Brian Boone of Looper isn’t exactly accurate in stating that Hollywood won’t cast Billy Zane any longer, but it is evident that there are some roles that he can’t outrun and a feeling that he’s just not the leading man type. That’s pretty accurate to be honest but as a character actor he’s always been solid and he’s been able to bolster a movie since he can play the role of the bad guy in a big and very convincing way. It does seem as though this would put a big damper on his career since honestly it’s not what an actor wants to hear. But all in all he has been successful in his career quite often and it does seem that he’s been remembered for more than one role. That being said Billy is one of the most charismatic individuals in the business and he does still work when he wants to, meaning that he’s not the kind of guy that just disappears when the curtain falls, but instead will show up wherever and whenever he’s needed. In other words, he’s as solid an actor as can be found.
Here are a few of his best movies.
5. Sniper
Snipers have to rely on the person next to them to survive, so when Beckett is given a replacement after his spotter is killed it’s no wonder why he’s not impressed. Miller was a SWAT sniper but without any confirmed kills and no jungle combat experience, so it’s too obvious that he had no idea what he was doing. It’s kind of amazing to think that something like this might ever happen, but it’s also highly unlikely since sending someone into a combat zone like this would be about as close to murder as you could get without pulling the trigger yourself. The fact that they have a prolonged spat before finally coming together to complete the mission is proof that you don’t pit a novice with an expert in this manner.
4. Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
Yes it was a campy movie and didn’t have a lot of redeeming qualities, but Billy still played it pretty well and was actually the star of the show despite the fact that he was supposed to be the supporting actor. William Sadler however is another supporting actor that’s not horrible but isn’t any more of a leading man than Billy is, so it was almost as though they had to play off of one another in an effort to create a credible movie. But hey, there was a time when Tales from the Crypt was actually one of the best things going, and this has Bordello of Blood beat eight ways to Sunday.
3. Posse
Quite honestly this was one of those movies you watch when you can’t find anything else, but find that it’s still somewhat enjoyable since Billy plays an over the top villain that is too arrogant to be believed and yet offers up the best performance out of half the cast. Mario Van Peebles made it a habit to star in movies that allowed him to be presented as a great action star, but this usually required that he be flanked by actors that had his back when it came to making him look credible, and Billy Zane, despite being a little dramatic, was the perfect man to do so in this movie, and even better is that his character was killed off in the end.
2. Tombstone
He didn’t have a huge part in this movie and it ended in tragedy since he was shot by the Cowboys, the same men he’d been entertaining earlier in the movie. While he was more of a dandy and not much of a manly character as was defined by the rest of the cast, he was still impressive in his delivery since he did play his part with a great deal of skill that made him seem like someone that was self-assured, confident, and yet not fully capable of embracing the rough and tough nature of the old west. In this manner he was perfect for the role since he can definitely play the dramatic roles that give him leave to flash that smile and pomp.
1. Titanic
Cal was just a disgusting human being, and trying to say that he was anything else is kind of difficult. So yes it’s true that Jack came along and wooed Rose, who was betrothed to Cal, but given that Jack wanted her to be sure of her place in life, Cal already had it picked out and wasn’t about to let Rose make any of her own decisions. Plus, grabbing up a child to make certain that he got a place on a lifeboat is just despicable, especially since after that he didn’t let anyone else on once it was in the water.
Billy is a great actor, but he’s definitely not a lead.
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