{{Short description|American businessman}} {{for|the U.S. Navy admiral|William E. Le Roy}} thumb|160px|right|William Leroy
'''William Leroy''' (born in Amiens, France), also known as '''Billy Leroy''', is an American reality television personality, actor, businessman and appraiser. He was the owner of store "Billy's Antiques and Props" on the Lower East Side of New York City. In 2023 he lives in Greenpoint Brooklyn.
==Biography == Leroy was born in France and grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In 1979, at the age of 19, Leroy graduated from the Williston Northampton School.<ref>https://willistonblogs.com/alumni/tag/billy-leroy/</ref> Leroy stars in the Lower Eastside cult movie ''Dirty Old Town''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/city-ghosts-gentrification-dirty-old-town-michael-jackson/20143 |title=City Ghosts: Gentrification, Dirty Old Town, Michael Jackson - BlackBook |publisher=Blackbookmag.com |date=2010-06-25 |accessdate=2011-01-11}}</ref> He is married to Canadian American singer and songwriter Lorraine Leckie, who also appears in the movie.
Leroy's store, Billy's Antiques, was known for being the "last holdout of the old Bowery".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/nyregion/thecity/10bowe.html?ref=thecity | work=The New York Times | first=Damon | last=Tabor | title=Between Skid Row and Starbucks | date=2007-06-10}}</ref> Leroy is also known for his unique economic policy - accepting only Euros during the plummeting value of the American dollar in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022401642.html |title=New York Merchants Embrace Euro |work=washingtonpost.com |date= 2008-02-25|accessdate=2011-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=ALAN CLENDENNING, AP Business Writer |url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Mar13/0,4670,DivingDollar,00.html |title=Dollar's Clout Sinks Worldwide - Business And Money | Business News | Financial News |publisher=FOXNews.com |date=2008-03-13 |accessdate=2011-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=75004288 |title=Yes, We Take Euros: Riding a Currency Shift |publisher=NPR |date= |accessdate=2011-01-11}}</ref>
Leroy appeared regularly on the American docu-reality show ''Baggage Battles'' produced by The Travel Channel from 2012 to 2014 and shown in 23 countries.<ref>Adams, Eric (Apr. 22, 2012) "Baggage Battles (review)" AV Club. Retrieved 22 November 2013.</ref>
Leroy starred in the movie ''Bourek''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bourek |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3702704/ |website=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=8 May 2019}}</ref> In 2021 Leroy stars as the host of the new Discovery series Billy Buys Brooklyn<ref>{{cite web|title=Discovery Orders 'Billy Buys Brooklyn' Antiquing Series – Global Bulletin|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/discovery-billy-leroy-nbc-bbc-1234802465/|access-date=2021-04-28}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name | id= 1161787}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leroy, William}} Category:Living people Category:Actors from Amiens Category:People from the Upper East Side Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Male actors from Hauts-de-France Category:Male actors from Manhattan Category:Male actors from Brooklyn Category:People from Greenpoint, Brooklyn