Billy Eichner
Billy Eichner (/ˈaɪknər/ EYEK-nər; born September 18, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He is the star, executive producer, and creator of Funny or Die's Billy on the Street, a comedy game show that aired on truTV.
Billy Eichner | |
|---|---|
Eichner in 2014 | |
| Born | September 18, 1978 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
Early life and education edit
Eichner is a native of Queens and grew up in Forest Hills, the son of Debbie, who worked for a phone company, and Jay Eichner, a rent tax auditor.[1][2] He was born to a Jewish family and had a Madonna-themed bar mitzvah. He has an older half-brother.[3] He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1996,[4] and from Northwestern University in 2000 with a BS in Theater.[5] Actor Robin Lord Taylor was his college roommate.[6]
Career edit
Eichner gained attention as the host and writer of Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show, a critically acclaimed stage show in New York.[7] He landed a Bravo web series called My Life on the Z-List: Jen's Vlog that was an online companion to Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List[8] and was a co-host on the Bravo television pilot Joan Rivers' Straight Talk, where Rivers discussed topics with four gay men. He appeared on Conan as a special correspondent in original video shorts.[9]
In 2011, Eichner starred in the show Billy on the Street. The show initially aired on Fuse, before moving to truTV. It was created within Funny or Die, and is now available on Max and the TruTV app. It had a final run of short-form episodes across digital platforms in association with Lyft. In it, Eichner goes around the streets of New York City, asking people random questions or having them compete in trivia games. He often has celebrities who compete in games or go around the streets with him.
On August 5, 2013, Eichner guest starred in the sixth season of Parks and Recreation.[10] Eichner's first episode aired on October 10, 2013. He stars as Donna's Eagleton counterpart, Craig Middlebrooks, who joins the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department when Pawnee absorbs Eagleton.[11] He became a series regular in episode four of the seventh season of the show.
During the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards show in 2014, Eichner appeared with host Seth Meyers on the streets of New York, interviewing random people.[12]
Eichner starred in the Hulu original series Difficult People, with Julie Klausner. It was executive produced by Amy Poehler. Though originally set up for USA Network,[13] the series began airing on Hulu in August 2015.[14]
In 2016, Eichner appeared in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, released May 20.[15] In 2017, he joined the cast of American Horror Story for recurring roles in its seventh and eighth seasons.[16]
In 2019, Eichner provided the voice of Timon in Disney's live action remake of The Lion King, from director Jon Favreau.[17][18] Eichner said that Timon "[is] such a great role that allows you to do so much. But... the bigger the project and the bigger the names that you're working with, the more you have to ignore it. If you get to the soundstage and you're thinking, 'Oh my God, what a full-circle moment! Nathan Lane did it originally! Beyoncé's in this!' then you're paralyzed creatively. You just have to put that out of your head in order to get the job done."[19]
In July 2020, Eichner announced that he and Tom McNulty were developing a film biography of fellow Northwestern University alum Paul Lynde called Man in the Box, with Eichner portraying Lynde.[20]
In March 2021, Eichner announced that he was writing and starring in the film Bros, which tells the story of two gay men with commitment issues who decide to settle down with each other.[21] In August, Amazon Studios announced that they had bought the rights to develop the film Ex-Husbands, starring Eichner and co-written by him and Paul Rudnick.[22] Bros was critically well-received but a box-office disappointment, which Eichner attributed to "straight people, especially in certain parts of the country" not going to see the film.[23]
Personal life edit
Eichner is Jewish[24] and gay.[25][26][27] He lives in Los Angeles.[28]
Politics edit
Eichner is a Democrat. On February 1, 2018, Eichner announced a new initiative called Glam Up the Midterms, during that night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in conjunction with Funny or Die and with the support of several late night hosts including Sarah Silverman, James Corden, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O'Brien, John Oliver, Chelsea Handler, Robin Thede, and Andy Cohen. Glam Up the Midterm's purpose was getting people to vote in the November 6 midterms, especially millennials, of whom only 12% voted in the previous midterm election.[29][30][31][32] Eichner joined the progressive political organization Swing Left as senior advisor starting in 2019[33][34] and endorsed Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[35]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | What Happens in Vegas | Band Leader | |
