What actor do you think has played the best Billy before? Which do you think would have been the best Billy, who has never been? I think the shortstop in Bad News Bears <forget his name> would have been a perfect Billy the Kid.
I recently saw Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid, and even though it was one of the more historically accurate versions wasn't Val kind of goofy with the role? I envision Billy as being sharper than that...
Gore Vidal was probably more accurate than most, but I think the movie itself was a little too cheesy....then again, I have a hard time dealing with any movie about BTK...just one inaccuracy drives me up the wall! No one wants to watch the movies with me, because of my whining
Lucas Black, would make a good BTK...he's the little guy who played Blevins on "All the Pretty Horses...dye his hair a lighter color, give him a couple of false buck teeth, and he would be good to go.
Although Gore Vidal’s movie was probably the most accurate film made on Billy the Kid to date, I didn’t care very much for Val Kilmer’s portrayal either. As for Emilio Estevez in “Young Guns,” he had the humor, but was too cold-blooded for my taste. My least favorite of all was Kris Kristofferson.
Honestly, I don’t have any particularly actor that comes to mind that did the best job because the production always seemed to cast an older actor to portray the teen outlaw and always as a raving lunatic. I would like to see maybe a young “Ricky Nelson” type to play Billy in a movie as the outgoing and cool-headed person he was, but no more middle age men.
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Although I didn't care for "The Left Handed Gun", if Paul Newman was smaller in stature, he would have made a good Billy, better than most...He was just a little too handsome to play Billy, it was sorta like casting Brad Pitt to play the part but as far as the persona, IMO it was pretty close to what I would imagine Billy would have been like. The one part of the movie that sticks out the most to me is where he is marching up and down the stairs with a broom in his hand, marching to the music box.
best actor.emilio in young guns was most fun to watch.he did make billy knowen to new batch of kids.as for all is said of kid . what say a young 1970s scott baio.he whould had make a good billy the kid.or a real young keith richards of the rolling stones. i know as long as the stones have been around,billy the kid was replaced on guitar in the stones early days,ha.
Best Billy actor...got to be Emilio Estavez. I also think the worst possible thing was in Young Guns II ...I've heard of artistic license but Tom O'Folliard as a young kid from Pennsylvania...please! Also, does it upset anyone else when the towns are so darn different from reality? Lincoln in YG I was ok but in YG II it looked like a back lot in Hollywood. Maybe I'm just to much of a nut case at my age! PAM
YGII's backdrop looked like a movie lot, because it was...YGII was filmed at an old west movie lot in Arizona, YGI was filmed in an actual town in New Mexico called Cerrillos, just right outside of Santa Fe. It's a tiny, charming little town, it still has some movie remnants left over but it looks much different than it did in the movie...but of course, that's the magic of Hollywood!
I admit that I have only seen Young Guns 1 & 2 but I think Emilio did a fine job, he was just working with a lot of innacuracies.
I think if I had to choose any current actor to play Billy I would choose Michael Pitt. He seems to adapt to any role he is given, it would be nice to see.
I really liked Emilio, but I did not see Young Guns II yet. The only other one I have seen is Clu Gulagher in the old Tall Man tv series. billy was supposed to be played by James Dean and that I would have loved to have seen, but he was killed and the role went to Paul Newman. Being a Dean fan, I have lots of shots of Dean while making his last movie "Giant" practicing riding and gun shooting.
There are a lot of good actor's out there that would make an excellent Billy the Kid but there is one that I think would fit the bill quite nicely. I don't know how many of you watched the Discovery Channel's "Billy the Kid: Unmasked" but I thought that the actor(?) who played 'the kid' in this documentary would be perfect. There was just something about him that almost made it believable. He would have to change his hair color but.........
I liked him too, I wonder if his name is in the credits? I also liked the one playing Pat Garrett, the one in Young Guns looked nothing like Garrett. But these actors in the Discovery Channel special really didn't have to do much acting. Wish I could find out more about them.
I agree with you jessejames. I thought the actor did a fine job. I thought he made a convincing Billy. But having Johnny Depp play Billy the Kid? He's a VERY talented actor but Billy the Kid with a British accent.......
But, all that aside, I still like Emilio. (I can't help it I have a crush on the guy!)
I Think that the actor from Discovery Channel's "Billy the Kid unmasked" WAS absolutely one of the best actors to play Billy..... BUT I do think that a young Ricky Nelson also could have done the trick. I REALLY don't like it when someone with NO resemblance at all to him, and is not even close to his age plays Billy. It just does not seem right!
I agree. The Kid was barely 21 when he was killed, but he looked about 17. He was very young and boyish looking in appearance, but for some reason the filmmakers keep casting middle aged men to play him.
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quote: Originally posted by: "I agree with you jessejames. I thought the actor did a fine job. I thought he made a convincing Billy. But having Johnny Depp play Billy the Kid? He's a VERY talented actor but Billy the Kid with a British accent....... But, all that aside, I still like Emilio. (I can't help it I have a crush on the guy!) "
I don't think Johnny Depp has a british accent as he is from Owensboro Ky. lol
I don't know about Orlando Bloom, but Brandon Halpin did a darn good job.
But honestly, no one will be able to be Billy as well as....Billy. Not one other person on this earth has those same blue eyes or those crooked teeth or that dashing smile which captures the imagination of so many of us.
Christian Kane from the show "Angel" he played Lindsay McDonald. (Not only can he act but he can sing). He's also great-lookin'. Christian Kane was also in the movie "Cross-Fire Trail" with Tom Selleck.
He was also in the movies, "Just Married" and "Life or Something Like It."
I saw "Billy the Kid, Unmasked," and when I saw the Actor that Portrayed Billy, my Heart Skipped a Beat or two! I thought It WAS Billy come back to us!
I swear, outside of Emilio Estevez, the Kid in Unmasked was IT!