Billy Magnussen
{{short description|American actor (born 1985)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Billy Magnussen
| image = Billy Magnussen 2011 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Magnussen in 2011
| birth_name = William Gregory Magnussen
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|04|20}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.{{cite web |last=Blank |first=Matthew |date= |title=PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Tony Nominee Billy Magnussen |url=http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/playbill.coms-cue-a-vanya-and-sonia-and-masha-and-spike-tony-nominee-billy--205677 |publisher=Playbill}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA)
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor}}
| years_active = 2007–present
}}
William Gregory Magnussen (born April 20, 1985) is an American actor. He has been featured in the films Into the Woods (2014), Bridge of Spies (2015), Birth of the Dragon (2016), Game Night (2018), and Aladdin (2019), and has had supporting television roles in Get Shorty (2017) and Maniac (2018). In 2021, Magnussen starred in the sci-fi series Made for Love on HBO Max and appeared in the films The Many Saints of Newark and No Time to Die. He has since also starred as Rey "The King" Kingston in Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) and as Pleakley in the live-action film adaptation of Lilo & Stitch (2025).
He has starred in Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions, including 2013's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, for which he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Early life
Magnussen was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York City, the son of Daina, an aerobics instructor, and Greg Magnussen, a professional bodybuilder and kickboxer. He has two younger brothers.{{cite web |last=Dyball \first=Rennie |date=August 6, 2010 |title=Five Things to Know About Twelve's Billy Magnussen |url=https://people.com/celebrity/five-things-to-know-about-twelves-billy-magnussen/ |website=People |access-date=December 31, 2017}}{{cite web |title=Photos! Roll in the Hay with Anna Gunn & Billy Magnussen on Opening Night of Sex with Strangers |url=http://www.broadway.com/shows/sex-strangers/photos/photos-roll-in-the-hay-with-anna-gunn-billy-magnussen-on-opening-night-of-sex-with-strangers/202727/sex-with-strangers-opening-op-714-billy-magnussen-greg-magnussen |access-date=December 31, 2017}}{{cite web |title=Billy Magnussen and mother Daina Photo (2013-06-09)|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/galleryphoto.php?photoid=635015&personid=19566 |website=Broadway World |access-date=December 31, 2017}} His maternal grandparents were Lithuanian immigrants. He is of Norwegian and Lithuanian descent. He grew up in Queens around Woodhaven Boulevard until the age of 10, when he moved with his family to Cumming, Georgia. Magnussen graduated from South Forsyth High School in 2003, and later from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.{{cite web |title=Billy Magnussen Biography |url=https://www.biography.com/people/billy-magnussen-012116 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505135429/https://www.biography.com/people/billy-magnussen-012116 |archive-date=May 5, 2018 |url-status=dead |website=The Biography |publisher=A&E Television Networks |date=February 29, 2016 |access-date=May 4, 2018 }}
Acting career
=Stage=
Magnussen made his Broadway stage debut in 2007's The Ritz, starring Rosie Perez.{{cite web |title=Billy Magnussen Joins 'As the World Turns' |url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/as-the-world-turns/billy-magnussen-joins-as-the-w-14246.aspx |website=Buddy TV |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=December 31, 2017}} In 2012, he was cast alongside David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver in Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, premiering at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, prior to its move to Lincoln Center in New York City. It then moved to the John Golden Theatre, where it was nominated for six Tony Awards. Magnussen was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role as Spike. In 2014, he starred on off-Broadway with Anna Gunn in a critically acclaimed production of Sex with Strangers directed by David Schwimmer at the Second Stage Theater.{{cite news |last=Isherwood |first=Charles |date=July 30, 2014 |title=Reading Between the Sheets: Anna Gunn and Billy Magnussen Star in 'Sex With Strangers' |url=https://www.nytimes.com//2014/07/31/theater/anna-gunn-and-billy-magnussen-star-in-sex-with-strangers.html?_r=1 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=May 6, 2015}}
=Film=
Magnussen appeared in the films Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet and Happy Tears, which stars Demi Moore and Parker Posey. He starred as Claude in the film Twelve, which was released July 30, 2010. He played Neil Thomas, a World War II hero, in the 2011 film The Lost Valentine, based on the book of the same name by James Michael Pratt, which aired on CBS on January 30, 2011. That same year, he also played Thor in Whit Stillman's Damsels in Distress. In 2012, he starred in the independent feature Surviving Family.{{cite web |last=Propes |first=Richard |title="Surviving Family" Review |url=http://theindependentcritic.com/surviving_family |website=The Independent Critic |access-date=May 4, 2018}}
