Charles William "Billy" Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American movie actor and interior designer. He was a popular star of the silent movie era. In 1933, MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer fired the gay actor because he did not want to enter into a marriage of convenience. Haines never returned to movies. Instead, he started a successful interior design business with his lifelong male partner Jimmie Shields. 