Dating tips from OG heartthrob Billy Dee Williams, just in time for Valentine’s Day

“Billy Dee Williams, here,” the baritone bellowed on the other side of the phone.

My heart jumped for my mom and her sister friends who, back in the 1970s, swooned over the young lead in the made-for-TV movie Brian’s Song. By the time Williams landed the role of Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back, he’d starred opposite Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues and Mahogany, cementing his image as a heartthrob for decades. A few years later, he’d crack open a beer can for a series of popular Colt 45 commercials, wink at the camera, and proclaim, “It works every time.”

The aunties squealed with delight.

Williams will appear at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 17, touting his new memoir, What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life. The title — and Williams’ majestic blue cape — are a nod to Lando’s introduction to Princess Leia in the blockbuster The Empire Strikes Back.

“It’s something very whimsical about that line,” Williams said. “It applies to my greeting of a lovely woman and it’s a look at my life.”

At 86, Williams decided it was time to publish his memoir to preserve his legacy, from his start in Harlem as a child actor in an off-Broadway play to his voice-over work in Lego movies. But boomers (and their ‘70s babies) know the key to Williams’ legacy is romance. “I love romance,” Williams said. “It’s natural to me.”

Here are five romantic takeaways from Williams’ memoir, his ingredients for tapping into love, OG style.

Growth is attractive. Before he was an actor, Williams was an artist. He attended New York City’s High School of Art and Music and the National Academy of Design for college. He worked as a nude model for painting classes at the Pratt Institute and was a jazz aficionado, checking out artists like Charlie Parker in person. Yet there was a time when he worked as a maintenance man, in his father’s place, at a New York building when he was unable to work. “I see my life as the full spectrum of colors, not just black and white,” Williams said. “We all know growth is attractive.”

Style and sophistication. Williams’ smoothness is indisputable; it’s why for a minute he was a spokesman for Jovan Musk in the 1980s. Williams adopted his smooth look from his dad who, “Always wore a suit and tie. And spats, a fashion holdover from the early 20th century. It was my father’s way of saying to the world, ‘I’m a man of style and sophistication,’” Williams writes.

Listen to women. “I had the luxury of growing up with three ladies who had three different personalities. My grandmother who was the queen dowager. My mom the sweetheart and my sister who was my Florence Nightingale, she saved me. They may have spoiled me, but I listened to them all and I learned something important. Women want to be heard. That is where romance starts.”

Relax. ”When you are uptight all of the time, you have a tendency of missing out on a lot of things,” Williams said. The world is moving fast. And when it comes to romance it’s important we take time to figure out who we are, what we want, and to listen to our partners. Let their stories marinate within us, so we can respond. “Chilling out is part of that secret sauce,” Williams said.

Call your darlings. Williams was signing his memoir at a New York bookstore as we chatted, kicking off his tour — the book drops Feb. 13. He thanked me for the interview and in a kind, old-school way, he said, “Have a nice day and stay well, darling,” before hanging up.

And in that moment I felt like my mom. I swooned.

Billy Dee Williams’ memoir, “What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life,” was released on Feb. 13. He will appear at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 17, where he will be in conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak.