Billy Redden

Billy Redden (born 1956) is an American actor, best known for his role as a backwoods mountain boy in the 1972 film ''Deliverance''. He played Lonnie, a banjo-playing teenager in north Georgia, who played the noted "Dueling Banjos" with Drew Ballinger (Ronny Cox).

Early life

Redden was born in Rabun County, Georgia, on October 13, 1956.

Career

At the age of fifteen, he was discovered by Lynn Stalmaster, who was scouting for the movie ''Deliverance''. Stalmaster recommended Redden to director John Boorman—though Redden was not an albino child, as Boorman had requested—and Redden was cast.

He portrayed a banjo-playing "local" in the film's famous "dueling banjos" scene. Boorman felt that Redden's skinny frame, large head, and almond-shaped eyes made him the natural choice to play the part of an "inbred from the back woods." Because Redden could not play the banjo, he wore a special shirt that allowed a real banjo player to hide behind him. The scene was then shot with carefully chosen camera angles to conceal the player, whose arms were slipped around Redden's waist to play the tune.Potempa, Philip (October 19, 2008)
"Burt Reynolds and 'Deliverance' boy reunited "
''The Times of Northwest Indiana''. The hidden banjo player was shown playing in the bar-fingered "clawhammer" style, while the banjo heard on the soundtrack was played in three-finger "Earl Scruggs" style, using finger picks.

After ''Deliverance'', Redden was cast in Lamberto Bava's 1984 film '' Blastfighter''. The film was recorded in and around Clayton, Georgia, and many people recall it as a mixture of ''Deliverance'' and ''First Blood''.

Redden next appeared in Tim Burton's 2003 film ''Big Fish''. Burton was intent on getting Redden, as he wanted him to play the role of a banjo-playing "welcomer" in the utopian town of Spectre. Burton located Redden in Clayton, where he was part-owner of the Cookie Jar Café, and also worked as a cook and dishwasher.

In 2004, Redden made a guest appearance on ''Blue Collar TV,'' playing a car repairman named Ray in a "Redneck Dictionary" skit. He represented the word "raisin bread" (as in "Ray's inbred"). He played a banjo in the skit.

In 2009, Redden was cast as a banjo player in Ace Cruz's film ''Outrage: Born in Terror''.

In 2012, 40 years after the release of ''Deliverance'', Redden was interviewed in association with a documentary, ''The Deliverance of Rabun County'' (2012). It explored the feelings of people in Rabun County four decades later about the 1972 film. Redden said that though ''Deliverance'' was the best thing that happened to him, he never saw much money from the movie:

Noting some locals objected to the stereotypes in the movie, Redden said that the people in Rabun County were good people:

Filmography

*''Deliverance'' (1972) - Lonnie
*'' Blastfighter'' (1984) - Banjo Man (uncredited)
*''Big Fish'' (2003) - Banjo Man
*'' Outrage'' (2009) - Banjo Man

References

External links

*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Redden, Billy
1956 births
Living people
American male film actors
American male child actors
Male actors from Georgia (U.S. state)
People from Clayton, Georgia