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Billy Zane

Zane first made his mark on the Hollywood scene with his chilling breakout performance opposite Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. His other feature film credits include starring roles in the political actioner Sniper, the westerns Tombstone and Posse, the WWII drama Memphis Belle, the romantic comedy Only You, and the adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel Orlando.

Zane also starred with Jada Pinkett in Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Knight, produced by Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis, and played the virtuous hero in the adventure film The Phantom, co-starring Catherine Zeta Jones. His portrayal of Cal Hockley in the worldwide blockbuster Titanic garnered Zane numerous honors, including a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor, a Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination, and an MTV Movie Award nomination. Zane also plays himself in the comedy Zoolander, directed by and starring Ben Stiller.

Zane began compiling a list of producing credits with This World, Then The Fireworks, in which he also starred with Gina Gershon. The film premiered to critical acclaim in the prestigious American Spectrum series at the Sundance Film Festival, and also played at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. He also produced 1998's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died.

On television, Zane has starred as Marc Antony in the epic miniseries Cleopatra, which aired to critical acclaim on ABC, and received critical honors for his starring role in Dean Koontz's thriller Sole Survivor, which aired on Fox. He also stars in The Believer for Showtime (which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival), and in the TBS original movie Invincible, produced by Mel Gibson and Jet Li. In addition, Zane has a recurring guest-starring role on David E. Kelly's critically acclaimed series Boston Public.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2002.

Billy Zane Facts

Birth NameWilliam George Zane Jr.
OccupationActor
BirthdayFebruary 24, 1966 (58)
SignPisces
BirthplaceChicago, Illinois, USA
Height6' 2" (1m88)  How tall is Billy Zane compared to you?

Selected Filmography

The Believer (2001)
Cleopatra (1999)
Pocahontas II (1998)
Titanic (1997) user recommendation as Cal Hockley (breakthrough)
The Phantom (1996)
Only You (1994)
Poetic Justice (1993)
Dead Calm (1989)
Back to the Future (1985)
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