William "Billy" Bryan was born in Newport News, Virginia to an opera singing artist/engineer father who taught him to draw and sing, and a choir-directing, ball-of-fire preacher’s-daughter mother who taught him to pattern, to sew, and to smile. Inspired by Jim Henson and the Muppets, Billy started building and performing puppet shows while in High School.

In 1976, after graduating from Syracuse University with a BFA in Metalsmithing, Billy hitchhiked and hopped freights across the country to pursue his show biz dreams in Los Angeles. Within two weeks of arriving in Hollywood, he was building a banana costume for Elton John’s tour, and he’s been working steadily ever since. Five years in the NBC Wardrobe Department prepared him for the hectic pace of the movie effects industry.