About
Billy Connolly, born 24 November 1942 in Glasgow, is a Scottish actor and comedian. Nicknamed 'The Big Yin', he first worked as a welder in the Clyde shipyards before turning to folk music, co-founding the duo The Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty. His comedy career took off in 1975 after an appearance on the Parkinson show. He has appeared in films such as Mrs Brown (1997), The Last Samurai (2003), and Brave (2012), and has presented travel documentaries. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013, he retired from live performance in 2018. He was knighted in 2017 and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2022.
* 1942-11-24
Major works
- D.I.V.O.R.C.E. (1975)single
- Mrs Brown (1997)film
- The Last Samurai (2003)film
- Brave (2012)film
- Windswept and Interesting (2021)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1975Breaks through to mainstream with his appearance on the Parkinson Show and his number one single D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
- 2003Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to entertainment.
- 2017Knighted by the Queen for services to entertainment and charity.
Themes
humourtravelScotlandagingParkinson's disease
Sources: bafta.org · npg.org.uk