William M. "Sonny" Landham (February 11, 1941 – August 17, 2017) was an American entertainer and political aspirant best known for his physical film roles and his portrayal of tracker Billy Sole in the 1987 action film Predator. He worked in front of and behind the camera as an actor and stuntman, and later pursued several political campaigns that drew attention because of legal issues and inflammatory remarks.

Early life and background

Landham was born in Canton, Georgia, and later attended the University of Georgia. Details of his early adult life include a mix of manual and performance work that preceded his move into film and television. He emerged into acting at a time when character performers who could handle demanding physical roles and stunts were in demand, and he built a reputation as a dependable performer for rugged parts.

Film and stunt career

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Landham appeared in a range of genre pictures and action films, often cast as a hard-edged, physical character. He combined acting with stunt duties, which made him a useful presence on location and in action sequences. His role in Predator remains his most widely recognized performance: the character Billy Sole is frequently mentioned in retrospectives of the film and of 1980s action cinema. Critics and fans recall Landham for his screen presence, physicality, and the authenticity he brought to roles that required a combination of menace and charisma.

Landham's post-acting life included a series of public and legal controversies. He served a period in custody following a conviction related to making threatening telephone calls, a case later reversed on appeal; reports and summaries refer to the matter as a notable legal episode in his life (federal charges). In politics he sought office several times: he entered the Republican Party primary for governor of Kentucky in 2003, later ran briefly as an independent, and campaigned for a state senate seat in 2004. In 2008 he announced a bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Mitch McConnell on the Libertarian line. That campaign ended abruptly after remarks he made on a radio program drew accusations that he had called for violence against Arabs; those comments were widely condemned and described by some reports as calls for genocide (controversial remarks), and the state Libertarian party withdrew its endorsement.

  • 2003: entered Republican primary for governor of Kentucky.
  • 2004: campaigned for a state senate district in Kentucky.
  • 2008: briefly a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate; nomination withdrawn after controversy.

Later years and legacy

Landham was injured in a multi-vehicle crash in Ashland, Kentucky in 2006 and continued to make occasional public appearances thereafter. He died of congestive heart failure in Lexington, Kentucky on August 17, 2017, at the age of 78. His legacy is mixed: on one hand he is remembered within fan communities for a memorable turn in a high-profile action film and for his contributions as a physical performer; on the other hand his later political ambitions and outspoken statements generated controversy and diminished his public standing in some circles. Modern discussions of Landham typically balance his on-screen work with the complexities of his public life.

For readers seeking further detail, filmographies, interviews, and court records provide additional context to his career and legal history; contemporaneous news coverage and film retrospectives are useful starting points for deeper research.