| 2010 | The Charlie Sheen Is Too Damn High | Timmy McMillan | Short film |
| 2013 | Glitter and Ribs | Taylor Swift | Short film |
| 2014 | Penguins of Madagascar | New York Reporter | Voice |
| 2015 | Sleeping With Other People | SLAA Speaker | |
| 2016 | The Angry Birds Movie | Chef Pig / Phillip | Voice |
| Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising | Oliver Studebaker | ||
| 2018 | Most Likely to Murder | Speigel | |
| 2019 | The Lion King | Timon | Voice |
| Noelle | Gabriel Kringle | ||
| 2022 | Bros | Bobby Lieber | Also writer |
| 2024 | Mufasa: The Lion King | Timon | Voice; in production |
| TBA | Honey Don't! | Filming |
Television and web edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Joan Rivers' Straight Talk | Himself (co-host) | Unaired Bravo pilot |
| 2007 | My Life on the Z-List: Jen's Vlog | Jen | Web series supporting Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List |
| 2011–2017 | Billy on the Street | Himself (host) | Also creator and executive producer |
| 2013–2015 | Parks and Recreation | Craig Middlebrooks | 17 episodes |
| 2013–2021 | Bob's Burgers | Mr. Ambrose | Voice, 13 episodes |
| 2014 | The Millers | Leon | Episode: "Movin' Out (Carol's Song)" |
| New Girl | Barry | Episode: "LAXmas" | |
| 2015 | The Awesomes | The Gayfather (voice) | Episode: "The Gayfather" |
| 2015–2017 | Difficult People | Billy Epstein | 28 episodes |
| 2016 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Himself | Episode: "Retirement Plans and Financial Advisors" |
| Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Himself | Episode: "Kimmy Meets a Drunk Lady!" | |
| Hairspray Live! | Rob Barker | Television special | |
| 2017 | Carpool Karaoke: The Series | Himself | Episode: "Billy Eichner & Metallica" |
| American Horror Story: Cult | Harrison Wilton | 6 episodes | |
| Tex Watson | Episode: "Charles (Manson) in Charge" | ||
| 2017–2019 | Friends from College | Dr. Felix Forzenheim | 13 episodes |
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Himself | Episode: "Cher: The Unauthorized Rusical" |
| American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Brock | 3 episodes | |
| Mutt Nutter | 3 episodes | ||
| Family Guy | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Pawtucket Pete" | |
| 2018–2022 | Billy on the Street | Billy | Web series |
| 2018, 2023 | The Simpsons | Billy (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Green Eggs and Ham | Walter Bigman (voice) | Episode: "Boat" |
| 2020 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself – Guest Host | 2 episodes |
| Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special | Elf Billy | Christmas special | |
| 2021 | Impeachment: American Crime Story | Matt Drudge | 3 episodes |
| Dickinson | Walt Whitman | Episode: "This is my letter to the World" |
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Game Show Host | Billy on the Street | Nominated | [36] |
| 2015 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program | Nominated | [37] | |
| 2016 | Webby Awards | Online Film & Video: Comedy, Individual Short or Episode | Won | [38] | |
| Dorian Awards | Wilde Wit of the Year | Nominated | [39] | ||
| 2017 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Variety Sketch Series | Nominated | [40] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Kamp, David (October 5, 2015). "Billy Eichner Is Only Shouting Because New York Is Loud". HWD. from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ "Billy Eichner is Here to Fight Hollywood Homophobia and Fulfill Your Gay Rom-Com Dreams". August 31, 2022. from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ "18 Things to Know About Billy Eichner". Alma. July 26, 2019. from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Larson, Sarah (May 23, 2016). "Billy Eichner's Comedy of Confrontation". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "Billy Eichner Biography". from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ Wagner, Curt (October 5, 2014). "Robin Lord Taylor walks the walk as Penguin in 'Gotham'". RedEye. from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ^ Calhoun, Ada (May 15, 2005). "Hey Gang, Let's Put On a Twisted Talk Show". The New York Times. from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ "Go online to mine for new shows".
