The Lord Of The Rings star is petrified of heights, but decided to conquer his fear by leaping off a mountain in Canada.
The stunt was all part of Jack Osbourne's Celebrity Adrenaline Junkie show.
But pint-sized Billy, 41, admitted he was so scared he phoned his missus and got her to check everything was in order in case he didn't make it.
He said: "Speaking to my wife about it, she said if it was something I wanted to do, then I should go ahead and do it.
"We spoke a lot on the phone, and I told her where the will was before I went - I really did."
Billy reveals his death-defying exploits in an interview with BBC Alba presenter Cathy MacDonald for her Cuide ri Cathy series.
The Glasgow-born actor admitted he only agreed to the stunt because fellow Hobbit Elijah Wood egged him on.
He said: "It isn't really my thing but Elijah had done it and he said it was a great experience. I've always liked Jack and I liked what he'd done with the programme. If there was any reason for me not to do it, it was really the fear of doing that kind of thing.
"But I thought, 'I'm going to do it'. I'm so glad I did, it was an amazing trip.
He added: "I'm very seldom just seen as myself on TV. It was sort of weird, but I just tried to be as honest as possible."
The actor, who splits his time between Glasgow and LA, reckons being Scottish helps him make pals when he is filming abroad.
Smile
He said: "I think being Scottish is a great thing for travelling. The guys who were doing security on the show were ex-Army.
"And because they knew guys from the Black Watch and different regiments, you get a smile straight away."
And Billy - who made his telly debut in Taggart in 1996 - wants Scots to inspire the next generation of actors.
He said: "I liked Bill Forsyth movies - Gregory's Girl and Local Hero.
"I went to the cinema and I understood that world.
"There should be more of these stories told."
Posted: 24 September 2009
by Marc Deanie
musical
