Billy Eichner Biography

Billy Eichner, born on September 18, 1978, is a renowned American comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Raised in Queens, New York, by his mother Debbie, a phone company employee, and Jay Eichner, a rent tax auditor, Eichner grew up in Forest Hills and was part of a Jewish family. He had a Madonna-themed bar mitzvah and an older half-brother. His educational journey led him to Stuyvesant High School, and later to Northwestern University, where he graduated in 2000 with a BS in Theater. Actor Robin Lord Taylor was his college roommate.

Eichner's career in comedy took off as the host and writer of Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show, a critically acclaimed stage show in New York. He also hosted a Bravo web series called My Life on the Z-List: Jen's Vlog and co-hosted the Bravo television pilot Joan Rivers' Straight Talk. Eichner made appearances on Conan as a special correspondent in original video shorts, establishing a reputation as a versatile performer.

In 2011, he starred in Billy on the Street, a show created by Funny or Die, initially aired on Fuse, and later moved to truTV. The show, now available on HBO Max and the TruTV app, involves Eichner asking random questions or engaging people in trivia games on the streets of New York City, often alongside celebrity guests. This endeavor earned him a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 2013.

Eichner furthered his acting career by joining the cast of Parks and Recreation in 2013, where he played Donna's Eagleton counterpart, Craig Middlebrooks. His comedic talent was recognized by the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards show in 2014, where he appeared with host Seth Meyers, interviewing random people on the streets of New York. He also starred in the Hulu original series Difficult People alongside Julie Klausner, executive produced by Amy Poehler.

In 2019, Eichner voiced Timon in Disney's live-action remake of The Lion King. He remarked on the challenging yet rewarding experience of working on such a large project alongside big names. He further expanded his repertoire in 2020 by developing a film biography of Paul Lynde, a fellow Northwestern University alum, titled Man in the Box, in which he portrayed Lynde.

Eichner continued his creative contributions in 2021 by writing and starring in the film Bros. In August, Amazon Studios announced that they had bought the rights to develop the film Ex-Husbands, co-written by Eichner and Paul Rudnick. Eichner, who is openly gay, attributes Bros's box office disappointment to certain demographics not watching the film. In his personal life, Eichner, a Democrat, actively encourages voting through initiatives like Glam Up the Midterms, in partnership with Funny or Die, and endorsed Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.