- ^ . teamcoco.com. February 3, 2012. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ Evans, Bradford (August 5, 2013). . Splitsider. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ Furlong, Maggie (October 10, 2013). "Billy Eichner On 'Parks And Recreation' – And Every Other Show Ever, Please (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post. from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ Shorey, Eric. "Billy Eichner and Seth Meyers Harass New Yorkers About The Emmy Awards". thebacklot.com. from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
- ^ . Hulu. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ "Watch the First Difficult People Teaser -- Vulture". Vulture. June 30, 2015. from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 24, 2015). "Billy Eichner Joins Cast of 'Neighbors 2'". from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
- ^ Stack, Tim (March 28, 2017). "'American Horror Story': Billy Eichner Cast in Season 7". EW.com. from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (April 25, 2017). "Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner in Talks to Voice Timon and Pumbaa in New 'Lion King'". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ @Disney (November 1, 2017). "#TheLionKing. 2019. 🦁👑" (Tweet). Retrieved November 3, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ What To Expect From The Characters In The Upcoming 'The Lion King' Adaptation - Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Mike Fleming Jr. (July 21, 2020). "Billy Eichner To Play Paul Lynde In 'Man In The Box', About Gifted Actor Stigmatized For Being Gay: Why Eichner Feels Things Haven't Changed, Gay Actors Still Excluded From Straight Roles & Even Playing Gay Icons". Deadline. from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 5, 2021). "Billy Eichner's Romantic Comedy 'Bros' to Debut in Theaters in 2022". Variety. from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Justin Kroll (August 3, 2021). "Amazon Studios Lands Hot Package 'Ex-Husbands' From Berlanti/Schecter Films, Billy Eichner and Paul Rudnick". Deadline. from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ Sharf, Zack; Earl, William (October 3, 2022). "Why Did Billy Eichner's 'Bros' Bomb at the Box Office? Straight People Aren't Entirely to Blame". Variety. from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
- ^ Kensky, Eitan (March 14, 2013). . The Jewish Daily Forward. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ Kamp, David (November 2015). "Billy Eichner is Only Shouting Because New York Is Loud". Vanity Fair. from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- ^ Fallon, Kevin (February 12, 2013). "How 'Billy on the Street' Host Billy Eichner Hit the Mainstream". The Daily Beast. from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ Peikert, Mark (May 27, 2009). "Billy Eichner: Gay, White, and Terrified!". Backstage. from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- ^ Sandberg, Bryn (May 4, 2020). "How I'm Living Now: Billy Eichner, Actor and Comedian". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ "Billy Eichner, John Oliver, Andy Cohen, and More Are Joining Forces to Glam Up the Midterms". Vogue. from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ Hamilton, Isobel. "Billy Eichner is on a mission to make the mid-terms glam again". Mashable. from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ "Billy Eichner Launches Star-Studded Campaign to Get Millennials to Vote in Midterm Elections". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ "Glam Up The Midterms". glamupthemidterms.com. from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ "Billy Eichner Hits the Street With a New Goal: "Flipping the Senate" | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. November 19, 2019. from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ Wong, Curtis M. (August 18, 2021). "Judd Apatow's Gay Romantic Comedy Casts A Love Interest For Billy Eichner". HuffPost. from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ eichner, billy (February 24, 2020). "Because I love her and think she has ALL the qualities of a great leader, as well as a healing way of communicating that this country so desperately needs, I'm voting for @ewarren. Do with this info what you will. I'm not a perfect person & I once lied about seeing Wicked". @billyeichner. from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ . emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. June 21, 2017. Archived from the original on June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ "Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program - 2015". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "20th Annual Webby Awards Winners Announced". Webby Awards (Press release). Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ Tapley, Kristopher (January 18, 2016). "'Carol' Sweeps Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Awards". Variety. from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ "Outstanding Variety Sketch Series - 2017". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
Further reading edit
- D'Addario, Daniel (June 6, 2012). "(Crazy) Man on the Street: Comedian Billy Eichner Will Accost You in Chelsea". The New York Observer. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- Bierly, Mandi (December 19, 2011). "Billy Eichner's Top 6 Reasons To Watch 'Funny or Die's Billy On the Street'". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- Kandell, Steve (June 14, 2012). "Billy Eichner's Street Hassle". Spin. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
External links edit
- Billy Eichner on Twitter
- Billy Eichner at IMDb
- Profile at Funny or Die April 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine; accessed January 3, 2015.