Biography

Billy Drago

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Drago was well known for his villainous parts (leading or supporting), and his rugged yet scary looks and evil smile. He was born William Eugene Burrows in Hugoton, Kansas. He became interested in acting and took his mother's maiden name "Drago" as a stage name. At first he worked as a stuntman in Kansas, then attended the University of Kansas. After graduating he worked as a radio host before joining an acting crew that led him to New York. He began his acting career at the end of 1970s.

After appearing in multiple TV series as a guest actor, he appeared in such low-budget films as: Windwalker (1980), Vamp (1986), Hunter's Blood (1986), Freeway (1988), Dark Before Dawn (1988), China White (1989), True Blood (1989), Martial Law II: Undercover (1991), Lady Dragon 2 (1993) and Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow (1993). He also appeared in Walker, Texas Ranger (1993). Other well-known appearances were in: Mad Dog Time (1996), Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) and The Hills Have Eyes (2006) (the remake), as the leader of mutant nomads. He did an extensive work on TV, most notably on Charmed (1998). He also produced an instructional acting video with his wife, Silvana Gallardo.
- IMDb mini biography by: Rms125a@hotmail.com (updated)

Often played characters who had a superficial charm that temporarily masked their evil nature
Deep menacing voice, malevolent eyes, and evil smile
Slender frame with prominent cheekbones

His father was a Native American actor and his mother was of Romany extraction. He took his mother's family name, Drago, because another actor in SAG had the name Burrows.
He is perhaps best known as Frank Nitti, the evil, whiny-voiced assassin with a white suit in The Untouchables (1987).
He and his wife Silvana Gallardo have produced an instructional video to teach acting techniques entitled The Acting Class. The video is used in schools nationwide.
Father of actor Darren E. Burrows.
Frequently guest-starred on the television series Charmed (1998) as the Demon of Fear named Barbas; the indestructible nemesis of the Charmed Ones.

[on being cast in bad guy roles] I enjoy villains. I've figured out how to get paid for doing what they tried to throw me in jail for when I was a kid. Besides, I'm never going to be the boy next door. That's not who I want to be. So I try to put a little of the dark side into my good guys and a bit of gentleness into my heavies.

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