American actor William Albert Burke until a certain point was not known to the general public. His filmography has about 70 roles. He often starred in television series, but does not forget about feature films and television. World fame came to him after the release of the series of films “Twilight”, where he played the role of the father of the main character in the performance of Kristen Stewart.
Start
Billy Burke was born on November 25, 1966 in Washington. About people like him, they say that talent was born with them. From childhood, the boy was not afraid to appear in public - at the age of 9 he made his first debut on the stage. The choice of a future profession was predictable and, one might say, determined at that time. But until this came to this, Billy tried not to forget that he was an ordinary child who was not alien to anything else. At the same time, from a young age, he decided that he would study everything related to creativity: Burke enrolled in a theater circle, took music lessons, and later became a member of the musical collective.
The first step to seriousness
The childhood ended, the time of youth came. He had already decided exactly what would become an actor. Billy went to university, where he began studying drama. A promising and, of course, gifted teenager happily took the theaters of Washington and Seattle. Within its walls, he learned about the existence of an actress named Billy Burke. She is known for her role as the Good Fairy of the North from The Wizard of Oz in 1939. No, they are not related by any kindred relationship. Therefore, in order to avoid confusion, Billy decides to swap the name and surname and begins to introduce himself as Burke Billy. The actor begins his career with a small role in the series “Star Trek: Deep Space 9”. But the first real fame came from the drama series “Five of Us,” where many other actors also started: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert.
Seizing the moment
While “Five of us” is successfully marching on the screens, a series of new proposals appears. Burke Billy does not miss his chance. The actor combines shooting in several projects, agreeing to participate in “American Girl”, “Virtual Reality” and “Strange Luck”. Television offers the drama “Missing in the Night” and “The Scariest Lies”, and later the crime comedy “Mafia!” The most famous is a number of paintings in which the actor gets the main roles: the comedy “Dill Scallion” and the horror films “Komodo” and “Fear of Heights”. Burke Billy, an actor who easily takes on different genres, feels at the top - he still plays “Five of Us”, diluting his track record with other works.
New stage
The completion of “The Five of Us” has little effect on Burke’s career. He immediately receives an invitation to the series “Gilmore Girls”. And at the same time appears in small but vivid roles in the films “And the Spider Came”, “Ultimate Risk”, “Beyond Death.” The main role goes to him in the 2002 drama "The Hotbed of Tension." The following year, the thriller “Lost Transition” is released, where he reunites with Neve Campbell.
The crime series “Karen Sisko” does not bring the desired results and closes after the first season. Burke Billy, an actor who, thanks to his charisma and attractiveness, still receives offers, is not at all upset. In 2004, he adjoins Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta to play the action movie Team 49: The Fire Ladder.
The next year is truly successful for the actor. Burke appears in a series of tapes: “Three Days Before Vegas,” “Scammers,” “Feast of Love,” “Fracture,” “Retribution,” and “Leaving No Trace,” which not only pays for the budget, but is also noted for its good performance.
And again to the series
As Burke himself admits, he is, above all, a serial actor. Fortunately, he got those projects that allow him to be distinguished among the mass of characters involved. A great success is the invitation to the series “24 Hours,” to which he has been adjacent since the second season in the role of Gary Matheson. This project has long remained one of the successful ones shown on television. He tells of a fictitious intelligence agency of the counter-terrorist unit. The show in Russia allows Russian viewers to appreciate the game of Burke.
“Twilight” as a continuation of a career
The vampire saga, consisting of several parts, first came out in 2008. And immediately gathered millions of fans around the world. Billy Burke took part in it, whose photo paired with the new star Kristen Stewart was an example of how he can subtly transform into a loving father. The drama “Twilight” for the most part demonstrated relations with the heroine Stuart - in the story, Bella comes to her father, whom she had not seen for a long time after her parents divorced. He, in turn, had not seen his daughter for a long time and forgot how to show fatherly feelings.
Burke's game was warmly received by the audience. He became a guest in all subsequent sequels - at least in a small appearance, but fans wanted to see him in the frame.
The Twilight franchise allowed a career to continue. Burke starred in many large-scale Hollywood films: “Sweeping”, “Enemy in Reflection”, “Crazy Riding”, “Little Red Riding Hood”. Among his latest works are the drama “Highland Park” and “Jesus in Cowboy Boots,” where he feels great in a similar genre.
In addition to the main occupation of acting, Burke Billy is interested in poker. He carefully conceals his personal life, but it is known that his wife Polly Brown is also an actress. According to the close friends of the actor, Burke is quite a home person, appearing at parties and events is extremely rare.