Sonny Landham

William M. "Sonny" Landham III (February 11, 1941 – August 17, 2017) was an American actor and stunt performer. He portrayed Billy Bear in 48 Hrs. and tracker Billy Sole in Predator. Early life and education Landham was born February 11, 1941, in Canton, Georgia, and raised in Rome, Georgia. He identified as being of half Cherokee and one-eighth Seminole descent, and partly of German, English and Irish descent. He also stated he had Jewish heritage. Landham had at least one sibling, a sister, Dawn. He attended Saint Mary's Catholic School and Darlington School before playing football for a year at the University of Georgia. Subsequently, he graduated from Oglethorpe University. After college, he did a stint in the army, worked in an oil field, as an ordained Baptist minister, and a model. Career