'We're not a bad people': Billy Redden bids adieu to Hollywood and 'Dueling Banjos'!

A ghost of Hollywood past, Billy Redden, the teenage banjo sensation from the 1972 thriller 'Deliverance,' has undergone a transformation so significant it might leave you bewildered.

"We're Not a Bad People": Redden's Evolution Post-Deliverance

As reported by the Daily Mail, over half a century after the film's release, the then 'backwoods mountain boy' with captivating banjo skills is now 66 and scarcely resembles his former on-screen persona. Once a fledgling star at 15, Billy now leads a humble life, far from Hollywood's spotlight.

Cast for his slender build and striking narrow eyes, Redden wasn't a trained actor but a resident of Rabun County, Georgia, where the film was shot. Sharing screen space with heavyweights like Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, and Jon Voight, he captured viewers' imaginations with his musical talent.

"Everybody Pretty Much Gets Along": Redden's Exit from Showbiz

Fast forward to today, Billy looks remarkably different from the 15-year-old 'banjo boy'. Last seen donning glasses, a short haircut, and a slight scruff, he still clings to his banjo, the very instrument that launched him to fame.

Ironically, it was later revealed that Billy wasn't musically trained. For the iconic 'dueling banjos' scene, he wore a special shirt that enabled another person to play the banjo.

Following the film, Billy momentarily rode the wave of fame, guiding tourist trips down the Chattooga River and even appearing in Tim Burton’s 2003 hit 'Big Fish' and a few other films. However, he officially retired from show business in 2009 and has since held various jobs, including a Walmart associate, to make ends meet.

Redden has made conscious efforts to distance himself from the Deliverance legacy, a sentiment echoed in the 2012 documentary 'The Deliverance of Rabun County'. He said, "We're not a bad people up here, we're a loving people. Rabun County is a pretty good town. It's real peaceful, not a lot of crime going on. Everybody pretty much gets along with everybody."

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)