BV
Billy Van
Actor
Born August 11, 1934Died January 8, 2003 (68 years)
Billy Van, originally named Billy Van Evera, was born in Toronto in 1934. At the age of 12, he and his four brothers formed a singing group and began touring North America. In the 1960s, he started his journey to becoming one of Canada's most beloved comedians. He gained national recognition through his appearances on the CBC TV series Nightcap, which was known for its irreverent satire, low budget, and immature humour. Billy Van was a versatile performer who effortlessly portrayed different characters and became the comedic centrepiece of the show. While other comedians like John Candy and Dan Aykroyd achieved great fame, Billy Van's comedy was ahead of its time. His satirical and spontaneous style on Nightcap foreshadowed the success of Saturday Night Live, and his work on Frightenstein, where he parodied popular culture, paved the way for the hit show SCTV. Even though he never reached the same level of fame as his contemporaries, his influence on Canadian comedy cannot be denied. Billy Van passed away in 2003 at the age of 68 after battling lung cancer for a year. His final on-screen role was in the 1995 hockey movie Net Worth, where he played the character "Les" the trainer. It was a fitting end to a career that was characterized by comedy performed with heart, passion, and immense talent.
Filmography
| 2006 | The Night Listener · as Taxi Driver |
| 1998 | Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories from My Childhood (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1995 | Net Worth · as Les, The Trainer |
| 1992 | This Is My Life · as Agent |
| 1990 | Law & Order (TV Series) · as Vince Coughlin |
| 1989 | E.N.G. (TV Series) · as Tom |
| 1988 | My Secret Identity (TV Series) · as Captain Rocky Kalish |
| 1988 | Starting From Scratch (TV Series) · as Mr. Newton |
| 1987 | I'll Take Manhattan (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1987 | Street Legal (TV Series) · as Gus Finley |
| 1986 | A Deadly Business · as Joe Garland |
| 1985 | For Better or for Worse: The Bestest Present · as Walter Lederhaus (voice) |
| 1985 | Check It Out (TV Series) · as Curtis Farquar |
| 1985 | The Hearst and Davies Affair · as Advisor |
| 1982 | The Wizard of Oz · as The Scarecrow (us Version) |
| 1981 | Seeing Things (TV Series) · as Freddy Harris |
| 1981 | Hangin' In (TV Series) · as Mr. Lee |
| 1979 | The Littlest Hobo (TV Series) · as Chief Danford |
| 1979 | Bizarre (TV Series) · as Various Characters |
| 1978 | Eureka! (1981) (TV Series) |
| 1976 | The Sonny & Cher Show (TV Series) · as Regular Performer |
| 1975 | King of Kensington (TV Series) · as Cousin Billy |
| 1974 | The Horror Hall of Fame · as Zuckman |
| 1971 | The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (TV Series) |
| 1971 | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (TV Series) · as Pizza Boy/singer |
| 1965 | John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! · as Muezzin |
| 1962 | The Lloyd Bridges Show (TV Series) · as Workman |
| 1957 | The Wayne and Shuster Hour (TV Series) · as Cast |