Billie Keane

Billie Keane, played by Derrick Simmons, is a fictional character on the HBO drama "Oz".

Character overview

A gay black man, Billie is the younger brother of Jefferson Keane, the Homeboy's first leader on Oz and so is left alone by the other inmates. Jefferson's dying wish is for the Billie and their father, who is homophobic, to make peace. After Jefferson dies, Billie is not seen again as he has been transferred to a safer unit.

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Billie first appears attempting to flirt with Italian inmate Dino Ortolani in the shower room. Dino, a homophobic racist, nearly beats Billie to death in the shower. The attack angers both Jefferson and unit manager Tim McManus. Jefferson takes up Ryan O'Reily's suggestion to kill Ortolani.

McManus, meanwhile, send Dino to work at the AIDS ward. When Billie comes back, Jefferson has converted to Islam and uses the religion's rejection of homosexuality as a reason to disown his brother unless he renounces his sexual orientation. Billie leaves in tears, so Muslim leader Kareem Said prompts Jefferson to reach Billie from a different approach. Billie and Jefferson eventually make peace, but then Jefferson is set up by a few vindictive guards and ends up on trial for killing two Latino inmates. The state reinstates the death penalty and Jefferson becomes the first prisoner in over 30 years to be executed. Before Jefferson dies, he has their father make peace with Billie and donates a kidney to their sister Grace. Billie is then transferred to a more protective unit, and nothing more is shown of him.