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1990s heartthrob unrecognisable from his Titanic days as he attends Supanova fan event Sydney

1990s heartthrob unrecognisable from his Titanic days as he attends Supanova fan event Sydney

Daily Mail​22-06-2025
Billy Zane was one of the most beloved heartthrobs of the 1990s.
Now 59, the distinguished actor proved he's still genetically blessed - albeit almost unrecognisable from his heyday - as he attended the Supanova fan convention in Sydney on Sunday.
The American star graciously signed autographs for his admirers while appearing at the event as one of the key celebrities that drew in the crowds.
Billy opted for a pair of yellow tinted glasses and covered his shaved head with a grey cap for the occasion.
He added a pale grey suit for a dapper look and appeared in his element as he mingled with his fans.
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The Titanic star became a household name in 1997, after appearing alongside Kate Winslet as the film's villain, Caledon Hockley.
He is also known for his impressive turns in the The Phantom in 1996, Dead Calm in 1989 and Zoolander in 2001.
Last year, Zane was again unrecognisable after transforming into Marlon Brando for the new biopic, Waltzing With Brando.
The actor could be seen portraying the silver screen legend Brando when he was preparing to star in one of his most iconic roles of all time.
Fans praised the casting choice for the new movie, which will premiere at the Torino Film Festival in Italy, and said Zane's transformation into Brando was 'astonishing.'
Zane - who went shirtless while filming a beach scene for the biopic - went viral on X for his uncanny portrayal of the iconic actor, and fans also took to social media to share their excitement for Zane's comeback.
Just after seeing one still from the movie, several social media users are already saying he deserves to win an Oscar for his portrayal of Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
In Waltzing With Brando, which is directed by Bill Fishman, Zane portrays the late actor during the period he was preparing for some of his most iconic roles - The Godfather as well as Last Tango in Paris.
The biopic is based on a memoir penned by the acclaimed actor's architect, Bernard Judge.
It tells the story of how Brando discovered Judge and convinced him to build the world's first ecologically perfect retreat on the tiny, uninhabitable Tahitian island of Tetiaroa.
The film festival's new artistic director Giulio Base also gushed about Zane's performance in the role and his attendance at the event to promote the biopic.
'You won't believe it: he is possessed by Brando,' he told Variety about Zane playing the iconic star — who died at age 80 from respiratory and heart difficulties in July 2004.
Following the big reveal as Brando, Zane started trending on X, formerly Twitter, as many social media users reacted to his transformation.
Many fans gushed over the decision to cast Zane in the role of portraying Marlon Brando.
One social media user wrote: 'Billy Zane is such a good casting choice!'
Another person tweeted that they were 'already' looking forward to Zane receiving his first Academy Award nomination.
'I'm already rooting for Billy Zane to get his first Oscar nomination,' one X user said. 'The hair and makeup alone has already won the Oscar.'
One X user said that Zane portraying Brando is 'pitch-perfect casting.'
'I hope the film is good, because this is pitch-perfect casting, and I'd personally love to see a Billy Zane comeback.'
Another person said that the actor looked identical to Brando when in costume and jokingly insisted that they did not believe the photo was Zane.
'Well, I am still waiting for the picture of Billy Zane. This is clearly Marlon Brando,' the tweet read.
One X user shared their shock at Zane's similarities to Brando.
'Apparently, these are pictures of Billy Zane, in an upcoming Brando biopic. Astonishing,' they wrote.
Similarly, another person, a self-proclaimed fan of Brando's movies, said they had to do a 'triple take' after seeing the still of Zane as Brando in The Godfather.
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