Billy Campbell

Birthday: 7 July 1959, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Birth Name: William Oliver Campbell

Height: 192 cm

American actor Billy Campbell was born on July 7, 1959 in Charlottesville, Virginia. He came to prominence playing Luke Fuller on Dynasty (1981), the gay lover of character Steven Carrington, on what was then the top-rated TV show in America. He followed this up playing Detective Joey Indelli on Crime Story (1986). He lost out on the role of William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) to Jonathan Frakes, but won the title role in the sci-fi movie The Rocketeer (1991). In 1993, he was cast in the lead of the detective series Moon Over Miami (1993), but it was soon canceled. He then played Dr. Jon Fielding, another gay character, on the controversial miniseries Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City (1993) and its sequels, but arguably is best known for his role as Rick Sammler on Once and Again (1999). Subsequently, he had recurring role on The O.C. (2003) before playing Jordan Collier on the sci-fi series The 4400 (2004). He also appeared in the 2009 revival of Melrose Place (2009). Show less «

The only thing better than going to Pitcairn in the first place, is going again.

Most sailing ships take what they call trainees, who pay to be part of the crew. The Picton Castle t...Show more »

Most sailing ships take what they call trainees, who pay to be part of the crew. The Picton Castle takes people who are absolutely raw recruits. But you can't just ride along. You're learning to steer the ship, navigation; you're pulling lines, keeping a lookout; in the galley you're cooking. Show less «

I tend to get comfortable with the dialogue and find out who the person is in the script and try to ...Show more »

I tend to get comfortable with the dialogue and find out who the person is in the script and try to hit that. People are sort of independent of their occupations and their pastimes. You don't play a politician or a fireman or a cowboy - you just play a person. Show less «

I've done some things that have been quite interesting, but as grateful as I am for having been on '...Show more »

I've done some things that have been quite interesting, but as grateful as I am for having been on 'Dynasty,' it was just so cheesy. That's half the reason it was so much fun for people to watch, but it's not so fun to have to say those lines. Show less «

The first trip I remember taking was on the train from Virginia up to New York City, watching the su...Show more »

The first trip I remember taking was on the train from Virginia up to New York City, watching the summertime countryside rolling past the window. They used white linen tablecloths in the dining car in those days, and real silver. I love trains to this day. Maybe that was the beginning of my fixation with leisurely modes of travel. Show less «

I don't have any complex plans for playing a character. I think all I try to do is not make too many...Show more »

I don't have any complex plans for playing a character. I think all I try to do is not make too many bad guy faces and not ever try to seem too good. I just try to put it in the middle somewhere. Show less «

Aside from what it teaches you, there is simply the indescribable degree of peace that can be achiev...Show more »

Aside from what it teaches you, there is simply the indescribable degree of peace that can be achieved on a sailing vessel at sea. I guess a combination of hard work and the seemingly infinite expanse of the sea - the profound solitude - that does it for me. Show less «

The feeling of being at sea has put me in touch with who I am to a greater degree than if I had been...Show more »

The feeling of being at sea has put me in touch with who I am to a greater degree than if I had been on land all these years. So, in a roundabout way, I imagine it does inform my acting. Show less «

I would love to see a sequel to 'The Rocketeer.' I'd love to see that! I don't know that I would be ...Show more »

I would love to see a sequel to 'The Rocketeer.' I'd love to see that! I don't know that I would be in it. I may be a little long in the tooth to play 'The Rocketeer.' But I would love to be a part of that in some form or fashion. Show less «

There have been times when I've been asked to do things and I've thought, 'This is great! This is a ...Show more »

There have been times when I've been asked to do things and I've thought, 'This is great! This is a great script. But, I do not believe myself in this role.' I pretend I'm the producer and I think, 'If I was making this movie, would I cast myself in this part,' and if that doesn't feel right to me, then I don't even go audition for it. Show less «

I almost always do things that I like, in some form or fashion. Every once in awhile that means that...Show more »

I almost always do things that I like, in some form or fashion. Every once in awhile that means that I don't think the script is any good and I don't have any trust in the people, but the film is shooting in Sri Lanka, or somewhere like that, so I'm going. Show less «

I would make a horrible politician, because I wouldn't enjoy my work.

