Born:
February 24, 1966
in
Chicago
Best Known For:
Playing bad boy Caledon Hockley in Titanic and dating Kelly Brook.
Early-life:
William George Zane Jnr was born on February 24, 1966, in Chicago to parents Thalia and William Snr, who were enthusiastic amateur thespians. His older sister, Lisa, is also an actress. His grandfather changed the family name from the original Greek Zanikopolous to what we know now. Billy studied acting at the Harand Camp of Theatre Arts, landing his first big-screen role as one of Biff Tannen's pals in Back to the Future, reprising the role for the 1989 sequel.
Career:
Zane got his big break in that same year, when he landed the role of psychotic Hughie Warriner in the chilling flick Dead Calm, opposite Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman. A year later, he won his first leading role in the indie sci-fi thriller Megaville, before joining the cast of ensemble piece Memphis Belle. Since then, he has gone on to accumulate a vast number of roles, from playing John Justice Wheeler in TV smash Twin Peaks, to the villainous Caledon Hockley in blockbuster Titanic. In recent years, Zane has turned his hand to producing as well as starring in movies, and demonstrated his singing and dancing skills with a turn on Broadway in Chicago. He always has a number of projects in the pipeline.
Quote:
On what age he likes best: "Old enough to know better, young enough not to care."
Trivia:
In 1999, Zane participated in the first Gumball 3000 rally.