Billy Zane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Billy Zane
Zane at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2019
Born	William George Zane Jr. (1966-02-24) February 24, 1966 (age 59) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Lisa Collins ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1995)​
Partner(s)	Candice Neil (2010–present; engaged)
Children	2
Family	Lisa Zane (sister)

William George Zane Jr. (born February 24, 1966), known as Billy Zane, is an American actor. He is famous for playing many different characters in movies and on TV.

Zane is well-known for playing the villain Caledon Hockley in the famous movie Titanic (1997). He also played "Match" in the Back to the Future movies. Another big role was the superhero in The Phantom (1996). He also provided the voice for the character Ansem in the popular video game Kingdom Hearts.

Early Life and Family

Billy Zane was born in Chicago, Illinois. Both of his parents, Thalia and William George Zane Sr., were professional actors. They also started a school for medical technicians.

Zane's family has Greek roots. His family's original last name was "Zanetakos," but his parents changed it to "Zane." He has an older sister named Lisa Zane, who is also an actress and a singer. As a young man, Zane went to a school in Switzerland for a year. He later attended the Harand Camp of the Theater Arts in Wisconsin to study acting.

Acting Career

Zane started his acting career in the mid-1980s. He quickly became known for playing interesting and memorable characters.

First Movie Roles

Zane's first movie role was in the science fiction hit Back to the Future in 1985. He played Match, one of Biff Tannen's friends. A year later, he appeared in the movie Critters.

In 1989, he played the villain Hughie Warriner in the thriller Dead Calm. He acted alongside Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill. This role brought him a lot of attention. That same year, he returned as Match in Back to the Future Part II.

Success in the 1990s

The 1990s were a very busy time for Zane. He starred in the war movie Memphis Belle (1990). He also appeared in several episodes of the popular TV show Twin Peaks.

In 1996, Zane played the main character in the superhero movie The Phantom. He played Kit Walker, a hero who fights crime from the jungle.

His most famous role came in 1997 in James Cameron's blockbuster film Titanic. He played Caledon "Cal" Hockley, the rich and arrogant fiancé of Rose (played by Kate Winslet). His performance as the film's main villain earned him an MTV Movie Award nomination.

Zane also did voice acting. He was the voice of John Rolfe in Disney's Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998).

Roles in the 2000s

Billy Zane at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010

In 2001, Zane made a fun cameo appearance as himself in the comedy movie Zoolander. He also appeared in the TV show Charmed as a former demon named Drake who loved poetry.

One of his most popular roles for gamers was as the voice of Ansem, the main villain in the video game Kingdom Hearts (2002). His voice was used again for later games in the series through archive audio.

In 2006, he acted in a Turkish movie called Valley of the Wolves: Iraq. He played a U.S. soldier who was the main villain in the story.

Recent Work

Zane in 2008

Zane has continued to act in many films and TV shows. In 2012, he starred in the action film The Kill Hole. He has also appeared in TV shows like Community and The Boys, where he played a version of himself.

In 2024, Zane portrayed Larry Ray in the Lifetime movie Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story.

Personal Life

Billy Zane was married to actress Lisa Collins from 1989 to 1995. He was later engaged to British model and actress Kelly Brook, whom he met while filming the movie Survival Island (2005).

Zane is currently engaged to American model Candice Neil. They have two daughters, Ava Catherine (born in 2011) and Gia (born in 2014).

Besides acting, Zane is also a talented painter. He creates abstract expressionist art and has shown his work in many art exhibitions.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Billy Zane's most well-known movies and TV shows.

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Billy Zane para niños