Billy Dee Williams has recalled having to defend Lando Calrissian after catching heat from Star Wars fans for betraying Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.
Appearing on EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast, the actor, who played Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars saga, spoke of the backlash he received following the release of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, after his character made a deal with Darth Vader that led to Solo being captured and frozen in carbonite.
Fans were upset about Lando selling Solo out, and made their feelings known to the actor whenever he was out in public. "I would pick my daughter up from school, the kids would run up to me and say, 'You betrayed Han Solo!'" Williams said. "I'd go on an airplane, and the airplane stewards would say, 'You betrayed Han Solo!'"
He continued: "I got that for a lot of years. So finally, I said, 'Look, think about the whole situation. You're up against a pretty formidable character in Darth Vader. And then there is, of course, Boba Fett. And these people were invading my space, and I had to bargain with them. But the bargain at least prevented the complete demise of Han Solo and his friends. But I had to hold on to my whole situation."
After trying to reason with the fans, Williams decided enough was enough. He pointed out that Solo could have ended up in a far worse situation if Lando didn't negotiate with the Empire and that his friend not only lived to see another day, but also forgave him, so maybe it's time Star Wars fans did the same.
"I found myself explaining all this stuff to a point where I finally said to people, 'Look, I'm tired of explaining all of this.' I said, 'Did anybody die? Nobody died!'" Williams emphasized. "I think that was a clear indication that Lando was trying to figure something out, and he was trying to figure out primarily how to hold onto his situation without the complete demise of his friend."
Williams reprised the role of Lando in Return of the Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, with Donald Glover playing a younger version of the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Glover is now teaming up with his brother to develop a Lando feature film, so his galactic adventures are far from over (but hopefully, the Solo taunting is).
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
