Billy Dee Williams and Diana Ross.Photo:Samir Hussein/WireImage; Nicholas Hunt/Getty
Samir Hussein/WireImage; Nicholas Hunt/Getty
When it comes to his onscreen paramourDiana Ross,Billy Dee Williamsisn’t afraid to kiss and tell.
Ahead of the Feb. 13 release of his upcoming memoir,What Have We Here?: Portraits of a Life, Williams, 86, reflected on his (strictly on-screen!) relationship with the music icon for this week’s PEOPLE issue.
When asked how he and Gordy navigated the situation Williams tells PEOPLE, “Well, Berry is…I love Berry.”
Billy Dee Williams and Diana Ross in ‘Lady Sings The Blues’.Paramount Pictures/Getty
Paramount Pictures/Getty
The founder of Motown Records — who signed Ross’s legendary girl group,The Supremes— would often intervene to prevent thestars from kissing during rehearsals, Williams recalls in his book.
“He’s very whimsical,” Williams tells PEOPLE, of Gordy. “And he might object to something, but he does it in such a fashion you find himself chuckling about it because he’s chuckling about it.”
To demonstrate, theStar Warsactor recalled a moment on set when he chimed in while Gordy and a cinematographer discussed a scene. The producer turned to him, leaned in and said, “This is my movie. No worries. It’s nice that you have an opinion. It’s okay. I got this.”
Billy Dee Williams and Diana Ross in ‘Mahogany’.Courtesy Everett Collection
Courtesy Everett Collection
“Even when he hired me for Louis McKay, I mean, he saw the chemistry between myself and Diana when I was doing a screen test,” Williams recalls. “And he got so excited.”
“He’s just like a little kid,” he adds.
Recalling Gordy’s reaction to his and Ross’s screen test — which immediately landed him the 1972 role — Williams says, “It was very clear to him what was going on between me and Diana.”
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And while his and Ross’s chemistry — which they reprised in 1975’sMahogany— was electric, Williams says that he and the “I’m Coming Out” singer’s relationship never translated into real life.
“We never had anything,” he tells PEOPLE. “We never had any, although I love kissing on-screen. It was really nice.”
source: people.com
