• American actor Billy Magnussen famous for roles in films “No Time to Die” and “Into the Woods”, and TV series’ “The Bold Type” and “Get Shorty”
• Born in NYC in 1985 to professional bodybuilder/kickboxer and aerobics instructor
• Enjoys skydiving, travelling, and healthy eating
• Over 50 TV and film credits, including “The Big Short”, “Game Night”, and “Aladdin”
• Net worth of $5 million as of 2023
The American actor Billy Magnussen is famous for his roles in the films “No Time to Die” and “Into the Woods”, and in the TV series’ “The Bold Type” and “Get Shorty.”
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Age, Early Life, and Education Background
William Gregory Magnussen was born in New York City, USA, under the Aries zodiac sign on 20 April 1985, which makes him 38-years-old as of 2023 – he’s the son of Greg Magnussen, a professional bodybuilder and kickboxer, and Daina Magnussen, an aerobics instructor. He was brought up in Woodhaven Boulevard, Queens, alongside his younger brothers Dane and Jesse who is an actor known for appearing in “Surviving Family” and “Maniac.” William is of Lithuanian and Norwegian roots. His family relocated to Cumming, Georgia, shortly after he turned 10 years old.
Magnussen attended elementary school in Queens. He later joined South Forsyth High School, Cumming, where he began wrestling, but had to quit both wrestling and gym class during his final year after he suffered a hamstring injury. Subsequently, he developed an interest in acting and began taking drama classes he’s revealed that he was a big fan of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, that he was one of the people who sparked his interest in acting. He matriculated to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2003 and studied under Mary Irwin, a professor emeritus and the late theatre director and college dean, Gerald Freedman. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Hobbies and Interests
Billy dreams of becoming a skydiving instructor in the future.
He’s an outdoorsy person who enjoys nature. Moreover, he’s keen on traveling, and has toured many states in the US, and also been to Greece, England, Vietnam and Jamaica.
The “Into the Woods” star follows a healthy diet – many believe that eating little food is the best way to eat right, but this isn’t the case for Billy, who claims that he eats eight times a day, adding ‘…I eat all the time, but it’s good stuff. You want to eat that chocolate? You want to eat that dessert? Have that apple or vegetable instead.’
Stage Appearances
In 2007, Billy appeared in Terrence McNally’s Broadway play “The Ritz”, alongside Rosie Perez. In the year that followed, he was cast alongside Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde in the comedy play “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” which premiered at the McCarter Theater in New Jersey – his role as Spike saw him nominated for a Tony Award. 2014 saw Magnussen cast alongside Anna Gunn in the David Schwimmer-directed production of “Sex with Strangers,” which was performed at Second Stage Theater.
Film Appearances
Billy starred as Ray in the comedy-drama “Happy Tears” in 2009, then in 2010 landed the role of the muscular drug dealer, Claude Kenton, in Joel Schumacher’s teen crime drama “Twelve,” which was based on the 2002 eponymous novel by Nick McDonnell. He revealed during a previous interview that he had to hit the gym daily before the shooting of the film, to portray his character perfectly.
Thereafter, Billy starred in the drama “Surviving Family” in 2012, and the musical fantasy “Into the Woods” in 2014. In 2015, he was cast with the likes of Christian Bale, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling, in the Adam McKay-directed crime drama “The Big Short”, a commercial and critical success which grossed over $133 million at the box office.
Magnussen’s next major roles were in the 2018 Jason Bateman-starring action comedy “Game Night”, and the Will Smith-starring musical fantasy “Aladdin,” which was produced by Rideback and Walt Disney Pictures. In 2021, he played CIA officer Ash in the 25th James Bond movie “No Time to Die,” which starred Daniel Craig, and will now appear in the heist action film “Lift” alongside Kevin Hart in 2023.
TV Appearances
In 2009, Billy played Alex Minelli in three episodes of The CW drama “The Beautiful Life: TBL”, and in 2012 appeared in two episodes of both the CBS procedural forensic drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and the crime drama “Boardwalk Empire.” 2016 saw him appear in the first season of “American Crime Story,” following the murder case involving O.J. Simpson. In the following year, he portrayed Nathan Hill in six episodes of the comedy-drama “Get Shorty,” which is based on an eponymous novel by Elmore Leonard.
His next recurring role was in the Netflix psychological black-comedy miniseries “Maniac” in 2018. In 2020 and 2021, he played the main role of Byron Gogol in the HBO Max sci-fi black-comedy “Made for Love”, and most recently in 2022, he appeared in an episode of the biographical miniseries “The Offer.”
Music Career
Previously, Billy was a bass player for the rock band The Dash, based in New York City. He now plays guitar for another New York City-based group named Reserved for Rondee.
Awards and Nominations
In 2014, Billy was nominated for three awards including a Detroit Film Critics Society Award and a Phoenix Film Critic Society award for his role in “Into the Woods.” In 2015, he won a Satellite Award for Best Ensemble, Motion Picture together with the cast of “Into the Woods”. Moreover, he was nominated for two Gold Derby Awards for his performances in “Into the Woods” and “The Big Short” in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Social Media Presence
Billy is fond of sharing his pictures on Instagram under the username @billymagnussen, on which he has over 90,000 followers. He also gives his fans a glimpse of his career endeavors through Twitter (@BillyMagnussen) – he joined the platform in August 2009, and is followed by over 12,000 fans.
Why Logan Ash is actually one of the best James Bond villains; a thread 👇 pic.twitter.com/RAahSXOPlP
— Slyth 🎬 (@slythwalker_28) January 25, 2022
Personal Life
Billy was previously dating the American singer and actress, Meghann Fahy, who is known for her appearances in the Freeform drama TV series “The Bold Type”, and the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live.” The pair first met during the shooting of the Hallmark Hall of Fame drama movie “The Lost Valentine” in 2011 and became good friends., but didn’t start dating until six years later in 2017, and appeared in many red-carpet events together. They even collaborated on a few projects, including “The Bold Type” in 2018, but the two broke up in 2020, shortly after making an appearance side by side at a Golden Globes afterparty. Fahy is now in a romantic relationship with her “White Lotus” co-star, Leo Woodall, and the duo likes posting their photos captioned with heartwarming messages on their Instagram accounts. Magnussen is seemingly single as of 2023.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Magnussen is of White ethnicity and has blue eyes and blonde hair. He’s slimly built, weighs approximately 160lbs (73kgs), and is 5ft 11ins (1.80m) tall, with vital statistics around 40-14-30; he wears shoe size 10(US).
Net Worth
Billy’s been active in the showbiz industry since 2007, and has appeared in over 50 TV shows and films, making him very famous and wealthy. His fame skyrocketed and more work came his way after he appeared in the 2019 film “Alladin,” which had an impressive box-office collection of over $1 billion. He also earns from brand endorsement deals, and is reportedly worth around $5 million as of 2023.
