Sonny Landham

William M. "Sonny" Landham (February 11, 1941 – August 17, 2017) was an American film actor and stunt man. He portrayed Billy Bear in 48 Hrs. and tracker Billy Sole in Predator.[1]

Sonny Landham
Born
William M. Landham

(1941-02-11)February 11, 1941
Canton, Georgia, U.S.
DiedAugust 17, 2017(2017-08-17) (aged 76)
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
OccupationActor, filmmaker
Years active1969–2009

Early life and education

Landham was born February 11, 1941, in Canton, Georgia,[2] and raised in Rome, Georgia.[3] He was of half Cherokee and one-eighth Seminole descent, and partly of German, English and Irish descent.[1] He also stated he had Jewish heritage.[4] Landham had at least one sibling, a sister, Dawn.[2]

He attended Saint Mary's Catholic School and Darlington School before playing football for a year at the University of Georgia.[3] Subsequently, he graduated from Oglethorpe University.[5] After college, he did a stint in the army, worked in an oil field, as a ordained Baptist minister, and a model.[6]

Career

Acting career

Landham studied acting for two years at Pasadena Playhouse before moving to New York in 1968 to pursue a career in acting.[6] At the beginning of his acting career, Landham was an actor in pornographic films.[7][8][9] He also posed for nude layout for Playgirl.[6] He then became a mainstream movie actor and appeared in a number of Hollywood films, including The Warriors (1979) as a subway policeman whose leg gets broken by a baseball bat-wielding Michael Beck, 48 Hrs. (1982), Predator (1987), Action Jackson (1988), and Lock Up (1989).[10]

Politics

In 2003, Landham ran in the Republican Party primary election for the post of Governor of Kentucky,[2] hoping to repeat the success of his Predator castmates Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He based his candidacy on opposition to an amendment which endorsed the Kentucky Family Court, saying his bad experiences at the hands of the family court had convinced him it was for the benefit of lawyers rather than families or children. He was unsuccessful in gaining the party's nomination. He ran briefly as an independent candidate, but withdrew on June 18, 2003, and endorsed the Republican slate.[11]

In January 2004, Landham announced his candidacy for the 27th State Senate District of Kentucky.[12] In 2005, Landham spoke at the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC) convention.[4] Landham has also appeared on the CofCC-affiliated radio show, The Political Cesspool.[13]

On June 25, 2008, Landham announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Mitch McConnell on the Libertarian line.[2][14] A month later, Landham repeatedly called for "genocide" against Arabs (to whom Landham referred as "camel-dung shovelers," "camel jockeys," and "rag-heads") on the political radio show The Weekly Filibuster.[4] On July 28, the Kentucky Libertarians voted unanimously to withdraw Landham's nomination, citing his comments were not in keeping with the party's platform and values.[15]

Personal life

Landham was married five times.[16] He had four children, including a son named William, and a daughter named Priscilla.[2]

After being convicted on federal charges of making threatening and obscene phone calls to his wife, Landham spent three years in prison.[2] However the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the conviction in May 2001.[17]

On September 19, 2006, Landham was injured in a four-car accident in Ashland, Kentucky.[18]

