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Billy Connolly Biography (1942-)

Full name, William Connolly, Jr.; born November 24, 1942, in Anderston, Glasgow, Scotland; son of William Connolly (an instrument technician) and Mary Connolly Adams (a hospital cafeteria worker); married Iris Pressagh (an interiordesigner; some sources cite surname as Present), 1969 (divorced, 1985); married Pamela Stephenson (a comedian), December 20, 1989; children: (first marriage) Jamie, Cara; (second marriage) Daisy, Amy, Scarlett Layla. Addresses: Agent: Julian Belfrage Associates, 46 Albemarle St., London W1S 4DF, England.; Manager: Parseghian/Planco Management, 23 East 22nd St., Third Floor,New York, NY 10010.

Nationality

British

Gender

Male

Occupation

Stand–up comedian, actor

Birth Details

November 24, 1942

Glasgow, Scotland

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Billy MacGregor, Head of the Class, ABC, 1990-1991
• Billy MacGregor, Billy, ABC, 1992
• Presenter, The Bigger Picture, BBC, beginning 1993
• Himself, Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland, BBC, 1994
• Himself, Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia, BBC, 1996, published by BBC Publications, 1997
• Miniseries
• Himself, 30 Years of Billy Connolly, 1998
• Movies
• Des, Blue Money, London Weekend Television, 1982
• Title role, Deacon Brodie, 1996
• Voice of P. C., Paws, HBO, 1999
• Findlay Crawford, Columbo: Murder with Too Many Notes, ABC, 2001
• Hamish, Prince Charming, TNT, 2001
• Kingdom Swann, Gentlemen's Relish, BBC, 2001
• Specials
• Paddy, "Just Another Saturday" (also known as "Saturday Like the Other One"), Play for Today, BBC, 1975
• Jody, "The Elephants' Graveyard," Play for Today, BBC, 1976
• Himself, An Audience with Billy Connolly, London Weekend Television, 1985
• Guest speaker at Wembley Stadium, Live Aid, 1985
• Himself, Comic Relief (also known as The Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live), BBC, 1986
• Freedomfest: Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Celebration, Fox, 1988
• "Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Connolly in Performance," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1990
• Himself, "Billy Connolly: Pale Blue Scottish Person," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1991
• South Bank Show Special, London Weekend Television, 1992
• Down among the Big Boys, BBC, 1993
• Himself, 25 B.C.: The Best of 25 Years of Billy Connolly, BBC-2, 1996
• Commentator and narrator, World Tour of Television, BBC-2, 1996
• Himself, A Scot in the Arctic, 1996
• Canned Ham: Deconstructing Harry, Comedy Central, 1997
• Himself, Steve Martin Seriously Funny, Comedy Central, 2000
• Himself, Comic Relief: Say Pants to Poverty, BBC and Channel 4, 2001
• Himself, Comic Relief Short Pants, 2001
• Himself, Billy Connolly World Tour of Ireland, Wales and England,[Great Britain], 2002
• Himself, Judi Dench: A BAFTA Tribute, BBC, 2002
• Himself, Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch, [Great Britain], 2002
• Appeared in Comic Relief: Return to Nose and Beak.
• Episodic
• Himself, Parkinson, BBC, 1975
• Himself, Parkinson, BBC, 1978
• Himself, The South Bank Show, London Weekend Television, 1979
• Himself, Not the Nine O'Clock News, BBC-2, 1980
• Bogle McNeep, "A Cup 'o Tea and a Glass 'o Milk," Worzel Gummidge,Southern Television, 1980
• Various roles, The Kenny Everett Television Show, BBC, 1982
• Tick Tack the bookmaker, "Fatal Impression," Minder, Thames Television, 1989
• Himself, The South Bank Show, London Weekend Television, 1992
• Himself, Saturday Night Clive, BBC-2 and PBS, both 1994
• William "Billy" Pynchon, "Billy," Pearl, CBS, 1996
• Himself, Intimate Portrait: Sean Connery, Lifetime, 1997
• Campbell, "Veronica's Got a Secret," Veronica's Closet, NBC, 1997
• Gavin, Guys Like Us, UPN, 1998
