Billy Connolly

Biography

Billy Connolly, born in Glasgow in 1942, is a Scottish comedian, actor, musician and television presenter who worked as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards before turning to folk singing. He performed with the Humblebums alongside Gerry Rafferty and Tam Harvey until 1971, then moved into comedy in the early 1970s. His 1972 theatrical debut came in Cumbernauld with the revue Connolly's Glasgow Flourish, and his first solo album, Billy Connolly Live!, appeared that same year. In 1975 he reached number one on the UK Singles Chart with D.I.V.O.R.C.E. and made his first Parkinson appearance. As an actor he appeared in Pocahontas (1995), Muppet Treasure Island (1996) and Mrs Brown (1997), earning a BAFTA nomination for the latter. His films included The Boondock Saints (1999), The Last Samurai (2003), Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Brave (2012) and What We Did On Our Holiday (2014). He was knighted in 2017 and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2022.

83years old

Turns 84 on November 24in 13 days

Born November 24, 1942Glasgow
Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
William Connolly (birth name)Also credited as Sir William Connolly

Movie Career

Films: 34
Career span: 31 years1985 to 2016

Genres

Comedy62%, 21 films
Adventure41%, 14 films
Drama41%, 14 films
Action24%, 8 films
Animation18%, 6 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A change of course
In the early 1960s, Connolly worked as a welder, a boilermaker, in the Glasgow shipyards. Toward the end of that decade, he left the trade to become a folk singer.
First role
Connolly's first stage appearance came in 1972, when he performed a revue titled Connolly's Glasgow Flourish at the Cottage Theatre in Cumbernauld.
A first
Connolly appeared as a guest on Parkinson 15 times, a record for the program, and he and its host Michael Parkinson became good friends.

Billy Connolly movies on Netflix

Dying Laughing2016IMDb rating 6.8as Himself
Wild Oats2016IMDb rating 5.7as Chandler
What We Did on Our Holiday2014IMDb rating 6.9as Gordie
Brave2012IMDb rating 7.1as Fergus (voice)
Quartet2012IMDb rating 6.8as Wilf Bond
The Ballad of Nessie2011IMDb rating 6.9as Narrator (voice)
Gulliver's Travels2010IMDb rating 4.9as King Theodore
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day2009IMDb rating 6.2as Poppa
Open Season 22008IMDb rating 5.5as McSquizzy (voice)
The X Files: I Want to Believe2008IMDb rating 5.9as Father Joseph Crissman
Wisdom2008IMDb rating 8.1as Himself
Fido2006IMDb rating 6.7as Fido
Garfield 22006IMDb rating 5.0as Dargis
Open Season2006IMDb rating 6.1as McSquizzy (voice)
The Aristocrats2005IMDb rating 6.4as Himself
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events2004IMDb rating 6.8as Uncle Monty
Overnight2003IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
The Last Samurai2003IMDb rating 7.8as Zebulon Gant
Timeline2003IMDb rating 5.7as Professor Johnston
White Oleander2002IMDb rating 7.1as Barry Kolker
Prince Charming2001IMDb rating 6.0as Hamish
The Man Who Sued God2001IMDb rating 6.4as Steve Myers
Who Is Cletis Tout?2001IMDb rating 6.3as Dr. Mike Savian
Beautiful Joe2000IMDb rating 5.6as Joe
The Boondock Saints1999IMDb rating 7.6as Il Duce
Still Crazy1998IMDb rating 7.0as Hughie
Mrs Brown1997IMDb rating 7.2as John Brown
Paws1997IMDb rating 4.8as PC (voice)
Muppet Treasure Island1996IMDb rating 7.0as Billy Bones
Pocahontas1995IMDb rating 6.7as Ben (voice)
Indecent Proposal1993IMDb rating 6.1as Auction M.C.
The Big Man1990IMDb rating 5.7as Frankie
The Return of the Musketeers1989IMDb rating 5.9as Caddie
Water1985IMDb rating 6.0as Delgado Fitzhugh

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Brave2012 Adventure, Animation, Comedyas Fergusvoice
IMDb rating 7.1486K votes
The Boondock Saints1999 Action, Crime, Thrilleras Il Duce
IMDb rating 7.6264K votes
The Last Samurai2003as Zebulon Gant
IMDb rating 7.8510K votes
The X Files: I Want to Believe2008as Father Joseph Crissman
IMDb rating 5.998K votes
Pocahontas1995as Benvoice
IMDb rating 6.7220K votes
Open Season2006as McSquizzyvoice
IMDb rating 6.1116K votes
Fido2006as Fido
IMDb rating 6.731K votes
Timeline2003as Professor Johnston
IMDb rating 5.770K votes

Most often with

Troy Duffy directed two of these films. Five actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Timothy Spall

