Lani Billard

{{Short description|Canadian actress and singer (born 1979)}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=October 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Lani Billard

| image =

| alt =

| caption = Lani Billard, portrait 2020

| birthname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1979|06|20}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| known_for = Ready or Not

| other_names =

| alma_mater = Unionville High School

| occupation = Actress, Singer, Drummer

| years_active = 1992-present

}}

Lani Billard (born 20 June 1979) is a Canadian actress, drummer, and singer, she is best known for her role in the 1990s as Elizabeth "Busy" Ramone on the Canadian television series Ready or Not from 1993 to 1997. Before her Ready or Not fame, she was frequently cast on a show called Friends of Research and Odd Gadgets F.R.O.G. a children's science series produced by Toronto's OWL-TV. F.R.O.G.s 30-minute episodes follow four pre-teens who examine the "whys" of science with animation and provide the latest news gathered by kids, documentary style. Billard has also appeared in Owning Mahowny, Bonds (a short film) Sarah Polley's award-winning film Stories We Tell documentary, Let's Rap (short film) & Saving Hope (TV series). While she acted with fellow castmate Laura Bertram on the Canadian Television series Ready or Not into Season 5, in 1996 she would appear with Bertram in the TV movie Sins of Silence for a brief scene.

Billard was raised Jewish{{cite web |last=Mendoza |first=N. F. |date=9 April 1995 |title=With An Eye On...: Sometimes the 'Ready or Not' girls leave all that angst behind—and just go shopping |website=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-09-tv-52513-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716183145/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-09-tv-52513-story.html |archive-date=16 July 2020 |access-date=14 July 2021}}{{Failed verification|date=July 2021}} and attended Unionville High School{{cite web|url= https://www.angelfire.com/on/pasternakpublishing/lanibillard.html|title= Ready or Not, Lani Billard Has Arrived |access-date= 2008-11-16|first= Sean B. | last=Pasternak|date=July 1995|work= Thornhill Times}} in Markham, Ontario, where she graduated in 1997.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Billard has since become a vocalist, singing independently and collaborating with Canadian acts such as iLL Vibe, L.S, & Grossman.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} She has provided backing vocals and drumming for her 'Ready Or Not' fellow castmate, Tamara Podemski for Podemski's group "Spirit Nation" which performs in Podemski's native Ojibwa language.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} Lani is professionally trained to play drums and percussion. She has a three-octave singing range.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}