Get to know Billie Lourd, the heir to the Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher dynasty
It can be hard to follow in the footsteps of successful parents, but 24- yearold Billie Lourd has been doing it with aplomb. The actress is the daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, and as she’s joked to many a late- night and morning host, she’s also the progeny of another movie icon.
“She always gets so upset that people call me Carrie Fisher’s daughter. I’m Debbie Reynolds’ granddaughter,” Lourd quipped to Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford on Today earlier this month.
Now she’s better known as Chanel # 3 from Scream Queens, and a budding star in her own right. Though with the tragic passing of her mother and grandmother back- to- back, she’s also become the last legacy of a Hollywood dynasty.
Here’s a look at the young talent’s life and career.
HER FATHER IS A HOLLYWOOD BIG- WIG
The women in her family may have been in the spotlight, but her father, Bryan Lourd, is one of those important men behind the scenes, or as Kotb says, the agent in L. A. He’s the managing director of CAA, which has a roster that includes George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence ... you get the idea.
He married his longtime partner, Bruce Bozzi Jr., in October. ( Bozzi’s family started the original Palm steakhouse.)
SHE’S A FRESH FACE IN THE RYAN MURPHY UNIVERSE
Lourd joins a bevy of actresses who’ve had seminal roles in hit productions by TV mastermind Ryan Murphy, including Sarah Paulson and Lea Michele. Lourd stars alongside Michele, Emma Roberts and Abigail Breslin in Fox’s Scream
Queens, an anthology in its second season that follows a cast of characters being terrorized by a serial killer. The all- star cast is rounded out by Jamie Lee Curtis, John Stamos and Taylor Lautner.
SHE’S MORE THAN AN ON- SCREEN LOVE INTEREST FOR A FAMOUS WEREWOLF
Lourd and Lautner’s relationship looks to be a lot more intimate. The two were caught kissing on Scream Queen co- star Keke Palmer’s Snapchat account at a wrap party for the show in early December. And the actor was by her side leaving her Santa Monica home hours before the death of her grandmother.
SHE’S A MODERN- DAY FEMINIST
In a conversation with Murphy for Teen Vogue, the actress praised the writer/ director/ producer for creating the Half Foundation, which has a mission of ensuring that women and minorities make up at least 50% of the directors on his shows. She went on to explain how Fisher taught her to think without the confines of gender. “She raised me to not think of men and women as different. She raised me without gender. It’s kind of the reason she named me Billie. It’s not about being a strong woman — it’s about being a strong person.”
PURSUING ACTING WAS AN ACT OF REBELLION
Her family, particularly Reynolds, tried to dissuade her from pursuing a career in acting. Reynolds sat her down and made her read diaries from her days on set about the costs of the gig. “‘ Dear Debbie, you’re sitting in the makeup chair, you have no eyebrows, you’re a shell of yourself, and it’s 5 am. How did you get here?’ ” she recounted to Vanity Fair about the diary passages. “Her advice would be to keep true to yourself and don’t lose yourself. Or your eyebrows.”
SHE PLAYS A PART IN THE ‘ STARWARS’ FRANCHISE
Lourd auditioned for The Force Awakens, the 2015 edition to the series that made her mother a legend, without telling her family. She landed the small role of Lt. Connix, which she’ll reprise in Episode VIII. While on set in London, the first she was ever on, she tried to blend in with the extras until one day she checked on her mother, who had a cold, and her cover was blown. GARY ORIGINALLY BELONGED TO HER Lourd is reportedly taking care of Fisher’s French bulldog, Gary, but she’s also his original mom, she told the Today show. She’s mom to a Frenchie named Tina as well.
SHE’LL STAR ALONGSIDE ROBERTS AND ANSEL ELGORT ON THE BIG SCREEN IN 2017
Lourd and the young crew will bring to life the dealings of two real Harvard School for Boys alums in Billionaire Boys
Club, currently in post- production.