Burton Gilliam

American actor

Burton Gilliam
Gilliam at the 2019 GalaxyCon Raleigh
Born	(1938-08-09) August 9, 1938 (age 85) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1973–present
Spouse	Susan Gilliam
Children	2
Relatives	Hollie Vise (granddaughter)

Burton Gilliam (born August 9, 1938) is an American actor. He is best known for memorable roles in several popular 1970s movies, such as Blazing Saddles^[1] and Paper Moon, as well as comedic cameos in Back to the Future, Part III and Honeymoon in Vegas.

Biography

Career

Before acting, Gilliam was a member of the Coast Guard's boxing team, where he won 201 out of 217 fights.^[2] He remained in the boxing world for decades, working as a referee in California.

While working as a fireman for the city of Dallas,^[2] Gilliam appeared in the role of "Floyd", the desk clerk, in the film Paper Moon. He then went on to appear in such popular movies as Blazing Saddles and Back to the Future Part III. Performing in Blazing Saddles was difficult for him, since he played a despicable racist who repeatedly hurls racial insults (including "nigger") at the black characters, especially the hero, played by Cleavon Little. Gilliam was so uncomfortable with his use of that slur that he apologized to Little, who had to remind him that it simply was a word in the script and that the racial insults were treated unambiguously negatively since he was playing a villain. Gilliam was also embarrassed by being the main protagonist in the infamous campfire scene.^[3]

Gilliam also has had roles in movies such as Honeymoon in Vegas, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Farewell, My Lovely, Fletch, Gator, Telefon and The Terror Within II. His television appearances include Alice, Charlie's Angels, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard and The Fall Guy, and he appeared as a regular on Evening Shade.

Personal life

Gilliam was born in Dallas, Texas. He lives with his wife, Susan, in Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas. He has two children and four grandchildren. His granddaughter Hollie Vise is an American former world champion artistic gymnast.

Gilliam graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1956 and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2004. In 2018, he was the grand marshal of the Dallas St. Patrick's Day parade.

Filmography

Films

Paper Moon (1973) - Floyd (Desk Clerk)
Blazing Saddles (1974) - Lyle
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) - Welder
At Long Last Love (1975) - Man at Racetrack
Farewell, My Lovely (1975) - Cowboy
Hearts of the West (1975) - Lester
The Night That Panicked America (1975) - Tex
Gator (1976) - Smiley
Another Man, Another Chance (1977) - Sheriff Murphy
Telefon (1977) - Gas Station Attendant
The Beasts Are on the Streets (1978) - Al Loring
The Jericho Mile (1979) - Jimmy-Jack
Foxfire Light (1982) - Deke
Fletch (1985) - Bud
Uphill All the Way (1986) - Corporal
The Girl (1987)
The Underachievers (1987) - Red
Back to the Future Part III (1990) - Elmer H. Johnson, Colt Gun Salesman
The Terror Within II (1991) - Dewitt
Quake (1992) - Willie
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) - Roy Bacon, Elvis Impersonator
The Getaway (1994) - Gollie
Wild Bill (1995) - Lynch
Born to Be Wild (1995) - Dwayne
Soccer Dog: The Movie (1999) - The Mail Man
The Journeyman (2001) - Silas Bishop
Mi Amigo (2002) - Older Pal Grisham
An Eye for Detail (2002) - Professor William Seymore
Sweet Hideaway (2003) - Det. Dick Johnson
88 Hits (2003) - Victor Bordeaux
Shtickmen (2003) - Ray Sellers
Drop Dead Sexy (2005) - Big Tex
Killing Down (2006) - Turner
Cake: A Wedding Story (2007) - Judge
Fire from Below (2009) - Bubba
Breaking the Press (2010)
Shattered Dreams V (2012) Daddy
Return to Vengeance (2012) - Leonard
The Wisdom to Know the Difference (2014) - Jesse
The Lucky Man (2017) - Pawn Broker's Dad

Television

The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything (1980) - Hoover Hess
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite (1981) - Hoover Hess III
North and South Book II (1986) - Cpl. Strock
Dream West (1986) - Martineau
Evening Shade (1990-1994) - Virgil
The Love Bug (1997) - Mechanic Race Announcer

TV guest appearances

The Waltons (1975) - J.D. Paulsen
Charlie's Angels (1977) - Ulmer
Alice (1976-1978) - Buford Baker / Jimmie Joe Castleberry
Soap (1979) - Buck
Young Maverick (1979) - Barbary Kid
B. J. and the Bear (1979) - Lacy
Flo (1980) - J.J. Castleberry
The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1982) - Heep / Tom Colt
Knight Rider (1983) - Trucker Gene
Gun Shy (1983) - Jeremiah Jones
The A-Team (1983) - Sheriff Jeff Lewis
The Fall Guy (1983) - Sheriff
Hail to the Chief (1985) - Clovis Montgomery
Mama's Family (1987) - Bud
Weird Science (1995) - Snake
Sliders (1999) - Stage Driver
Walker, Texas Ranger (1999) - Frank

Video games

Redneck Rampage (1996) - Leonard (voice)
Redneck Rampage Rides Again (1998) - Leonard (voice)

References

^ Lindsey, Craig (26 August 2019). "How 'Blazing Saddles' turned a Texan into a star". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
^ ^a ^b Brady, Shaun (February 22, 2019). "The man who will be remembered as a part of the first fart joke in movie history comes to New Hope". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
^ "'Blazing Saddles': What the Producers Didn't Want You to Know". History by Day. Retrieved 8 January 2021.