R.I.P. Sonny Landham, best known as Billy Sole with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987 “Predator”

Actor Sonny Landham, who appeared in “Predator” and “48 Hrs,” died from congestive heart failure Thursday in Lexington, Ky. He was 76. The actor, who was part Seminole and part Cherokee, was best known for portraying Native American tracker Billy Sole in Arnold Schwarzenegger-starrer “Predator” in 1987.

This post first appeared on my toy blog on June 28, 2009:
This is Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS073 Private Billy Sole from the 1987 1987 American science-fiction action horror film "Predator". Private Billy Sole (played by Sonny Landham) was a Native American Kit Carson-style scout in Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Special Forces Team and the team's tracker. He is the first one to sense that the Predator is hunting them.

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Hot Toys again delivers with a nice slip case of Billy but with landscape orientation. Back of slip case reveals more product shots of 1/6th scale Private Billy Sole 12-inch figure plus his equipment and gear.

Front cover of box packaging shows Billy in a thermal image as seen by the Predator. Back of box is identical to Dutch i.e. showing all three figures from the Hot Toys Predator series.

Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series 1/6th scale Private Billy Sole 12-inch figure from the movie "Predator" in his tray together with all his accessories

Muscular Body Instruction Manual showing how far you can go with this figure's arms before they break. Not meant to be as articulated as their standard True Type body.

Billy Sole straight out of his box, without his complete gear. Features Hot Toys muscled figure body with over 21 points of articulation.

His accessories include: AR-15/SP1 (removable 30-round magazine and opening dust cover) fitted with a Mossberg 500 12-guage shotgun underslung below the barrel, Woodlands camouflage boonie hat, two water canteens with covers, M67 "baseball" hand grenade, an M1911A1 pistol with removable magazine only (although this is incorrect as Billy and Dutch were carrying IMI Desert Eagle handguns) a machete and combat knife plus sheath.

Billy also has flak vest, H type LC-1 suspenders attached to web belt plus shoulder holster and harness

Private Billy Sole topless wearing Woodlands camouflage pants with trouser belt, wearing Nomex aviator gloves and brandishing a machete in his right hand and combat knife in his left hand.

Billy has blond hair and his face is heavily made-up with camouflage paint.

Billy wears a necklace or pouch which we can assume is part of the Native American tradition. He touches it when he senses the Predator as if calling the spirits for protection. Didn't do him any good, he got skewered!

At several points during the film he feels the presence of the Predator and becomes spooked. Billy's laughter is mimicked in the Predator's dying scene as it activates its self-destruct.

Billy with his flak vest back on

Billy with a Hot Toys 1/6 M1911A1 pistol (with removable magazine only)

Hot Toys MMS73 Movie Masterpiece 1/6th scale Private Billy Sole 12-inch figure in full gear

Billy: I'm scared, Poncho.
Poncho: Bullshit. You ain't afraid of no man.
Billy: There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. We're all gonna die.

Billy with his Woodlands camouflage boonie hat - helps to conceal his blondness

Billy has a "cut" (painted) on his left cheek. His eyes are always looking up as if scanning the trees for the unseen intruder. He carries his combat knife close by his side, taped to his webbing.

His pistol is holstered in a shoulder holster secured to his web belt or pistol belt

His machete is secured in sheath by his left thigh. He wears jungle boots.

Water canteens in carrier

Ammo pouch can also be used as utility pouch with M67 "baseball" hand grenade secured

His AR-15/SP1 (removable 30-round magazine and opening dust cover) fitted with a Mossberg 500 12-guage shotgun underslung below the barrel

Who is Billy under all that heavy camouflaged paint? Check out my next post as we reveal the face behind the make-up.

Of all the members of Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer's (Arnold) team, only Private Billy Sole (Latham) is produced. Blain Cooper (Jesse Ventura) would have been nice, with his custom-made handheld 7.62mm GE M134 Minigun nicknamed "Ol Painless". There was also Mac (Bill Duke) with his M60E3 machine gun, Poncho (Richard Chaves) with his MP5 (or civilian HK94, if you want to be specific) and HK 40mm cyclinder grenade launcher, and Hawkins (Shane Black), also armed with a MP5.

Review of Hot Toys MMS90 Movie Masterpiece Series 1/6 scale 14-inch Predator from the first Predator movie here.