| Billy Drago | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Eugene Burrows September 18, 1946 Hugoton, Kansas, U.S. |
| Other names | Bill Drago |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse | Silvana Gallardo (1980-present) |
Billy Drago (born September 18, 1946) is an American actor known for his roles as villains in television and motion pictures.[1]
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Drago was born William Eugene Burrows in Hugoton, Kansas to William and Gladys Burrows. He took his grandmother's maiden name as his stage name to keep from being confused with another actor. After high school he worked as a stuntman at Boot Hill in Dodge City, Kansas. From there he went on to the University of Kansas. After finishing college he was a radio host for a time before joining an acting company taking him first to Canada then on to New York City.[2]
Drago is the father of actor Darren E. Burrows. His wife is actress Silvana Gallardo.
Drago began his acting career in 1979. His early works were in such films as, No Other Love, Windwalker and the Jeff Bridges vehicle Cutter's Way. He moved forward and appeared in guest starring roles in numerous television series; including: Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting, Walker Texas Ranger and Trapper John, M.D..
Drago is perhaps best known for the role of Al Capone's henchman Frank Nitti in Brian De Palma's 1987 film The Untouchables. Since that point he has appeared in numerous films and television roles; his more recent television résumé includes The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and The X-Files.
In 1998 he played the demon Barbas in the WB series Charmed. His character was supposed to appear in only one episode, but due to popularity with fans he was brought back for six additional episodes, appearing in five of the show's eight seasons.
His ongoing film resume includes: Delta Force 2, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins and Pale Rider, as a hired hitman. He also was featured in Michael Jackson's 2001 short film/music video "You Rock My World." Drago also played a mysterious stranger who gave a boy a special key in the Mike + The Mechanics music video for "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" in 1985. Drago's latest movie roles were in Gregg Araki's 2004 film Mysterious Skin, the horror remake The Hills Have Eyes, and a rare leading role in Takashi Miike's Masters of Horror episode Imprint, which Showtime pulled from the air due to "disturbing content."[3] The episode has been released on DVD.