Solo (2018) and discussed the character’s gender fluidity during the film’s press tour.
“Really? That kid is brilliant—just look at those videos,” Williams replied.
There are two major things that stick out to me, in terms of significance. Anything deemed as feminine is thought of as inherently inferior (we’ve all heard the word “pussy” used as a pejorative when we all know it’s actually the most brolic body part in these streets) which is ridiculous and unfounded. Williams, who has portrayed some of the most hyper-masculine characters in black history, knows his masculinity isn’t threatened simply by the existence of femininity. Quite the contrary, he is actually enhanced by tapping into both parts of himself.
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