Sean Patrick Flanery

Norman Reedus

Danny Mann

David Della Rocco

Willem Dafoe

Troy DuffyDirector, 2 films

Films together

Timothy Spall3 films together, 1998 to 2004
Timothy Spall's page
- Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events2004IMDb rating 6.8Connolly as Uncle MontySpall as Mr. Poe
- The Last Samurai2003IMDb rating 7.8Connolly as Zebulon GantSpall as Simon Graham
- Still Crazy1998IMDb rating 7.0Connolly as HughieSpall as David 'Beano' Baggot
Sean Patrick Flanery3 films together, 1999 to 2009
Sean Patrick Flanery's page
- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day2009IMDb rating 6.2Connolly as PoppaFlanery as Connor MacManus
- Overnight2003IMDb rating 7.1Connolly as HimselfFlanery as Himself
- The Boondock Saints1999IMDb rating 7.6Connolly as Il DuceFlanery as Connor MacManus
Norman Reedus3 films together, 1999 to 2009
Norman Reedus's page
- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day2009IMDb rating 6.2Connolly as PoppaReedus as Murphy MacManus
- Overnight2003IMDb rating 7.1Connolly as HimselfReedus as Himself
- The Boondock Saints1999IMDb rating 7.6Connolly as Il DuceReedus as Murphy MacManus
Danny Mann3 films together, 1995 to 2008
Danny Mann's page
- Open Season 22008IMDb rating 5.5Connolly as McSquizzyvoiceMann as Sergevoice
- Open Season2006IMDb rating 6.1Connolly as McSquizzyvoiceMann as Sergevoice
- Pocahontas1995IMDb rating 6.7Connolly as BenvoiceMann as Percyvoice
David Della Rocco3 films together, 1999 to 2009
David Della Rocco's page
- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day2009IMDb rating 6.2Connolly as PoppaRocco as Rocco
- Overnight2003IMDb rating 7.1Connolly as HimselfRocco as Himself
- The Boondock Saints1999IMDb rating 7.6Connolly as Il DuceRocco as Rocco
Willem Dafoe2 films together, 1999 to 2003
Willem Dafoe's page
- Overnight2003IMDb rating 7.1Connolly as HimselfDafoe as Himself
- The Boondock Saints1999IMDb rating 7.6Connolly as Il DuceDafoe as Paul Smecker
Troy DuffyDirector, 2 films, 1999 to 2009
All films by Troy Duffy
- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day2009IMDb rating 6.2Connolly as Poppa
- The Boondock Saints1999IMDb rating 7.6Connolly as Il Duce
Also two films together23 more actors
- Tim CurryGarfield 2 (2006) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
- Mike EppsDying Laughing (2016) and Open Season 2 (2008)
- Demi MooreWild Oats (2016) and Indecent Proposal (1993)
- Gerard ButlerTimeline (2003) and Mrs Brown (1997)
- Cedric the EntertainerDying Laughing (2016) and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
- Jon FavreauOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Amanda PeetGulliver's Travels (2010) and The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
- Alan C. PetersonWho Is Cletis Tout? (2001) and Beautiful Joe (2000)
- Jane KrakowskiOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Nika FuttermanOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Craig FergusonBrave (2012) and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
- Richard FitzpatrickThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) and The Boondock Saints (1999)
- Emily BrowningLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) and The Man Who Sued God (2001)
- David FerryThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) and The Boondock Saints (1999)
- Gordon TootoosisOpen Season (2006) and Pocahontas (1995)
- Cody CameronOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Pat RoachThe Big Man (1990) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989)
- Georgia EngelOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Gerard ParkesThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) and The Boondock Saints (1999)
- Maddie TaylorOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Michelle MurdoccaOpen Season 2 (2008) and Open Season (2006)
- Brian MahoneyThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) and The Boondock Saints (1999)
- Bob MarleyThe Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) and The Boondock Saints (1999)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Billy Connolly's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$2.7 billion

22 of the 34 films have a worldwide figure.

22Worldwide figure
4US gross only
2Never in cinemas
6Figure not found

Top grosser

Brave2012Fergus$539 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 90% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Brave2012as Fergus (voice)
$539M20.3% of the total
2
The Last Samurai2003as Zebulon Gant
$457M17.2% of the total
3
Pocahontas1995as Ben (voice)
$346M13.0% of the total
4
Indecent Proposal1993as Auction M.C.
$267M10.0% of the total
5
Gulliver's Travels2010as King Theodore
$237M8.9% of the total
6
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events2004as Uncle Monty
$209M7.9% of the total
7
Open Season2006as McSquizzy (voice)
$201M7.6% of the total
8
Garfield 22006as Dargis
$142M5.3% of the total