Biography
Who is Billy Zane?
Early life and background
Billy Zane was born William George Zane Jr. In Chicago, United States, on February 24, 1966. His parents, Thalia and William George Zane Sr., were both professional actors and founders of a school for medical technicians. His family is of Greek descent from Chios and Mani, and they originally used the surname Zanetakos before it was anglicized. He grew up practicing the Greek Orthodox faith alongside his older sister Lisa Zane, who pursued a career as an actress and singer.
For his education, Billy attended the Francis W. Parker School and spent a year studying at The American School in Switzerland, known as TASIS. He also attended the Harand Camp of the Theater Arts located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, which helped build his early foundation in performance.
Rise to fame and career highlights
Billy began his screen career with appearances in the science fiction films Back to the Future in 1985 and Critters in 1986. He gained broader recognition for his performance in the 1989 Australian thriller Dead Calm alongside Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill. This role earned him a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor.
In 1996, Billy took on the title role in the big budget superhero film The Phantom, based on Lee Falk's classic comic book hero. Shortly after, he achieved worldwide fame by starring as the wealthy antagonist Caledon Hockley in James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster Titanic alongside Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. His performance in Titanic earned him an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Villain and a Blockbuster Entertainment Award, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination shared with the ensemble cast.
Personal life and relationships
Billy was married to actress Lisa Collins from 1989 until their divorce in 1995. He later had relationships and engagements with several public figures, including Chilean actress Leonor Varela, whom he met while co-starring in the television miniseries Cleopatra. He was also engaged for a time to British model and actress Kelly Brook after they worked together on the film Survival Island.
He later had a relationship with American model Candice Neill, with whom he shares two daughters named Ava Catherine and Gia, born in 2011 and 2014 respectively. Billy confirmed that he and Candice separated prior to 2022, leaving him single. Outside of acting, Billy is an abstract expressionist painter who has hosted multiple solo and group art exhibitions, and he participated in the inaugural Gumball 3000 rally driving a classic car.
Birthday and age
Billy Zane was born on February 24, 1966, which makes Billy 60 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Billy shares the date with 21 other famous people.
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