Beau Billingslea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beau Billingslea
|
|
|---|---|
Billingslea in 2016
|
|
| Born |
John Billingslea
1944 (age 80–81) |
| Education | University of Connecticut (BA, JD) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) | Cecelia Billingslea |
| Children | 2 |
John "Beau" Billingslea is an American actor born in 1944. He is famous for his voice work in popular animated shows. You might know him as the voice of Jet Black in the anime Cowboy Bebop. He also voiced Ogremon in Digimon and characters like Homura and Ay, the Fourth Raikage in Naruto Shippuden.
Besides voice acting, Beau Billingslea has appeared in many TV shows and movies. Some of his live-action roles include parts in North and South Book II: Love and War, Just Jordan, The Hannah Montana Movie, and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Contents
Beau Billingslea's Early Life and Career
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, his father advised him to go to college instead. Beau attended the University of Connecticut, where he continued to play football. He graduated in 1966 with a degree in Political Science. He also studied law and became a lawyer in 1969. He worked as an officer in the Army's legal department, called the Judge Advocate General's Corps.
Becoming an Actor
While in college, Beau Billingslea discovered his love for acting. A friend encouraged him to try out for a play, and he enjoyed it so much that he decided to become an actor. He started acting professionally while still in law school.
After moving to Los Angeles, he began appearing in many action TV shows. These included TJ Hooker, Hunter, The Fall Guy, and The A-Team. Because of his background in the military, he often played characters like police officers.
He also appeared in the TV miniseries North and South. You might have seen him in other popular shows like Who's the Boss?, Murphy Brown, and Married... with Children. On the Nickelodeon show Just Jordan, he played Jordan's grandfather, Grant. He also acted in movies such as The American President, Hannah Montana: The Movie, and Star Trek Into Darkness. In Star Trek Into Darkness, he played Captain Abbot.
Beau Billingslea's Voice Acting Work
Beau Billingslea's voice acting career began with commercials for different companies. He then started working on cartoons and anime, which is where he became very well-known.
His most famous voice role is Jet Black in the anime Cowboy Bebop. 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.
Beau Billingslea often attends anime conventions, where he meets fans and sometimes reunites with his fellow voice actors. He has also narrated shows for The History Channel, including Hero Ships and Modern Marvels.
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 his hometown.
Filmography
Live-action filmography
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–87 | Hunter | Officer Bolin | 3 episodes | |
| 1984–85 | Santa Barbara | Police Officer | Unknown episodes | |
| 1985 | The Atlanta Child Murders | Commissioner Lee Brown | TV miniseries | |
| 1985 | Dallas | Dr. Miller | ||
| 1985–86 | Hotel | Cop #2, Officer | Episode: "Recriminations" | |
| 1985–86 | The A-Team | Armored car guard, Owens | 2 episodes | |
| 1986 | North and South | Ezra | TV miniseries, Book II: Love and War | |
| 1985 | Moonlighting | Announcer | Episode: "Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?" | |
| 1986 | Trapper John, M.D. | Ambers | Episode: "Self-Diagnosis" | |
| 1987 | MacGyver | Meridan | Episode: "Family Matter" | |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Kei Murray | Episode: "Three Strikes, You're Out" | |
| 1991 | Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story | Hal | Television film | |
| 1993 | NYPD Blue | Det. Hankin | Episode: "Oscar, Meyer, Weiner" | |
| 1993 | Married... with Children | Moderator | Episode: "Banking on Marcy" | |
| 1994 | Melrose Place | George | Episode: "Michael's Game" | |
| 1994 | L.A. Law | Detective Don Cuva | Episode: "Whistle Stop" | Uconn profile |
| 1995 | The Young and the Restless | Trenton Jordan | Uconn profile | |
| 1996 | Terror in the Family | Judge Roubal | Television film | |
| 1996 | Married... with Children | Reverend Hightower | Episode: "A Bundy Thanksgiving" | |
| 1997 | Murphy Brown | Agent Scanlon | Episode: "Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow" | |
| 1997 | Mad About You | Security Chief | Episode: "The Birth: Part 2" | |
| 1998 | Profiler | Prison Director | Episode: "Coronation" | |
| 1999 | Baywatch | Ben Frazier | Episode: "The Big Blue" | |
| 2001 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Tom Jakes | Episode: "Justice for All" | |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Deputy Warden Jim Cullen | Episode: "Hit the Road, Clark" | |
| 2001 | JAG | Col. Klesko | Episode: "Ambush" | |
