Beau Billingslea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beau Billingslea
Beau Billingslea in 2016
Born	John Billingslea 1944 (age 80–81) Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Education	University of Connecticut (BA, JD)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Cecelia Billingslea
Children	2

John "Beau" Billingslea (born in 1944) is an American actor. He is well-known for lending his voice to popular animated characters. Some of his most famous voice roles include Jet Black in the anime series Cowboy Bebop, Ogremon in Digimon, and Homura and Ay (the Fourth Raikage) in Naruto Shippuden.

Besides his voice work, Beau Billingslea has also appeared in many television shows and movies. You might have seen him in North and South Book II: Love and War, Just Jordan, The Hannah Montana Movie, and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Beau Billingslea's Early Life and Career

Growing Up and Education

Beau Billingslea was born in Charleston, South Carolina. His family later moved to Meriden, Connecticut, where he grew up. In high school, he was a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He even had a chance to play professional baseball!

However, following his father's advice, he chose to go to the University of Connecticut. There, he continued to play football and was even a co-captain in his final year. He earned a degree in Political Science in 1966.

From Military to Law

Beau was part of the ROTC program in college. This meant he had military service to complete. He decided to attend UConn Law School first, graduating and becoming a lawyer in 1969. He then served as an officer in the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, which is like being a lawyer for the military. He worked on many cases in Germany and other parts of Europe. While in Germany, he also taught criminal law.

Beau Billingslea's Acting Journey

Starting in Live-Action Roles

Beau Billingslea's acting career began in college when a friend encouraged him to try out for a play. This experience sparked his interest in acting, and he started working professionally while still in law school.

After moving to Los Angeles, he appeared in many action-packed TV shows. These included TJ Hooker, Hunter, The Fall Guy, and The A-Team. Because of his military background, he often played characters like police officers or soldiers. He also appeared in the TV miniseries North and South and sitcoms like Who's the Boss?, Murphy Brown, and Married... with Children.

Later, he played Jordan's grandfather, Grant, in the Nick series Just Jordan. He also acted in movies such as Night Shift, The American President, Hannah Montana: The Movie, and Star Trek Into Darkness, where he played Captain Abbot. He still performs in stage plays today.

Becoming a Voice-Over Star

Beau Billingslea's voice-over career began with radio commercials for different companies. He soon started working on cartoons and anime, which is where many fans know him best!

His most famous voice role is Jet Black in the popular anime Cowboy Bebop. This show was shown on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. He also voiced Captain Michael Heartland in Argento Soma and Oji Tanaka in The Legend of Black Heaven. Fans of Digimon will recognize his voice as Ogremon and other "mons." In the Naruto series, he voices Homura and Ay, the Fourth Raikage. He often attends anime conventions, where he meets fans and sometimes reunites with his fellow voice actors.

Beau Billingslea's Personal Life

Beau Billingslea lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Cecelia Billingslea. They have a son and a daughter. In 1987, he was honored by being added to the Meriden Hall of Fame. In 2014, he gave a special speech at a reunion for his old law school, the University of Connecticut Law School.

Beau Billingslea's Filmography

Beau Billingslea has had many roles in both live-action and voice-over projects. Here are some of his notable works.

Live-Action Roles

Television Appearances

Feature Film Roles

Voice-Over Roles

Anime Voice Roles

Animation Voice Roles

Direct-to-Video and Television Film Voice Roles

Feature Film Voice Roles

Video Game Voice Roles

See also

In Spanish: Beau Billingslea para niños