Magnussen starred in his breakout role as Rapunzel's Prince in Rob Marshall's 2014 film Into the Woods.{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=July 22, 2013 |title=Billy Magnussen Ventures 'Into The Woods' To Replace Jake Gyllenhaal |url=https://deadline.com/2013/07/billy-magnussen-ventures-into-the-woods-to-replace-jake-gyllenhaal-546648/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=September 5, 2013}} In 2016, Magnussen appeared in The Great Gilly Hopkins, opposite Kathy Bates, as Ellis, the social worker in charge of Gilly Hopkins, played by Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse. The role was originally written for a female in the novel and stage play. In 2019, Magnussen played the newly created role of Prince Anders in Disney's live action adaptation of Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie.{{cite news |last1=Galuppo |first1=Mia |date=September 5, 2017 |title=Disney's Live-Action 'Aladdin' Casts Billy Magnussen as New Character (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/disneys-live-action-aladdin-casts-billy-magnussen-as-new-character-1035329 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en |access-date=September 6, 2017}} He returned to Disney in 2025, playing Pleakley in Lilo & Stitch.{{cite web|last=Grobar|first=Matt|title=Lilo & Stitch Live-Action Disney Movie Adds Billy Magnussen|url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/lilo-stitch-live-action-movie-adds-billy-magnussen-1235322982/|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 12, 2023|date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=April 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419180706/https://deadline.com/2023/04/lilo-stitch-live-action-movie-adds-billy-magnussen-1235322982/|url-status=live}}
In the 25th James Bond film No Time to Die (from Eon Productions), Magnussen plays CIA officer Logan Ash, who tries to convince a retired Bond to assist with a mission.{{Cite web |last=Davids |first=Brian |date=October 11, 2021 |title=Billy Magnussen on Key 'No Time to Die' Scenes and 'The Many Saints of Newark' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/no-time-to-die-billy-magnussen-james-bond-1235029810/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=June 12, 2022}}
He will play a leading role in the upcoming film Violent Ends with Alexandra Shipp.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/11/violent-ends-movie-billy-magnussen-alexandra-shipp-1235643633/|title=Billy Magnussen & Alexandra Shipp To Topline Southern Revenge Thriller 'Violent Ends' – First Look|date=November 30, 2023 |publisher=Deadline}}
=Television=
Magnussen played Kato Kaelin on the first season of American Crime Story, about the murder trial of O. J. Simpson. He is known for his role on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, where he took over the role of Casey Hughes on January 29, 2008.{{cite web |title=Billy Magnussen: As The World Turns on CBS |url=http://www.cbs.com/daytime/as_the_world_turns/bio/billy_magnussen/bio.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202221632/http://www.cbs.com/daytime/as_the_world_turns/bio/billy_magnussen/bio.php |archive-date=February 2, 2010 |website=CBS |access-date=June 12, 2022}} He guest-starred on The CW's series The Beautiful Life: TBL in 2009.{{cite web |last=Marsi |first=Steve |date=August 26, 2009 |title=Billy Magnussen to Guest Star on The Beautiful Life |url=https://www.tvfanatic.com/2009/08/billy-magnussen-to-guest-star-on-the-beautiful-life/ |website=TV Fanatic |access-date=May 4, 2018}} He guest-starred on Boardwalk Empire as Roger McAlister, Gillian Darmody's (Gretchen Mol) ill-fated lover, and was the stand-in for Jimmy Darmody's (Michael Pitt) corpse.{{cite web |title=Jimmy Darmody and Roger McAllister |url=https://fikklefame.com/roger-mcallister-new-kid-in-town/darmody-mcallister/ |website=Fikkle Fame |date=October 22, 2012 |access-date=May 4, 2018}}
He also guest-starred on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, in the 10th-season episode "Icarus", and on Law & Order, in the 19th-season episode, "Sweetie". Magnussen appeared in four episodes of The Divide, guest-starred on NCIS: Los Angeles in episode 3 of season 2, titled "Borderline", and in episode 6 of the first season of The Leftovers. In 2017, Magnussen guest-starred as Russ Snyder on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.{{Cite episode|title=Kimmy and the Trolley Problem! |series=The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt |series-link=The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt |network=Netflix |date=May 19, 2017 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6489274/ |access-date=January 25, 2018}}{{cite episode |title=Kimmy Googles the Internet! |series=The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt |series-link=The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt|network=Netflix |date=May 19, 2017 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6475568/|access-date=January 25, 2018}}
Magnussen also played a high school teacher Joshua "Nick" Sullivan who engages in a relationship with one of his students in Tell Me a Story during the first season, which came out in 2018.
