:::Birth name:::
William George Zane Jr.

:::Date of birth (location):::
24 February 1966,
Chicago, Illinois, USA

:::Height:::

6' 2"
:::bio:::

William George Zane Jr., better known as Billy Zane, was born on February 24, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, USA to parents William George Zane Sr. and Thalia Zane. Both of his parents ran a medical technical school. Billy also has a sister named Lisa Zane, an actress born in 1961. 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, IL. A couple of his classmates were Hannah, Darryl and Jennifer Beals. Soon after graduating high school, Billy decided to venture out to California to try his hand at acting. Within three weeks, he won his very first big screen role in Back to the Future (1985), playing the part of Match, one of Biff's thugs. He would later reprise that role for the sequel. Then after a small role in the film Critters (1986), he landed starring roles in several television movies. In 1989, Billy filmed Dead Calm (1989). It was on the set of this movie that he met his future wife, Collins, Lisa. They were married from 1988-1995. In 1996, Billy starred in Phantom, The (1996) and in 1997 as Cal Hockley in the billion dollar grossing Titanic (1997). Then in 1999, he starred in the television movie Cleopatra (1999) (TV) where he met his soon-to-be fiance, actress Leonor Varela from whom he subsequently split.

:::filmography:::

Claim (2002) .... Roberto Bealing
Sea Devils (2002)
Landspeed (2001) .... Michael Sanger
Invincible (2001/I) (TV) .... Os
Zoolander (2001) (uncredited) .... Himself
... aka Zoolander (2001) (Germany) CQ (2001) .... Mr. E
Believer, The (2001) .... Curtis Zampf
Best of So Graham Norton, The (2000) (V) .... Himself VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards (2000) (TV) .... Himself
Hendrix (2000) (TV) .... Michael Jeffrey
"Sole Survivor" (2000) (mini) TV Series .... Joe Carpenter
Cleopatra (1999) (TV) .... Marc Antony
Susan's Plan (1998) .... Sam Myers
... aka Dying to Get Rich (2000) (USA: video title) I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) .... The Thief ... aka Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) ... aka I Awoke Early the Day I Died (1999) (USA) Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) (V) (voice) .... John Rolfe ... aka Disney's Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) (V) (USA: complete title) ... aka Pocahontas: Journey to a New World (1998) (V) (USA: closing credits title) Titanic (1997) .... Caledon 'Cal' Hockley This World, Then the Fireworks (1997) .... Marty Lakewood Danger Zone (1996) .... Rick Morgan Head Above Water (1996) .... Kent Phantom, The (1996) .... The Phantom/Kit Walker Set Up, The (1995) .... Charles Thorpe Demon Knight (1995) .... The Collector ... aka Demon Keeper (1995) ... aka Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995) (USA: complete title) Reflections on a Crime (1994) .... Colin ... aka Reflections in the Dark (1994) Only You (1994) .... The False Damon Bradley ... aka Him (1994) ... aka Just in Time (1994) Running Delilah (1994) (TV) .... Paul ... aka Robospy (1994) (TV) (Australia) 100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994) (TV) .... Himself Silenzio dei prosciutti, Il (1994) .... FBI Agent Jo Dee Fostar ... aka Silence of the Hams, The (1995) (USA) Betrayal of the Dove (1993) .... Dr. Jesse Peter Flashfire (1993) .... Jack Flinder ... aka August Fires (1993) (USA: TV title) Tombstone (1993) .... Mr. Fabian Poetic Justice (1993) .... Brad Posse (1993) .... Colonel Graham Lake Consequence (1993) (TV) .... Billy Sniper (1993) .... Richard Miller Orlando (1992) .... Shelmerdine Miliardi (1991) .... Maurizio Ferretti ... aka Billions (1991) ... aka Miliardi\Millions (1991) (USA) ... aka Millions (1991) Blood and Concrete (1991) .... Joey Turks ... aka Blood and Concrete, a Love Story (1991) Femme Fatale (1991) .... Elijah ... aka Fatal Woman (1991) Megaville (1990) .... Palinov/Jensen Memphis Belle (1990) .... Lt. Val Kozlowski, Bombardier
Going Overboard (1989) .... King Neptune ... aka Babes Ahoy (1989) Back to the Future Part II (1989) .... Match Dead Calm (1989) .... Hughie Warriner Case of the Hillside Stranglers, The (1989) (TV) .... Kenneth Bianchi ... aka Hillside Stranglers, The (1989) (TV) Police Story: Monster Manor (1988) (TV) .... Officer Don Varney Brotherhood of Justice (1986) (TV) .... Les Critters (1986) .... Steve Elliot Back to the Future (1985) .... Match

::: Billy Zane's acting capabilities know no bounds. From the dusty crypts of 'Demon Knight' to the wild jungles of 'The Phantom' and even to the luxurius class of the 'Titanic,' Billy's on screen performance is tough to beat. The set of the very recent TV movie 'Cleopatra' is where Billy met his Fiancee Leonor Varela. :::