Warning: SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ahead!
Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian hadn’t been seen in the proper cinematic Star Wars Saga since 1983’s Return of the Jedi, but he finally made his triumphant return in December’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He may not be one of the original trio, but Billy Dee Williams is a beloved and important part of this story, and now that it’s come to an end, he’s clearly feeling a bit nostalgic. So the actor posted a sweet throwback with the original Star Wars cast. Check it out:
That’s a good-looking bunch of Rebels right there. Here we see Billy Dee Williams alongside the original lineup of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in a photo that’s presumably from around the time of The Empire Strikes and Return of the Jedi. Little did these four know how long Star Wars would endure and how it would become even more massive than it was even back then.
Billy Dee Williams’ effortless coolness showed no signs of age in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and here in this photo, the actor behind Lando Calrissian is, of course, the coolest and the snazziest dresser. In addition to looking very tiny, Mark Hamill has the wide-eyed look of youth, not unlike Luke Skywalker himself. And Carrie Fisher is sadly gone, but I think many of us will remember her how she looked in this picture, as a fun-loving person who was full of life.
Perhaps the best part of this photo though is Harrison Ford. At best, he has a slight smirk on his face, but a less generous interpretation would be that he’s already over it; a preview of the hilarious prickliness he would later exhibit. Maybe he just found out that despite his pleading, George Lucas wasn’t going to kill off Han Solo. Give it time, young Harrison, you’ll get your wish eventually.
In a particularly sweet sentiment, Billy Dee Williams captions this Twitter image by calling his three Star Wars co-stars friends for life. Clearly the bond Billy Dee Williams forged with these Star Wars actors back in the '80s meant a lot to him and endured for decades until he joined them for another trip to a galaxy far, far away. And they will be his friends for life; long after the Skywalker Saga is put to bed.
Speaking of which, the Skywalker Saga is over, but of the four people in this picture, Billy Dee Williams’ character is the only one that survived the final film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Lando Calrissian came the rescue of the Resistance on Exegol, bringing with him so many people from around the galaxy to fight the Final Order and put Palpatine in the ground for good.
After the battle, Lando had a conversation with Naomi Ackie’s Jannah, indicating that these two may, and probably do, have a connection. Will we see that connection explored in a future film or Disney+ series? Who knows, but the possibilities seem wide open.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now playing. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what movies are headed to theaters this year.