I shampoo only once a week or so, with tree tea oil shampoo. And when I slap moisturizer on my face ...Show more »

I shampoo only once a week or so, with tree tea oil shampoo. And when I slap moisturizer on my face - just some stuff I bought in the grocery store - I pile it through my hair. Show less «

On land, you can walk away from people, from unpleasant situations. But when you're on a ship for 14...Show more »

On land, you can walk away from people, from unpleasant situations. But when you're on a ship for 14 months with 49 other people, if you don't resolve your issues it literally could mean - and this would be an extreme circumstance - the sinking of the ship. You learn a lot about other people. You learn a lot about yourself. Show less «

I'm not a big fan of CGI. I'm not a fan at all, unless they use it in a way that doesn't call attent...Show more »

I'm not a big fan of CGI. I'm not a fan at all, unless they use it in a way that doesn't call attention to itself. Show less «

Some of the best auditions I've ever had have been when my agent called and said, 'They want you 20 ...Show more »

Some of the best auditions I've ever had have been when my agent called and said, 'They want you 20 minutes ago, in an office in Century City, to see you for something.' I'm not sitting there thinking for a week and a half, before I'm supposed to go in front of a network president to do something. That just gives you time to be nervous. Show less «

The South Downs of England reminded me a bit of my Old Virginia homeland.

A great deal of my battle, as an actor, is to whittle away the things that make me self-conscious an...Show more »

A great deal of my battle, as an actor, is to whittle away the things that make me self-conscious and try to trick myself into not being self-conscious. So, it's always a challenge, whether I'm lying in a hospital bed or flying around with a rocket pack on my back, or what have you. On the best of days, it's a challenge for me. Show less «

The kind of people that love 'The Rocketeer' are the kind of people that love good storytelling and ...Show more »

The kind of people that love 'The Rocketeer' are the kind of people that love good storytelling and innocence and a better world, so to speak, so they're almost always nice people to bump into. Show less «

Vancouver is one of my favorite places on earth. It's gray and rainy there a lot of the time, but fo...Show more »

Vancouver is one of my favorite places on earth. It's gray and rainy there a lot of the time, but for some reason, even though it's gray and rainy, I feel like it's a sunny day. Show less «

If you were to ask my agent, they would confirm this: I'm drawn to locations. What really drew me to...Show more »

If you were to ask my agent, they would confirm this: I'm drawn to locations. What really drew me to 'The 4400,' aside from the fact that it was sci-fi, was the fact that it was shot in the city of my dreams: Vancouver. Show less «

Oh, I'm nerdy about science fiction and fantasy and graphic novels and reading, and I'm nerdy about ...Show more »

Oh, I'm nerdy about science fiction and fantasy and graphic novels and reading, and I'm nerdy about board games. My favorite board game is a board game I'm working on right now. It's a game of Napoleonic era naval warfare, and it's going to be fun. Show less «

I sailed a bit as a child, but it wasn't until I was around 40, when I was halfway through Patrick O...Show more »

I sailed a bit as a child, but it wasn't until I was around 40, when I was halfway through Patrick O'Brian's 'Master and Commander' novels, that I had the sudden epiphany that I had to go sail on a square-rig ship. Show less «

I can't say that I haven't done some bad acting in my time. I have. Usually that involves what we ac...Show more »

I can't say that I haven't done some bad acting in my time. I have. Usually that involves what we actors call 'indicating,' when you twirl your mustache. Show less «

To me, the AMC brand is great storytelling - they call it slow-burn storytelling.

I think it would be lovely to see some features on a disc of 'The Rocketeer,' with some reminiscing....Show more »

I think it would be lovely to see some features on a disc of 'The Rocketeer,' with some reminiscing. I think that would be dynamite. Show less «

When I first came to Hollywood, I used to dream of doing films and escaping television.

I grew up 60 minutes way from Richmond, in Charlottesville, Virginia and, as a child, I was obsessed...Show more »

I grew up 60 minutes way from Richmond, in Charlottesville, Virginia and, as a child, I was obsessed with the Civil War. I used to do re-enactments and all that stuff. Show less «

Billy Campbell

Billy Campbell's FILMOGRAPHY

Billy Campbell'S roles

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