Billy Redden as "Lonny"

Billy Redden (born 1956 in Rabun County, Georgia) is an American actor best know for his role as Lonny "the banjo kid" in the 1972 movie Deliverance. http://www. ... http://www. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rabun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Deliverance is a 1970 novel by American author James Dickey that was made by Warner Bros. ...

Redden, sixteen at the time, was cast for his role in Deliverance during a casting call at Clayton Elementary School. To add authenticity to the film, the filmmakers found Redden to fit the look of the inbred and mentally retarded banjo boy called for by the book (although Redden is neither). The scene depicting Redden playing the instrumental "Dueling Banjos" opposite actor Ronny Cox on guitar is considered by many as one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. Ironically, Redden could not play the banjo or even convincingly fake playing, and thus director John Boorman had another child slip his hand through Redden's sleeve to finger the chord changes. Inbreeding is breeding between close relatives. ... Mental retardation (abbreviated as MR), is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (milestones) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal intellectual capacity as an adult. ... Old 6-string zither banjo 4-string banjos The banjo is a stringed instrument of African-American origin, early or original examples sometimes being called the gourd banjo. Its name is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza. ... Ronny Cox as Former Vice-President Robert Kinsey in Stargate SG-1 Daniel Ronald Cox (born Saturday, July 23, 1938 in Cloudcroft, New Mexico) is an American actor, singer/songwriter, and guitarist. ... John Boorman (born January 18, 1933 in Shepperton, Surrey, United Kingdom), is a British filmmaker, currently based in Ireland, best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Excalibur, and The General. ...

Redden also recently appeared in Tim Burton's 2003 film Big Fish. Burton was intent on getting Redden, who hadn't appeared in a film since Deliverance, to play the role of a banjo-playing welcomer in the utopian town of Spectre. Burton eventually found him in Clayton, Georgia, where Redden works as a cook and dishwasher at the Cookie Jar Café. Tim Burton (left) with Ewan McGregor on the set of Big Fish Timothy William Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an eccentric film director known for his off-beat and quirky style. ... Big Fish is a 2003 movie directed by Tim Burton and written by John August, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Matthew McGrory, Danny DeVito, Alison Lohman and Billy Crudup. ... Clayton is a city located in Rabun County, Georgia. ...

In 2004, Redden made a guest appearance on Blue Collar TV playing an inbred car repairman named Ray in an "Redneck Dictionary" skit, for the word "raisin bread" (Ray's-Inbred). When he was shown, he was playing a banjo. Blue Collar TV is a comedy television program on the WB Television Network and Comedy Central starring Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. ...

External link

• Georgia newspaper article