• Rory Cassidy, "Tracey Takes on Culture" (also known as "Culture"), Tracey Takes On ... , HBO, 1998
• Himself, Parkinson, BBC, 1999
• Inspector Macaffery, "Dial M for Dick," 3rd Rock from the Sun (also known as Life As We Know It), NBC, 1999
• Himself, The Panel, 10 Network, 2001
• Himself, Parkinson, BBC, 2001
• Himself, The Ray Martin Show, [Australia], 2001
• Appeared in episodes of other series, including Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC; also appeared in other episodes of Parkinson, BBC.
• Pilots
• Thief, The Repair Shop, CBS, 1998
• Other
• Dateline Scotland, c. 1970
• Androcles and the Lion, 1984
• Himself, Erect for 30 Years, 1999
• Film Appearances
• Himself, Big Banana Feet (based on his concerts), 1976
• Himself, The Secret Policeman's Ball (also known as The 1979 Amnesty International Comedy Gala), 1979
• Blakey, Absolution (also known as Murder by Confession), 1979
• Himself, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, Miramax, 1982
• Himself, Concert for Kampuchea, Miramax, 1983
• Hawkeye McGillicuddy, Bullshot (also known as Bullshot Crummond), Handmade Pictures, 1985
• Delgado, Water, Rank, 1986
• To the North of Katmandu, Opix Films, 1986
• The bellman, The Hunting of the Snark, 1987
• Caddie, The Return of the Musketeers, Universal, 1989
• Frankie, Crossing the Line (also known as The Big Man), Miramax, 1990
• Dreaming, 1990
• Auction master of ceremonies, Indecent Proposal, Paramount, 1993
• Voice of Ben, Pocahontas (animated), Buena Vista, 1995
• Billy Bones, Muppet Treasure Island, Buena Vista, 1996
• John Brown, Mrs. Brown (also known as Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown), Miramax, 1997
• Alibius, Middleton's Changeling (also known as The Changeling), United International Pictures, 1998
• Hughie, Still Crazy, Columbia/TriStar, 1998
• Sparks, The Imposters (also known as Ship of Fools), Fox Searchlight Pictures, 1998
• The darkman/Il Duce (some sources cite Mr. Brown), Boondock Saints, New City Releasing, 1999
• Nickie Dryden, The Debt Collector, Channel 4 Films, 1999
• Joe, Beautiful Joe, Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 2000
• Scalper, An Everlasting Piece, DreamWorks, 2000
• Archangel Gabriel, Gabriel & Me, Pathe, 2001
• Dr. Savian, Who Is Cletis Tout?, Paramount Classics, 2001
• Steve Myers, The Man Who Sued God, Buena Vista, 2001
• Barry Kolker, White Oleander, Warner Bros., 2002
• Disappearances, Kingdom County Productions, 2002
• Professor Edward Johnston, Timeline, Paramount, 2003
• Sergeant Zebulah Grant, The Last Samurai, Warner Bros., 2003
• Film Work
• (Producer) Big Banana Feet (based on his concerts), 1976
• (Song arranger) Still Crazy, Columbia/TriStar, 1998
• Stage Appearances
• Die Fledermaus, Scottish Opera, 1978
• The Red Runner, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1979
• The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B, London production, 1982
• Also appeared in other productions. Performer at the King Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland.
• Concert Appearances
• Get Right intae Him, Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland, 1975
• The Secret Policeman's Ball (also known as The 1979 Amnesty International Comedy Gala), Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, 1979, also released as a film, 1979
• Concert for Kampuchea, Miramax, c. 1983
• Himself, Billy and Albert: Billy Connolly at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Albert Hall, London, 1987
• Himself, Billy Connolly Live at the Odeon Hammersmith London, Odeon Hammersmith, London, 1991
• Appeared in concerts and performances at other venues, including the London Palladium and New Victorian Theatre, both c. 1975; and at Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1989.
• Major Tours
• Connolly's Glasgow Flourish, northern British cities, early 1970s
