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Billy Dee Williams spent several years doing small television and film roles and the occasional off-Broadway play. His first major break came in the Emmy-winning television movie Brian's Song, and he then starred opposite Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues. After several more parts, both onscreen and off, Williams won the role of Cloud City's Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back. He reprised the part three years later in Return of the Jedi. He turns 66 today.
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John Ratzenberger did extensive voice work, providing English dubs for foreign films. He may be best known for Cheers' 11 -year run-and then for the computer-generated characters to whom he lent voices in three blockbuster Pixar films, including A Bug's Life and both of the Toy Story movies, in which he plays the talking pig toy, Hamm. Between that work and his ongoing acting, Ratzenberger may not have a lot of time to look back at what was a very brief tour of duty on Hoth as Major Derlin 20 years ago. Nor, by his account, does he get much fan mail for his Star Wars work. But for this journeyman-actor-turned-master, the body of work he has put together is proof enough. He turns 56 today.
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