Burton Gilliam Movies and Career Information

Burton Gilliam (born August 9, 1938) is an American actor. His first calling was not to the stage, but to the ring. He was considered the heart of the Coast Guard's boxing team, and reportedly posted an impressive record of 201 wins out of 217 fights during his enlistment. Gilliam was credited with winning more Golden Gloves bouts than anyone in its history at that time. While he did seriously consider turning professional, he ultimately decided to return to Dallas upon completing his Coast Guard enlistment. There, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Dallas Fire Department, where he spent the next 14 years posted at Station 39 in East Dallas. Upon his return to Texas, Gilliam had also completed his General Equivalency Development (GED) diploma with exemplary scores. The silver screen made its first official calling through a local newspaper article. Burton, while working as a firefighter, noted a reporting article on a film to be shot in the local Dallas area. While he had no experience, and no real knowledge of the entertainment industry, he made his way to the casting director to seek a role as an extra. He made an immediate impression, and his first cinematic