• The Great Northern Welly Boot Show, various British and Scottish cities, including Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Young Vic Theatre, London, 1972
• The Billy Connolly Extravaganza, British cities, 1977
• Big Wee Tour, British cities, 1979
• Bite Yer Bum, 1981
• On Yer Bike Tour of Britain, British cities, 1981
• Appeared in other tours, including "Wreck on Tour." Toured several countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, the United States, andCanada.
• RECORDINGS
• Videos
• Himself, Billy Connolly "Bite Yer Bum!," 1981
• Himself, Hand-Picked by Billy Connolly, 1982
• Himself, Billy and Albert: Billy Connolly at the Royal Albert Hall, 1987
• Himself, Billy Connolly Live at the Odeon Hammersmith London (alsoknown as Live at the Odeon Hammersmith London), 1991
• Himself, Billy Connolly Live (also known as Live '94), 1994
• Himself, Two Bites of Billy Connolly, 1995
• Himself, Billy Connolly: Two Night Stand, 1997
• Himself, Sean Connery Close Up, 1997
• Himself, One Night Stand/Down Under (also known as Live '99), 1999
• Himself, Billy Connolly--The Greatest Hits, 2001
• Albums
• Billy Connolly Live, 1972
• Cop Yer Whack for This, 1974
• The Portrait, Scotdisc, 1974
• Solo Concert, 1974
• Get Right intae Him, 1975
• Atlantic Bridge, 1976
• Raw Meat for the Balcony, Polydor, 1977
• Billy Connolly: Anthology, Socas, 1978
• Riotous Assembly, Polydor, 1979
• The Pick of Billy Connolly, Polydor, 1981
• A Change Is As Good As an Arrest, Polydor, 1983
• Billy & Albert, Virgin, 1987
• On Tour with the Big Yin, Castle Communications, 1989
• Live at the Odeon Hammersmith London, Virgin, 1991
• The Crack, Laughing Stock, 1992
• Classic Connolly in Words and Music, PolyGram, 1993
• Highlights and Footlights, PolyGram Australia, 1993
• Live Down Under, Polydor/Tickety-Boo, 1995
• (With the Humblebums) New Humblebums/Open up the Door, Essential/DNA, 1997
• (With the Humblebums) Best of the Humblebums, BMG, 1998
• Appeared in a recording of The Great Northern Welly Boot Show. Appeared in other albums.
• Singles
• "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.," 1975
• Video Games
• Billy Bones, Muppet Treasure Island, Activision, 1996
• WRITINGS
• Teleplays
• Comic Relief (also known as The Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live), BBC, 1986
• Billy Connolly World Tour of Scotland, BBC, 1994
• Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia, BBC, 1996, published byBBC Publications, 1997
• Billy Connolly World Tour of Ireland, Wales and England, [Great Britain], 2002
• Screenplays
• (With others) The Secret Policeman's Ball (also known as The 1979 Amnesty International Comedy Gala), 1979
• Stage Plays
• An' Me wi' a Bad Leg, Tae, 1977
• The Red Runner, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1979
• The Sleeping Dumpling (Christmas pantomime), 1980
• Other stage plays include Groan Up and When Hair Was Long and Time Was Short.
• Songs
• "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.," 1975
• (Songs) Billy Connolly "Bite Yer Bum!" (video), 1981
• (Theme song) Supergran (television series), Tyne Tees Television,1985-1987
• Composer of other songs.
• Nonfiction
• (With Duncan Campbell) Billy Connolly, Pan Books, 1976
• Billy Connolly: Gullible's Travels (also known as Gullible's Travels), compiled by Duncan Campbell, illustrated by Steve Bell, Arrow (London), 1983
• Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia (based on the 1996 BBC production of the same name), BBC Publications, 1997

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Stephenson, Pamela, Billy, HarperCollins (London), 2001

Periodicals

• People Weekly, November 12, 1990, pp. 127-28
• Times (London), August 10, 1997

Electronic

• Billy Connolly Fan Page, http://www.btinternet.com/~sarsen/billy/billy.html (January 6, 2003)