Billy Connolly

Famous in the United Kingdom as a musician and groundbreaking stand-up comic since the 1970s, Scottish entertainer Billy Connolly did not hit the American radar until he was showcased on "Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Connolly in Performance" (HBO, 1990). He spent a season as Howard Hesseman's replacement on the sitcom "Head of the Class" (ABC, 1986-1991) before he was given his own short-lived series, "Billy" (ABC, 1991-92), while at the same time, touring relentlessly, charming audiences in the British Isles, Australia and New Zealand - all locations where he made a series of successful tour documentaries for the BBC. His boisterous, animated physical style and off-the-cuff vulgarity eventually caught on with American audiences and he toured the United States more regularly, becoming a familiar sight on late night talk shows. As an actor, Connolly revealed a dramatic side with his BAFTA-nominated performance as a confidante of Queen Elizabeth in "Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown" (1997), and also had memorable character roles in such diverse fare as "The Last Samurai" (2003), "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (2004) and "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" (2008). Seemingly able to do it all and succeed, the multi-talented Connolly continued his long and varied career well into the 21st century.