Death

Landham died on August 17, 2017, aged 76, from congestive heart failure.[2][19]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1969 The Lost Man Uncredited
1971 B.S. I Love You Uncredited
1974 Special Order Teamster #1 Uncredited
Come Fly with Us Joe
Happy Days French Cook
The Love Bus Amos Johnson
The Switch or How to Alter Your Ego Huntington Van Huff
Cheese
The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann Political Candidate
1975 The Defiance of Good Dr. Gabriels Patient
The Big Con 'Tex'
The Passions of Carol Curt Reynolds
Big Abner Abner 'Big Abner'
Abigail Leslie is Back in Town Bo
Illusion of Love
Blood Bath
1976 Virgin Snow Ben
Slippery When Wet Dougie Knowles
The Honey Cup
1977 The Trouble with Young Stuff Lane The Milkman
Big Thumbs
Sylvia Junkie #1
1978 The Ganja Express First Yellow Toga Guy Uncredited
MisBehavin' Clyde
1979 The Warriors Policeman #3
1980 Gloria Riverside Drive Man No. 8
1981 Southern Comfort Hunter
1982 Poltergeist Pool Worker No. 2
48 Hrs. Billy Bear
1984 Fleshburn Calvin Daggai
1986 Firewalker 'El Coyote'
1987 Predator Billy Sole
1988 Action Jackson Mr. Quick
1989 Lock Up 'Chink' Weber
1992 Maximum Force Pimp
1993 Best of the Best 2 James Lee
Madame Hector
1994 Taxi Dancers Jim 'Diamond Jim'
Savage Land Lassiter
Night Realm Verrick
1995 Guns & Lipstick Albino
Fatal Choice 'Brick'
1996 2090 Indian
Carnival of Wolves Bodyguard No. 4
Billy Lone Bear Billy Lone Bear Direct-to-video
2007 Disintegration Boone Cagle
2009 Mental Scars Chief Bear Direct-to-video

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1981 B. J. and the Bear Football Player Episode: "Beauties and the Beasts"
1984 The A-Team Ryker Episode: "The Island"
1984–1985 Call to Glory Willy Nighthawk 2 episodes
1985 The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission Sam Sixkiller Television film
Hardcastle and McCormick Sheriff Billy Blackstone Episode: "You Don't Hear the One that Gets You"
1986 Fortune Dane Episode: "Fortune Dane"
The Fall Guy Jake Episode: "War of the Wheel"
North Star Becker Television film
1987 Miami Vice Toad Episode: "Viking Bikers from Hell"
1992 Three Days To A Kill Pepe Television film
1993 Extralarge: Condor Mission Indian Television film

References
  1. Scott, Vernon (July 31, 1987). "Landham Craves Acceptance As Actor, Not As Indian". Sun-Sentinel. United Press International. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  2. Aulbach, Lucas (August 19, 2017). "Sonny Landham, famed movie actor who attempted several runs for office in Kentucky, dies". The Courier-Journal.
  3. Doss, Tracy M. (July 23, 1989). "Former Roman Sonny Landham lands 'bad guy' role in 'Lock Up'". Rome News-Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  4. "Sonny Landham calls for genocide of all Arabs and Muslims". Independent Political Report. July 26, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  5. Schreiner, Bruce (June 29, 2008). "Actor tries for new role — U.S. senator". The Atlanta Constitution. Associated Press. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  6. Sullivan, Tom (July 31, 1984). "This Indian calls Manhattan home". The Herald-News. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  7. "Ex-Porn Star Enters Kentucky Governor's Race". WKMB / local6.com. July 3, 2002. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  8. Crowley, Patrick (June 30, 2002). "Porn on candidate's resume". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  9. "Sonny Landham". iafd.com. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  10. Petski, Denise (August 18, 2017). "Sonny Landham Dies: 'Predator' & '48 Hrs.' Actor Was 76". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  11. "Former tough-guy actor sets sights on US Senate". New York Daily News. June 25, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  12. Alexander, Bryan (August 19, 2017). "Sonny Landham, known for his warrior death in 'Predator,' dies at 76". USA Today. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  13. Edwards, James (August 30, 2017). "Sonny Landham Has Gone Home". The Political Cesspool. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  14. Lucas, Mary Grace (June 26, 2008). "Tough-guy actor eyes Senate seat". CNN.com.
  15. "Libertarians drop Sonny Landham". Independent Political Report. July 28, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  16. "Actor auditions for new role as Kentucky senator". Washington Times. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  17. Alford, Roger. "Actor's book to tell about divorce, prison". The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Associated Press – via enquirer.com.
  18. Hart, Kenneth (September 19, 2006). "Actor injured in 4-car chain-reaction wreck". The Independent. Ashland, Kentucky. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  19. Nyren, Erin (August 18, 2017). "'Predator' Actor Sonny Landham Dies at 76". Variety.
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