Pay tribute to [link=/name/nm0000469/]James Earl Jones[/link], [link=/name/nm0001167/]Shelley Duvall[/link], and more stars we lost in 2024.

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Pay tribute to <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm0000469/?ref_=nmwrk_eds_right-3_lk">James Earl Jones</a>, <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm0001167/?ref_=nmwrk_eds_right-3_lk">Shelley Duvall</a>, and more stars we lost in 2024.

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William George Zane, better known as Billy Zane, was born on February 24, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois, to Thalia (Colovos) and William Zane, both of Greek ancestry. His parents were amateur actors and managed a medical technical school. Billy has an older sister, actress and singer Lisa Zane. Billy was bitten by the acting bug early on. In his early teens, he attended Harand Camp of the Theater Arts in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In 1982, he attended the American School in Switzerland. His high school days were spent at Francis Parker High School in Chicago, Illinois. Daryl Hannah and Jennifer Beals also attended Parker, prior to Billy's attendance.

Soon after graduating from high school, Billy decided to venture out to California to attempt acting for the first time. Within three weeks, he won his very first big screen role in Back to the Future (1985), playing the role of Match, one of Biff Tannen's thugs. He would later reprise that role for the sequel Back to the Future Part II (1989). Then after a small role in the science fiction horror film Critters (1986), he landed starring roles in several television films. Billy played villain Hughie Warriner in the Australian thriller film Dead Calm (1989), where he met his future wife, Lisa Collins.

He also co-starred in Memphis Belle (1990), a film version of a 1944 documentary about a World War II bomber. In 1991, he appeared as John Justice Wheeler on several episodes of David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks (1990). Billy starred as the eponymous superhero in The Phantom (1996) and as Caledon Hockley in the billion dollar grossing Titanic (1997). Then, he starred in the television movie Cleopatra (1999) where he met his soon-to-be fiance, actress Leonor Varela from whom he subsequently separated. In 2005, he had a recurring role as the poetry loving ex-demon Drake on the television series Charmed (1998).

CD: Executive Producer of a CD by bluesman <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm1448803/?ref_=nmwrk">Tim O&#39;Connor</a>. The CD contains three songs from the movie <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0097162/?ref_=nmwrk">Dead Calm (1989)</a>.

(1998) Music video: Appeared in <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0001504/?ref_=nmwrk">Marilyn Manson</a> video &quot;The Dope Show&quot;.

Music video: Appeared in <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm1461066/?ref_=nmwrk">Staind</a>&#39;s video &quot;Epiphany&quot;.

(11/29/06-2/27/07) Stage: Appeared in &quot;Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks&quot; by <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0019132/?ref_=nmwrk">Richard Alfieri</a>. Also in cast: <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0001954/?ref_=nmwrk">Claire Bloom</a>. Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, England.

TV commercial (PSA): Women At Risk Organization.

(1985) Music video: Appeared in <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0002054/?ref_=nmwrk">Sheena Easton</a>&#39;s video &quot;Do It for Love&quot;.

(1986) Stage: Appeared in <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0002054/?ref_=nmwrk">Sheena Easton</a>&#39;s video &quot;Magic of Love.&quot;

(2013) Music video Avril Lavigne: &quot;Rock N Roll&quot;

(April 2016) Magazine article: &quot;Listen to Your Friend Billy Zane&quot; (Empire, issue 322) - Billy Zane hosts an &quot;Agony Uncle&quot; page where he helps readers with their film-related problems

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Billy Zane

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