Why was Billy Dee Williams cast as Harvey Dent?

[Mace Dolex]

I didn't ask this question in the B'89 thread as I didn't want it lost in the shuffle but why was Billy Dee cast as Harvey Dent? Now I don't want this to turn into a black or white debate over skin color that's not why I'm asking so you can post your BS comments elsewhere.

Now to start I was a kid in the 80's so quite frankly I knew Billy Dee as the one and only Lando Calrissian, anything he did before and after Star Wars pretty much went over my head. Now as I was checking IMDB for Billy Dee's credits after SW it seems he had a short stint on Dynasty and a few made-for-TV movies to keep busy.

So now of course begs the question what did Warner Bros. see in casting Billy Dee as Harvey Dent who at the time wasn't as popular in the Batman mythos as he is now, was BDW considered a stunt casting? Was he a bankable name that would bring prestige to the film? Was WB aware that eventually Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face and that Billy Dee would be needed for future sequels (of course we know that never happened).

Ignore the fact that casting an African American in a Caucasian part didn't really seem to matter as it was probably overshadowed immensely by Michael Keaton being cast as Batman.

 

[Slushy]

Because Burton thought Williams playing Dent was "interesting".

 

[Ponyboy]

I always thought that, visually, Billy Dee would've looked interesting as Two-Face. I would think that Burton would've gone for a black on white look (much like the suit Two-Face wears in the animated series)... with the burnt part of his face being white or pale.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

i would have LOVED to see Billy Dee turn into Two Face, especially under Burton's direction. i'm sure the makeup would have been something pretty epic

i remember reading that Billy Dee was suppose to be in Batman Returns but the part of Harvey/Two Face was replaced with Max Shreck

 

[Mace Dolex]

I guess I just always saw him playing suave characters like Lando Calrissian that I don't know what kind of range in playing different roles he had.