The Truth About Billie Lourd's Famous Family
When Billie Lourd made her acting debut in 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," new fans of the franchise immediately recognized her presence — and apparently Hollywood has too. Lourd has since made an individual name for herself, appearing in prominent roles like the 2019 film "Booksmart" and several characters within Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" cinematic universe.
Despite Lourd's talented acting skills, fans might not immediately recognize that her family is deeply rooted in the film industry from her last name alone. Lourd's legacy began with her grandmother, actor Debbie Reynolds, whose most prominent role was "Singin' in the Rain" in 1952. The tradition was later passed down to Lourd's mother, Carrie Fisher, who was featured as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchise.
With several generations of ancestors in the acting business and Lourd continuing the tradition, here's what fans need to know about the truth behind Billie Lourd and her famous family.
Billie Lourd followed her mother Carrie Fisher's Star Wars footsteps
During a 2017 cover interview with Town & Country, Billie Lourd was interviewed by her "American Horror Story" co-star Sarah Paulson. The two discussed Lourd's various roles, but the overarching topic of the interview was the loss of her mother Carrie Fisher and grandmother Debbie Reynolds, along with their influence on her decision to become an actor.
"I think in a normal family they would have looked at me and been like, 'Hey, this kid's a performer.' But I was so scared. I was embarrassed, honestly," Lourd explained. "Because they were like, 'This is going to be a really sh***y lifestyle, and everyone's going to be scrutinizing you deeply and constantly.' My mom wrote five books and a one-woman show; they didn't want more things for people to be able to Google about me."
She continued, "My mom actually pointed me toward it. The first thing I did was 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens.' J.J. Abrams called and said they couldn't find anybody for this one part and would I come in and read for it. I didn't get the part, but I got another extra part with three lines. The thing is, I was bizarrely comfortable on set. My mother would pull me aside and be like, 'It's weird that you're so comfortable here. This is the most uncomfortable environment in the world. If you're comfortable here, you should do this.'"
Billie Lourd's grandmother Debbie Reynolds didn't want her to act
Although actor Billie Lourd's mother, the late Carrie Fisher, was sympathetic towards her daughter's career, another member of the family wasn't as much. Lourd appeared on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in 2016, where she shared an anecdote about her famous grandmother, Debbie Reynolds.
"She called me down to her house and had this binder of these diaries that she had written when she first started doing 'Singin' in the Rain.' She sat me down on her couch and said, 'Okay, I need you to read these, dear' — in her '50s actress voice. I started reading them to myself, and she said, 'No, dear. Please read them out loud.' I started reading them and they're all in second person," Lourd said.
"And she looked at me so earnestly, with her hands crossed in her lap, and was like, 'Are you sure you still want to be an actress, dear?' I was like, 'Yeah, I think it's different now. I think I'm going to be able to keep my eyebrows. I don't think they're going to put a wig on me; I've got long hair. It's fine. I'm going to go for it,'" Lourd added.