Billy Zane, of Greek-American heritage, was born in Chicago to William and Thalia. He has one sister, Lisa, who is also an actress. Both sets of his grandparents were from villages near Sparta, Greece and fortunately for him, his grandmother was alive while he was growing up, adding the necessary reminders of "old world traditions", including a good understanding of the Greek language.
      Billy credits his parents for his decision to go into acting. When growing up he'd watch them perform in various stage productions. This was accompanied by his exposure to the London theatre, where he would go and see a matinee and evening performance every day for a week and a half whenever his family made the trip to England.
      Upon graduation from Francis Parker High School, he made the move to L.A. and immediately got a small part in Back To The Future as one of Biff's bullies. His smoldering good looks and thespian skills provided him with steady work in TV shows including, Matlock, Murder She Wrote, and Twin Peaks to name a few.
      His transistion to film came with Dead Calm and Danger Zone, but it was his role in the epic blockbuster Titanic that really propelled him into the public eye. However, he did not turn his back on his television roots, and has continued to thrill his fans by starring in such mini-series as Cleopatra, and Susan's Plan.
      On his off time he likes swimming, photography, and collecting cars. His favorite is the Ford Mustang.
Photo © Unknown - Some info contributed by: The Billy Zane Mania! Website