An actor with a powerful physique, booming voice and who has played several “Native American”” characters, Sonny Landham first broke into mainstream film with a bit part as a police officer in the subway. He ends up getting tripped when Michael Beck throws the baseball bat at his legs, in Walter Hill’s gang film The Warriors (1979), then other minor roles in Southern Comfort (1981) & Poltergeist (1982), before Walter Hill cast him in his first decent role as James Remar’s gun happy, criminal partner in the high voltage hit 48 Hrs. (1982). Landham continued to turn up in high testosterone films of the mid 1980s including the action sci-fi film Predator (1987), alongside Sylvester Stallone in Lock Up (1989), and being hurled out a window by Carl Weathers in Action Jackson (1988). His career on screen wound down during the 1990s, but he still managed to crop up in several roles taking advantage of his strong physical presence.”
Sonny Landham
Movies
Action Jackson
Jericho “Action” Jackson is a Detroit police sergeant who was demoted from lieutenant for almost tearing the arm off of sexually violent sociopath Sean Dellaplane, whose father is Peter Dellaplane, a major car manufacturer. But Dellaplane himself is violent as well. Dellaplane kills his wife Patrice by shooting her. And…
Fun Facts
Former 1970s porn star.
He tried to sue some local TV stations who showed clips of his movies during news broadcasts without paying him. The lawsuits were settled.
During the filming of Predator (1987) a bodyguard was hired, not for his personal protection, but because the film's insurance company worried for the safety of the cast with him around.
On 18th June 2003, he held a press conference at the Kentucky State Capital, in Frankfort to announce his withdrawal as an independent candidate for governor of the state of Kentucky. This was done with the advice of campaign consultants who determined that the Landham campaign was 6 months behind schedule and lacking the funds to run a successful campaign. Had he won the seat, he would have been the third actor from Predator (1987) (after Arnold Schawrzenegger and Jesse Ventura) to become a state governor.
Sonny became known as a filmmaker. He produced movies, directed movies, wrote movie scripts, and even became a published author with his book Total Man, but Sonny's main passion is still golf.
His big break in movies came, when one of Hollywood's all-time great directors, Walter Hill, cast him as Billy Bear in 48hrs. The movie offers started coming fast and furious, among them, Predator, Fleshburn, Firewalker, and many others plus TV offers.
Sonny Landham has produced, directed, and moderated a political education DVD which will be on the market Spring 2006. He is currently busy at work as President of the Sonny Landham Foundation, and making speeches across the country.
He is a descendant of the Cherokee and Seminole Nations.
He spent three years in the army.
After having done the character in the now famous '48Hrs' as "Billy Bear""
Quotes
[on his appearance in porn films] If I was going to do it now - knowing that I'm going to have four children, knowing that I was going to run for office - no, I wouldn't make that choice. But at the time I made the choice of getting a paycheck, staying alive for your big break.