Music career
Magnussen once was the bass player and a contributing songwriter for the New York City-based rock band The Dash.{{cite web|url=http://daytimeconfidential.com/news/billy-magnussen|title=Billy Magnussen|website=Daytime Confidential|access-date=December 31, 2017}} He plays guitar in the New York City-based band Reserved for Rondee.{{cite web |title=Welcome to Reserved for Rondee! |url=http://reservedforrondee.com |access-date=April 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716064358/http://reservedforrondee.com/ |archive-date=July 16, 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/reservedforrondee|title=Reserved For Rondee|website=Facebook|access-date=December 31, 2017}}
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="2" | 2009
| Ray | |
| Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet
| Eric | |
| 2010
| Twelve | Claude Kenton | |
| rowspan="2" | 2011
| Choose | Paul | |
| Damsels in Distress
| Thor | |
| rowspan="3" | 2012
| Alex D'Amico | |
| {{sortname|The|Brass Teapot}}
| Arnie | |
| 2nd Serve
| Lingo | |
| rowspan="1" | 2013
| {{sortname|The|East|dab=2013 film}} | Porty McCabe | |
| rowspan="2" | 2014
| Revenge of the Green Dragons | Detective Boyer | |
| Into the Woods
| |
| rowspan="5" | 2015
| Zach | |
| {{sortname|The|Meddler}}
| Ben | |
| Bridge of Spies
| Doug Forrester | |
| {{sortname|The|Great Gilly Hopkins|dab=film}}
| Ellis | |
| {{sortname|The|Big Short|dab=film}}
| Mortgage broker | |
| 2016
| Steve McKee | |
| 2017
| Nicky Sloane | |
| rowspan="2" | 2018
| Ryan Huddle |
| The Oath
| Agent James Mason |
| rowspan="2" | 2019
| Bryson |
| Aladdin
| Prince Anders | |
| rowspan="3" | 2021
| Dietrich Schneider | |
| The Many Saints of Newark |
| No Time to Die
| Logan Ash | |
| 2022
| Robert |
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| Coup! | Jay "J.C." Horton |
| Spy Kids: Armageddon
| Ray "The King" Kingston |
| rowspan="3"| 2024
| Lift | Magnus |
| Road House
| Ben Brandt |
| Reunion
| Evan West |
| rowspan="2"| 2025
| Pleakley |
| A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
| TBA |
= Television =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2008–2010
| Contract role |
| 2008
| Cody Larson | Episode: "Sweetie" |
| rowspan="2" | 2009
| {{sortname|The|Unusuals}} | Bo Keebler | Episode: "The Dentist" |
| {{sortname|The|Beautiful Life: TBL}}
| Alex Marinelli | 3 episodes |
| 2010
| Cpl Allen Reed | Episode: "Borderline" |
| rowspan="3" | 2011
| {{sortname|The|Lost Valentine}} | Neil Thomas | Television film |
| In Plain Sight
| Jonathan Collins / Yonni Peterschwim | Episode: "Something A-mish" |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent
| Marc Landry | Episode: "Icarus" |
| rowspan="3" | 2012
| Rand Hilbert | Episode: "Collateral Damage" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
| Det. Michael Crenshaw | 2 episodes |
| Boardwalk Empire
| Roger McAllister | 2 episodes |
| 2013
| Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell | Spencer | Episode: "Schmickler83!" |
| rowspan="3" | 2014
| It Could Be Worse | Competition | Web series; episode: "Uncharted Territory" |
| {{sortname|The|Leftovers|The Leftovers (TV series)}}
| Marcus | Episode: "Guest" |
| {{sortname|The|Divide|dab=TV series}}
| Eric Zale | 4 episodes |
| 2015
| {{sortname|The|Good Wife}} | Chris Fife | Episode: "Open Source" |
| 2016
| {{sortname|The|People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story}} | 3 episodes |
| rowspan="3" | 2017
| Russ Snyder | 2 episodes |
| Friends from College
| Sean | Episode: "All-Nighter" |
| Get Shorty
| Nathan Hill | Recurring role (season 1), 6 episodes |
| 2017, 2025
| Karl Valdack | Episodes: "USS Callister", "USS Callister: Into Infinity" |
| 2018–2020
| Billy Jeffries | 2 episodes |
| 2018
| Maniac | Jed Milgrim / Grimsson | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 2018–2019
| Joshua / Nick Sullivan | Main role (season 1) |
| 2021–2022
| Byron Gogol |
| rowspan="2" | 2022
| Woke | Denny "Dee Dee" Davis | Episode: "Black Exceptionalism" |
| The Offer
| Episode: "A Seat at the Table" |
| 2024
| Adam Randolph |
| 2025
| Elsbeth | Rod Bedford | Episode: "I've Got a Little List" |
Stage
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2007
|Patron |Also understudy |
| 2013
|Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike |Spike | |
| 2014
|Sex With Strangers |Ethan | |
| 2024
|Frank | |
Accolades
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|2915105}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnussen, Billy}}
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male bass guitarists
Category:American male soap opera actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American people of Lithuanian descent
Category:American people of Norwegian descent
Category:Guitarists from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Guitarists from New York City
Category:Male actors from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Male actors from Queens, New York
Category:People from Cumming, Georgia
Category:People from Woodhaven, Queens
Category:Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Songwriters from New York (state)
Category:University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumni
Category:21st-century American bass guitarists