Billy Drago, ‘Untouchables’ star, dies at 73
Billy Drago, who often played harming but chilling gangster roles and appeared in Brian De Palma’s “The Untouchables” and Clint Eastwood’s “Pale Rider,” died Monday in Los Angeles of complications from a stroke. He was 73.
The character actor played Al Capone’s henchman Frank Nitti in 1987’s “The Untouchables.”
On TV series “Charmed,” he put his reptilian stare to good use as the demon Barbas in several episodes over five seasons.
Born William Eugene Burrows in Hugoton, Kan., his actor-director father was said to be of Native American origin. His mother’s family was of Romany extraction; he took their name Drago as his stage name. Starting out as a stuntman, he moved to New York and beginning his acting career.
Drago started acting in the late 1970s, appearing in films including “Cutter’s Way,” “No Other Love” and “Windwalker.” On television, he had guest roles in “Hill Street Blues,” “Moonlighting,” “Walker Texas Ranger,” “Trapper John, M.D.” and “The X-Files.”
Appearing in more than 100 films, he had roles in three Chuck Norris films including “Invasion U.S.A.,” “Hero and the Terror” and “Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection” as drug lord Ramon Cota.
Drago also appeared in Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World” music video in 2001 and as the mysterious stranger in Mike and the Mechanics’ “Silent Running (on Dangerous Ground).”
His later film roles included Gregg Araki’s “Mysterious Skin,” “The Hills Have Eyes” remake and “Children of the Corn: Genesis.”
Drago’s son Darren E. Burrows, who survives him, has appeared on TV shows including “Northern Exposure.”
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Billy Drago during Fox Searchlight Pictures presents the Los Angeles Premiere of “The Hills Have Eyes” at Archlight Cinemas in Hollywood, CA, United States. (Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Billy Drago during Fox Searchlight Pictures presents the Los Angeles Premiere of “The Hills Have Eyes” at Archlight Cinemas in Hollywood, CA, United States. (Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Billy Drago during “The Hills Have Eyes” Los Angeles Premiere – Red Carpet at Arclight Cinema in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Hollywood, UNITED STATES: Actors David “Shark” Frolic (L) and Billy Drago (R) arrive for the screening of the movie Revamped in Hollywood, CA 29 March 2007. AFP PHOTO / HECTOR MATA (Photo credit should read HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images)
Actor Billy Drago arrives at the “Wolf Moon”Los Angeles premiere – Arrivals at Raleigh Studios, Chaplin Theatre on June 17, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – OCTOBER 23: Actor Billy Drago attends the premiere of ‘Lowdown’ at ArcLight Hollywood on October 23, 2014 in Hollywood, California.(Photo by Jerod Harris/WireImage)
Billy Drago during “The Hills Have Eyes” Los Angeles Premiere – Red Carpet at Arclight Cinema in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Billy Drago at the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood, California (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
Billy Drago during Fox Searchlight Pictures presents the Los Angeles Premiere of “The Hills Have Eyes” at Archlight Cinemas in Hollywood, CA, United States. (Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Fox Searchlight Pictures)Up Next
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