Biography
Burton Gilliam is an American actor. Born in Dallas, Texas, he worked as a firefighter for the Dallas Fire Department for 14 years before entering acting.
While still employed as a firefighter, Gilliam auditioned as an extra for Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon (1973) and was cast as Floyd, the desk clerk. He followed this with the role of Lyle in Mel Brooks's Blazing Saddles (1974).
Gilliam has appeared in films including Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Fletch (1985) and Back to the Future Part III (1990), and on television series such as The A-Team, Knight Rider and Evening Shade. Prior to acting he had been a boxer in the US Coast Guard.
