‘Star Wars’ Legend Billy Dee Williams Showing No Signs Of Slowing Down As 90th Birthday Nears

Billy Dee Williams ran away with America’s collective hearts when he starred as football star Gale Sayers in the iconic film Brian’s Song way back in 1971 — and he’s still carrying the ball after turning 88 last month.

Star Wars’ dashing Lando Calrissian continues to work and create — and shows no signs of slowing down, despite his age.

Despite nearing his 90s, the Lady Sings the Blues star’s reps say any reports of his physical decline are anything but accurate. And while he can sometimes be seen using canes, they’re strictly for ease and comfort and not debilitating pain.

Billy Dee remains a prolific painter who continues to give voice to his rascally character in the franchise’s various TV incarnations and video games, and last year released an autobiography, What Have We Here?, detailing the many highlights of his sterling 60-something-year career, three marriages and many female conquests.

The book follows his journey from growing up during the days of the Harlem Renaissance as the son of a would-be opera singer, to his breakout days as one of the first African-American, big-screen heartthrobs, to his current status as a film legend.

“I created something that nobody ever created as far as little brown-skinned boys were concerned,” he’s said. “I became a matinee idol.

“I was being called the Black Clark Gable by people who saw me as this kind of fancy figure.”

He became such a charismatic symbol that vaunted author James Baldwin wanted him to play Malcolm X in a film based on his screenplay.

While the film never materialized, Williams’ career soared to previously uncharted heights when he took on the role of Star Wars’ dashing rogue and pal to Han Solo in three of the franchise’s blockbuster films.

“At that time there were all of these wonderful young filmmakers that were changing the face of cinema like Spielberg and Coppola and Scorsese,” he recalled. “I jumped at the opportunity of working with George Lucas.”

And while Billy Dee has long been hailed as a groundbreaker for his successes as a Black actor, even landing an NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, he won’t define himself solely in that way.

“I never think of myself in terms of the only Black character,” he once said. “I’m just a character. I’ve been able to translate very well across the board.”

The still-vibrant grandfather even recently popped up as a guest star in Sarah Jessica Parker’s series And Just Like That.

“I chuckle at myself or about myself all the time,” he says. “At this stage in my life I don’t need to apologize for anything.”