Billy Eichner Biography

Billy Eichner was born on September 18, 1978, in New York City, New York, US. A native of Queens, he was raised in Forest Hills. While his mother, Debbie, worked for a phone company, his father, Jay, was a rent tax auditor.

An Ashkenazi Jew, he had a Madonna-themed bar mitzvah. Eichner has an older half-brother.

In 1996, Eichner graduated from New York’s Stuyvesant High School. In 2000, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in theater from Northwestern University.

Billy Eichner first gained fame as the writer and host of the critically acclaimed New York stage show Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show. He made his TV show debut with an appearance in the sketch-comedy show Nighttime Clap in 2006. Some sources state he had appeared as John Goodman‘s son on a Saturday Night Live sketch at age 12. He also performed at New York’s improv club Upright Citizens Brigade, founded by Amy Poehler.

In 2007, he appeared as Jen in the BravoTV.com web-series My Life on the Z-List: Jen's Vlog. In 2008, he made his movie debut with a minor role in the romantic comedy What Happens in Vegas.

In 2011, Billy Eichner appeared on the comedy game show Billy on the Street (2011-2017), which he also created and executive-produced. A part of the Funny or Die comedy series, it featured short-form episodes across digital platforms, in collaboration with Lyft. The episodes featured Eichner going around New York City, asking people questions or making them participate in trivia games. He also featured celebrities on the show. Apart from winning him the 2016 Webby Award for Online Film & Video: Comedy, Individual Short or Episode, the show also fetched him 2 Primetime Emmy nominations, 1 Daytime Emmy nomination, and 1 Dorian Award nomination.

In 2013, Eichner guest-starred in season 6 of the political satire mockumentary sitcom Parks and Recreation and soon became a regular on the show (as Craig Middlebrooks). He appeared in 17 episodes of the show, till 2015.

From 2013 to 2021, he voiced Mr. Ambrose in the animated sitcom Bob's Burgers. He also appeared as Billy Epstein in the dark comedy series Difficult People from 2015 to 2017.

Eichner was seen playing Dr. Felix Forzenheim in the comedy series Friends from College from 2017 to 2019. He also appeared as various characters in seasons 7 and 8 of the horror anthology American Horror Story, titled Cult and Apocalypse, respectively.

Though he did not audition for the voice role of Timon in the 2019 live-action remake version of The Lion King, director Jon Favreau chose him for the character. A few other notable movies he has voiced for are Penguins of Madagascar (2014) and The Angry Birds Movie (as Chef Pig/Phillip, 2016). Eichner has also appeared in the TV commercials for brands such as Butterfinger Super Bowl 50 (2016) and Burger King.

In July 2020, Billy Eichner declared that he was working on a film biography of fellow Northwestern University alumnus Paul Lynde, named Man in the Box, along with and Tom McNulty. In March 2021, Eichner declared he would be writing and appearing in the film Bros, which would narrate the tale of 2 gay men

In the film Bros, which finally released in 2022, he played Bobby Lieber, a gay man attracted to another man but avoiding commitment. He has also appeared in comedies such as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), Most Likely to Murder (2018), and Noelle (2019). Eichner is also all set to reprise the voice role of Timon in the upcoming 2024 film Mufasa: The Lion King.

Billy Eichner is openly gay and lives in Los Angeles. He was rumored to be dating his Difficult People co-star John Cho in the past. In 2018, tabloids stated he was dating actor Robin Taylor. Taylor and Eichner were apparently roommates in college.

Eichner is known for his towering height of 6’3”. He also likes to dye his hair light brown or black.

A life-long Democrat, Eichner is known for his strong dislike for the Republican Party. On February 1, 2018, he launched the Glam Up the Midterms initiative, during that night's Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode, in association with Funny or Die and with the support of many late-night hosts, such as Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Conan O'Brien. The purpose of the initiative was to make people, especially millennials. vote in the November 6 midterm elections.

Eichner joined Swing Left, a progressive political organization, as its senior advisor, in 2019. In the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, Eichner endorsed Elizabeth Warren.