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Billy Connolly

Acting

Born November 24, 1942 · Anderston, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Also known as William Connolly · Біллі Конноллі · William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE

Biography

Billy Connolly (born November 24, 1942) is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin (The Big One). His first trade, in the early 1960s, was as a welder (specifically a boilermaker) in the Glasgow shipyards, but he gave it up towards the end of the decade to pursue a career as a folk singer in the Humblebums and subsequently as a soloist. In the early 1970s he made the transition from folk-singer with a comedic persona to fully-fledged comedian, a role in which he continues. He also became an actor, and has appeared in such films as Indecent Proposal (1993); Mrs. Brown (1997), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA; The Boondock Saints (1999); The Man Who Sued God (2001); Water (1985);The Last Samurai (2003); Timeline (2003); Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004); Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006); and The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008). Connolly reprised his role as Noah "Il Duce" MacManus in Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. Connolly appears as the King of Lilliput in the 2010 remake of Gulliver′s Travels.

Awards & recognition

  • British Academy Scotland Awards · 2012
  • Chortle Awards
  • Commander of the Order of the British Empire
  • Knight Bachelor

Filmography50+ titles

House

2004as Thomas Bell

Billy Connolly: Made in Scotland

as Self

Columbo

1971as Findlay Crawford

What About Dick?

2012as Inspector McGuffin

The Last Samurai

2003as Zebulon Gant

3rd Rock from the Sun

1996as Inspector Macaffery

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962as Self

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

2014as Dain Ironfoot

The Boondock Saints

1999as Il Duce

The Graham Norton Show

2007as Self

Brave

2012as Fergus (voice)

White Oleander

2002as Barry Kolker

Great Bear Stakeout

as Narrator

Pocahontas

1995as Ben (voice)

Who Do You Think You Are?

as Self

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2004as Dr. Montgomery Montgomery

Still Crazy

1998as Hughie

Mrs. Brown

1997as John Brown

What We Did on Our Holiday

2014as Gordie McLeod

The Ballad of Nessie

2011as Narrator (voice)

Muppet Treasure Island

1996as Billy Bones

Quartet

2012as Wilf Bond

Absolution

1978as Blakey

Dying Laughing

2016as Self

Fido

2006as Fido

The Daily Show

1996as Self

Indecent Proposal

1993as Auction M.C.

Head of the Class

1986as Billy MacGregor

Overnight

2003as Self

Wild Oats

2016as Chandler

Open Season

2006as McSquizzy (voice)

The Return of the Musketeers

1989as Caddie

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

2009as Poppa

Wisdom

2008

The Aristocrats

2005as Self

Real Time with Bill Maher

2003as Self

Water

1985as Delgado Fitzhugh

The X Files: I Want to Believe

2008as Father Joseph Crissman

Open Season 2

2008as McSquizzy (voice)

An Everlasting Piece

2000as Scalper

The Impostors

1998as Mr. Sparks, the Tennis Pro

Who Is Cletis Tout?

2001as Dr Savian

Bullshot

1983as Hawkeye McGillicuddy

Timeline

2003as Professor E.A. Johnston

Beverly Hills Ninja

1997as Japanese Antique Shop Proprietor (uncredited)

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties

2006as Dargis

Beautiful Joe

2000as Joe

Gulliver's Travels

2010as King Theodore

Kids' TV: The Surprising Story

2022as Self (archive footage)

Tate Britain's Great Art Walks

as Self