Billy Zane

Billy Zane, born as William George Zane Jr., is a well-regarded American actor. The actor's big break came in 1989 with an Australian film called 'Dead Calm', a performance strong enough to earn him a Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination for Most Promising Actor. From then onwards, Zane has built a rich body of work spanning several films and television series. Notably, he played Caledon Hockley, the main antagonist in the epic film Titanic (1997) which earned him and his fellow ensemble cast a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Some of his other roles include playing Kit Walker / The Phantom in the superhero movie The Phantom (1996), Lieutenant Val Kozlowski in Memphis Belle (1990), The Collector in Demon Knight (1995), Curtis Zampf in The Believer (2001), and Richard Miller in the Sniper film series, among others.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to professional actors, Zane established his roots in acting early on with his parents, founders of a school for medical technicians. He attended The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), the Francis W. Parker School, and Harand Camp of the Theater Arts in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. His first roles were in science fiction films such as Back to the Future in 1985 and Critters in 1986. As an actor, he hasn't confined himself to just films. He has had an extensive career in television as well, with appearances in Twin Peaks, Charmed, and The Boys. He also provided the voice of Ansem in the video game Kingdom Hearts (2002). Alongside his acting career, Zane is known as an abstract expressionist painter and has participated in many solo and group exhibitions.