| 2001 | 7th Heaven | Gene Carter | ||
| 2001–02 | Family Law | Judge Lawrence Harrington | Unknown episodes | |
| 2003 | Modern Marvels | Narrator | 2 episodes | |
| 2004 | The West Wing | Agent Caswell | ||
| 2006 | Gone, but Not Forgotten | Chester Shortridge | Television film (Lifetime) | |
| 2007–08 | Just Jordan | Grant Cunningham | Unknown episodes | |
| 2008 | Hero Ships | Narrator | History Channel series | |
| 2010 | Wizards of Waverly Place | Burt Parker | ||
| 2011 | General Hospital | Prof. Russell Stern | ||
| 2011–14 | Franklin & Bash | Judge James Douglas | Unknown episodes | |
| 2014 | Castle | Dr. Walter Parish | Episode: "Bad Santa" | |
| 2016 | Star Trek Continues | Vulcan Vice Admiral Stomm | Episode: "Embracing the Winds" | |
| 2017 | NCIS | Denny Rydell | Episode: "Burden of Proof" | |
| 2020 | Cherish the Day | Pastor Gordon | 2 episodes |
Feature films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Alex Joseph and His Wives | FBI Agent Vernon Wood | ||
| 1982 | Night Shift | Donny | ||
| 1983 | 10 to Midnight | Desk Sergeant | ||
| 1985 | Real Genius | George | ||
| 1988 | The Blob | Moss Woodley | ||
| 1994 | In the Army Now | Sgt. Daniels | ||
| 1995 | The American President | Agent Cooper | ||
| 1997 | Final Justice | Charles | Made in 1994, released to video in 1997 | |
| 1998 | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | Detective Fitzsimmons | ||
| 2003 | Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood | Thompson | ||
| 2005 | Rebound | NCBA Board Member | ||
| 2009 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Mayor | ||
| 2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | Captain Abbott |
Voice-over filmography
Anime roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Macross Plus | Col. Millard Johnson | ||
| 1998 | Outlaw Star | Narrator | ||
| 1998 | Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory | Admiral Kowen | ||
| 1999 | Digimon | Ogremon, Sagittarimon, Parrotmon | ||
| 1999 | Cowboy Bebop | Jet Black | as John Billingslea | |
| 2000 | Rurouni Kenshin | Gohei | ||
| 2000 | The Legend of Black Heaven | Oji Tanaka | as John Billingslea | |
| 2001 | Rave Master | Bear / Dearhound | ||
| 2001–02 | Cyborg 009 | Geromino Jr. / Cyborg 005 | ||
| 2003 | Argento Soma | Captain Michael Heartland | ||
| 2003 | Wolf's Rain | Sea Walrus | ||
| 2004 | Gungrave | Bear Walken | ||
| 2008 | Digimon Data Squad | Leopardmon | ||
| 2009 | Monster | Milan Kolasch | ||
| 2009–15 | Naruto: Shippuden | Homura, Ay (Fourth Raikage) | ||
| 2012 | Tiger & Bunny | Ben Jackson | ||
| 2017 | Hunter × Hunter | Light Nostrade | 2011 series | |
| 2017 | Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: Bandit Flower | Orphe, Bull, Julio Sawasdee | ||
| 2018 | Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World | Valga "Rom" Cromwell | ||
| 2018 | Last Hope (TV Series) | Cain Ibrahim Hasan | Also named Unit Pandora | |
| 2021 | Godzilla Singular Point | Additional Voice | Netflix dub | |
| 2021 | Super Crooks | Eric | Netflix dub |
Animation roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Megas XLR | Grrkek The Planet Killer & Orange Scaley Thing 1 | ||
| 2015 | Stakes | The Moon | Mini-series special for Adventure Time | |
| 2019 | The Forge | Booger | TIE special for Toonami |
Direct-to-video and television films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie | Dee Jay | As John Hammond | |
| 2002 | Cowboy Bebop: The Movie | Jet Black | ||
| 2006 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children | Barret Wallace | ||
| 2013 | Tiger & Bunny: The Rising | Ben Jackson | ||
| 2015 | The Last: Naruto the Movie | Fourth Raikage / Ay | Nominated for Best Male Supporting Vocal Performance in an Anime Movie/Special, 4th Annual BTVA Anime Dub Awards 2015 |
Feature films (voice)
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | War of the Worlds: Goliath | Abraham Douglas | Premiered in Malaysia in English; U.S. release in 2014 | |
| 2015 | The Laws of the Universe Part 0 | Goat-type Alien | Limited theatrical release |
Video game roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Outlaws | "Buckshot" Bill Morgan | ||
| 2003–14 | Dynasty Warriors games | |||
| 2004 | Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War | "Swordsman" Marcus Snow | ||
| 2006 | Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII | Barret Wallace | ||
| 2011–16 | Naruto games | Ay (Fourth Raikage) | ||
| 2014 | WildStar | Judge Kain, Osun Male | ||
| 2020 | Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise | Tyrone Sanders | ||
| 2020 | Fallout 76: Wastelanders | Paige, Chase Terrier, Deathklaus | ||
| 2022 | Horizon Forbidden West | Garokkah, Emboh | ||
| 2023 | Starfield | Percival Walker | ||
| 2024 | Tekken 8 | Leroy Smith | ||
| 2025 | Bleach: Rebirth of Souls | Edrad Liones |
See also
In Spanish: Beau Billingslea para niños
