Billy Van Zandt

William "Billy" Van Zandt (born December 13, 1957 in Red Bank, New Jersey, USA) is an American playwright and actor.

Career

Billy Van Zandt is the author of the Off-Broadway play "The Property Known as Garland" and co-author and star of 22 other theatrical plays written with Jane Milmore including the Off-Broadway comedies "Silent Laughter", "A Night at the Nutcracker", "Drop Dead", "Confessions of a Dirty Blonde", and summer stock perennial "Love, Sex, and the I.R.S". Known for his mixture of broad slapstick style comedy and adult humor.

He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his television special "I Love Lucy: The Very First Show," and won People's Choice and NAACP Image Awards for his work on the Martin Lawrence comedy "Martin," and a Prism Multi-Cultual Award for his work on TV's "The Hughleys."

Along with partner Jane Milmore, he created and/or developed television's "The Wayans Bros." for Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, "Suddenly Susan" for Brooke Shields, "Bless This House" for Andrew Dice Clay, and "Daddy Dearest" for Don Rickles and Richard Lewis.

In addition to starring in his own plays, he had roles as an alien Starfleet ensign in , a military school cadet in the 1981 movie Taps, teenage shark-bait in Jaws 2 and a mobster wannabe in the 1999 film A Wake in Providence which he also co-wrote.

On television, Billy was a regular cast-member on the first season of TV's "Anything But Love" and usually does small cameo roles within his own writing-producing television work.

elected works

*"Love, Sex, and the I.R.S."
*"Suitehearts"
*"Lie, Cheat, and Genuflect"
*"Having a Wonderful Time, Wish You Were Her"
*"Playing Doctor"
*"A Little Quickie"
*"Drop Dead!"
*"Bathroom Humor"
*"Infidelities"
*"The Senator Wore Pantyhose"
*"Till Death Do Us Part"
*"Do Not Disturb"
*"What the Bellhop Saw"
*"Merrily We Dance and Sing"
*"What the Rabbi Saw"
*"Confessions of a Dirty Blonde"
*"Silent Laughter"
*"The Pennies"
*"The Property Known as Garland"
*"A Night at the Nutcracker"
*"You've Got Hate Mail"
*"Wrong Window"

World premieres of the Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore comedies take place every May and June in New Jersey.

Personal life

Billy married actress Adrienne Barbeau December 31, 1992. The couple met in 1991 during the west coast premiere of Billy's play "Drop Dead"! They have twin sons William and Walker (born March 17, 1997). Billy is the brother of musician/actor Steven Van Zandt and brother-in-law of his wife, actress Maureen Van Zandt.

External links

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* [http://www.vanzandtmilmore.com Van Zandt/Milmore website]
* [http://www.abarbeau.com Adrienne Barbeau website]
* [http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/98384.html Playbill interview] (March 10, 2006)
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