William Gregory Magnussen[1] (born April 20, 1985) is an American actor. He has been featured in the films Into the Woods (2014), Bridge of Spies (2015), Birth of the Dragon (2016), Game Night (2018), and Aladdin (2019), and has had supporting television roles in Get Shorty (2017) and Maniac (2018). In 2021, Magnussen starred in the sci-fi series Made for Love on HBO Max and appeared in the films The Many Saints of Newark and No Time to Die. In 2023, he starred as Rey "The King" Kingston in Spy Kids: Armageddon.
Billy Magnussen | |
|---|---|
 Magnussen in 2011 | |
| Born | William Gregory Magnussen April 20, 1985 New York City, U.S.[1] |
| Education | University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
He has starred in Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions, including 2013's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, for which he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Early life
editMagnussen was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York City, the son of Daina, an aerobics instructor, and Greg Magnussen, a professional bodybuilder and kickboxer. He has two younger brothers.[2][3][4] His maternal grandparents were Lithuanian immigrants. He is of Norwegian and Lithuanian descent. He grew up in Queens around Woodhaven Boulevard until the age of 10, when he moved with his family to Cumming, Georgia. Magnussen graduated from South Forsyth High School in 2003, and later from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.[5]
Acting career
editStage
editMagnussen made his Broadway stage debut in 2007's The Ritz, starring Rosie Perez.[6] In 2012, he was cast alongside David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver in Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, premiering at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, prior to its move to Lincoln Center in New York City. It then moved to the John Golden Theatre, where it was nominated for six Tony Awards. Magnussen was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role as Spike. In 2014, he starred on off-Broadway with Anna Gunn in a critically acclaimed production of Sex with Strangers directed by David Schwimmer at the Second Stage Theater.[7]
Film
editMagnussen appeared in the films Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet and Happy Tears, which stars Demi Moore and Parker Posey. He starred as Claude in the film Twelve, which was released July 30, 2010. He played Neil Thomas, a World War II hero, in the 2011 film The Lost Valentine, based on the book of the same name by James Michael Pratt, which aired on CBS on January 30, 2011. That same year, he also played Thor in Whit Stillman's Damsels in Distress. In 2012, he starred in the independent feature Surviving Family.[8]
Magnussen starred in his breakout role as Rapunzel's Prince in Rob Marshall's 2014 film Into the Woods.[9] In 2016, Magnussen appeared in The Great Gilly Hopkins, opposite Kathy Bates, as Ellis, the social worker in charge of Gilly Hopkins, played by Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse. The role was originally written for a female in the novel and stage play. In 2019, Magnussen played the newly created role of Prince Anders in Disney's live action adaptation of Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie.[10]
In the 25th James Bond film No Time to Die (from Eon Productions), Magnussen plays CIA officer Logan Ash, who tries to convince a retired Bond to assist with a mission.[11]
He will play a leading role in the upcoming film Violent Ends with Alexandra Shipp.[12]
Television
editMagnussen played Kato Kaelin on the first season of American Crime Story, about the O. J. Simpson murder case. He is known for his role on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, where he took over the role of Casey Hughes on January 29, 2008.[13] He guest-starred on The CW's series The Beautiful Life: TBL in 2009.[14] He guest-starred on Boardwalk Empire as Roger McAlister, Gillian Darmody's (Gretchen Mol) ill-fated lover, and was the stand-in for Jimmy Darmody's (Michael Pitt) corpse.[15]
He also guest-starred on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, in the 10th-season episode "Icarus", and on Law & Order, in the 19th-season episode, "Sweetie". Magnussen appeared in four episodes of The Divide, guest-starred on NCIS: Los Angeles in episode 3 of season 2, titled "Borderline", and in episode 6 of the first season of The Leftovers. In 2017, Magnussen guest-starred as Russ Snyder on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.[16][17]
Magnussen also played a high school teacher Joshua "Nick" Sullivan who engages in a relationship with one of his students in Tell Me a Story during the first season, which came out in 2018.
