Billie Lourd

2.1. Family

Billie Catherine Lourd was born on July 17, 1992, in Los Angeles, California, as the only child of actress Carrie Fisher and talent agent Bryan Lourd. Her maternal grandparents were the iconic actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. She is also the niece of Todd Fisher, Joely Fisher, and Tricia Leigh Fisher, all of whom have established careers in show business. From her mother's side, Lourd is of Russian-Jewish and Scots-Irish/English descent.

Lourd's godmother is the acclaimed actress Meryl Streep, and writer Bruce Wagner serves as her godfather. She also has a half-sister named Ava, who was legally adopted by her father Bryan Lourd through his marriage to Bruce Bozzi. Growing up in Los Angeles, Lourd was a childhood neighbor and close friend of Frances Bean Cobain, the daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, further highlighting her upbringing within a unique circle of prominent figures.

2.2. Education

Lourd attended high school at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. In 2008, she was presented as a debutante at Le Bal des débutantes held at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, an event for which she was dressed by the fashion house Chanel. She later pursued higher education at New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she graduated in 2014 with a self-designed degree in "Art and Business as Religion."

3.1. 2015-2019: Early roles

Lourd made her film debut in 2015, appearing as Lieutenant Connix in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. She reprised her role in the subsequent films, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). For a brief flashback scene in The Rise of Skywalker, Lourd also portrayed a younger Leia Organa, with her face digitally replaced by Carrie Fisher's likeness from Return of the Jedi. Interestingly, Lourd revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2017 that she had initially auditioned for the lead role of Rey, which ultimately went to Daisy Ridley.

In February 2015, Lourd was cast in the Fox horror-comedy series Scream Queens. She played the character of Chanel #3, a wealthy and disaffected sorority girl. Her character's signature earmuffs were a deliberate homage to her mother Carrie Fisher's iconic "cinnamon buns" hairstyle from the original Star Wars film. Lourd returned for the show's second season in 2016. Reflecting on her casting, Lourd shared her surprise at being offered the role directly by creator Ryan Murphy, stating she initially thought it was an audition.

In December 2015, Lourd joined the cast of the biographical crime-drama film Billionaire Boys Club, portraying Rosanna, the love interest of Kyle Biltmore. The film's release was delayed until July 17, 2018, due to sexual harassment allegations against co-star Kevin Spacey.

Lourd further expanded her television work by joining the cast of the FX horror anthology series American Horror Story. In the series' seventh season (2017), she played the role of Winter Anderson, and also portrayed Linda Kasabian, a former member of the Manson Family cult. She returned for the eighth season, Apocalypse (2018), where she played Mallory, a powerful witch.

3.2. 2019-present: Continued success

In 2019, Lourd appeared as Gigi in Booksmart, a high school comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde, which garnered critical acclaim. She continued her collaboration with Ryan Murphy, returning to American Horror Story for its ninth season, 1984, where she portrayed Montana Duke, an aerobics enthusiast and punk rocker. Ryan Murphy was reportedly so impressed with her performance in 1984 that he decided to write a miniseries specifically for her.

In 2020, Lourd made a guest appearance in the ninth episode of the eleventh and final season of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, playing Fiona, the granddaughter of the character that her real-life grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, had portrayed during the show's original run. In December 2019, Lourd also featured in a holiday-themed television commercial for Old Navy.

Her work with American Horror Story continued into its tenth season (2021), where she played Lark Feldman, a mysterious tattoo artist and dentist. The following year, Lourd starred in the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise alongside Julia Roberts and George Clooney, playing the role of Wren Butler. She also returned to American Horror Story for its eleventh season, portraying Dr. Hannah Wells, a biologist studying a viral strain in New York City. In 2022, Lourd starred as Audrey in the transatlantic comedy And Mrs, directed by Daniel Reisinger. She also had a recurring role as Ashley in the twelfth season of American Horror Story (2023-2024).

Looking ahead, Lourd is set to appear as Hannah in The Last Showgirl (2024), for which she received a Special Jury Prize at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival. She is also slated for a voice role in the upcoming animated film Smurfs (2025). Additionally, she has roles in the upcoming films Adulthood (in post-production) and Love Language (currently filming).

4.1. Film

4.2. Television

4.3. Producer