The recent news that actor Billy Dee Williams will be appearing on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars is a curious one. Many fans such as myself had hoped that the actor would appear in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII film which is set to film in April.
While this inclusion of Williams on the show does not preclude his appearance in the sequel, one has to admit it is a troublesome sign. Williams has recently made some convention appearances such as the Wizard World Comic Con in Portland and did not tip his hand about his involvement in the upcoming films.
Having appeared in two of the three films from the original trilogy and with the expected returns of the original cast, the absence of Williams may be hard to explain. Sure he could still do a glorified cameo in shooting that only takes a couple of days but since the film is set to go before the lense in London and Dancing is being filmed in Los Angeles that does make me wonder.
Schedule conflicts are nothing new for actors and Williams could always shoot his scenes after his run on Dancing With the Stars or during pick up shooting in L.A. after the main filming has completed. That being said, with the rigorous training and schedule needed for the show, one has to wonder if an appearance would be possible for Williams should he have an extended success with his dancing.
Who knows, this could end up being one of the best marketing ploys out there by Williams and his agent to get his name out there again and to brand him as hip with a younger generation who may not be familiar with his legacy.
That being said, someone the new films will just not be as good for me without the sly charm of the smarmy Lando.