Music career
editMagnussen once was the bass player and a contributing songwriter for the New York City-based rock band The Dash.[18] He plays guitar in the New York City-based band Reserved for Rondee.[19][20]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Happy Tears | Ray | |
| Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet | Eric | ||
| 2010 | Twelve | Claude Kenton | |
| 2011 | Choose | Paul | |
| Damsels in Distress | Thor | ||
| 2012 | Surviving Family | Alex D'Amico | |
| The Brass Teapot | Arnie | ||
| 2nd Serve | Lingo | ||
| 2013 | The East | Porty McCabe | |
| 2014 | Revenge of the Green Dragons | Detective Boyer | |
| Into the Woods | Rapunzel's Prince | ||
| 2015 | I Smile Back | Zach | |
| The Meddler | Ben | ||
| Bridge of Spies | Doug Forrester | ||
| The Great Gilly Hopkins | Ellis | ||
| The Big Short | Mortgage broker | ||
| 2016 | Birth of the Dragon | Steve McKee | |
| 2017 | Ingrid Goes West | Nicky Sloane | |
| 2018 | Game Night | Ryan Huddle | |
| The Oath | Agent James Mason | ||
| 2019 | Velvet Buzzsaw | Bryson | |
| Aladdin | Prince Anders | ||
| 2021 | The Survivor | Dietrich Schneider | |
| The Many Saints of Newark | Paulie Gualtieri | ||
| No Time to Die | Logan Ash | ||
| 2022 | Family Squares | Robert | |
| 2023 | Coup! | Jay "J.C." Horton | Also executive producer |
| Spy Kids: Armageddon | Ray "The King" Kingston | ||
| 2024 | Lift | Magnus | |
| Road House | Ben Brandt | ||
| Reunion | Evan West | Also executive producer | |
| 2025 | A Big Bold Beautiful Journey | TBA | Post-production |
| Lilo & Stitch | Pleakley | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2010 | As the World Turns | Casey Hughes | Contract role |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Cody Larson | Episode: "Sweetie" |
| 2009 | The Unusuals | Bo Keebler | Episode: "The Dentist" |
| The Beautiful Life: TBL | Alex Marinelli | 3 episodes | |
| 2010 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Cpl Allen Reed | Episode: "Borderline" |
| 2011 | The Lost Valentine | Neil Thomas | Television film |
| In Plain Sight | Jonathan Collins / Yonni Peterschwim | Episode: "Something A-mish" | |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Marc Landry | Episode: "Icarus" | |
| 2012 | Blue Bloods | Rand Hilbert | Episode: "Collateral Damage" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Det. Michael Crenshaw | 2 episodes | |
| Boardwalk Empire | Roger McAllister | 2 episodes | |
| 2013 | Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell | Spencer | Episode: "Schmickler83!" |
| 2014 | It Could Be Worse | Competition | Web series; episode: "Uncharted Territory" |
| The Leftovers | Marcus | Episode: "Guest" | |
| The Divide | Eric Zale | 4 episodes | |
| 2015 | The Good Wife | Chris Fife | Episode: "Open Source" |
| 2016 | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | Kato Kaelin | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Russ Snyder | 2 episodes |
| Friends from College | Sean | Episode: "All-Nighter" | |
| Get Shorty | Nathan Hill | Recurring role (season 1), 6 episodes | |
| Black Mirror | Valdack | Episode: "USS Callister" | |
| 2018–2020 | The Bold Type | Billy Jeffries | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Maniac | Jed Milgrim / Grimsson | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Tell Me a Story | Joshua / Nick Sullivan | Main role (season 1) |
| 2021–2022 | Made for Love | Byron Gogol | Main role[21] |
| 2022 | Woke | Denny "Dee Dee" Davis | Episode: "Black Exceptionalism" |
| The Offer | Robert Redford | Episode: "A Seat at the Table" | |
| 2024 | The Franchise | Adam Randolph | Main role |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Ritz | Patron | Also understudy |
| 2013 | Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Spike | |
| 2014 | Sex With Strangers | Ethan | |
| 2024 | Shit. Meet. Fan. | Frank |
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Awards | June 9, 2013 | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 10, 2018 | Best Ensemble | Game Night | Won | [22][23] |
References
edit- ^ a b Blank, Matthew. "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Tony Nominee Billy Magnussen". Playbill.
- ^ Dyball \first=Rennie (August 6, 2010). "Five Things to Know About Twelve's Billy Magnussen". People. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ "Photos! Roll in the Hay with Anna Gunn & Billy Magnussen on Opening Night of Sex with Strangers". Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ "Billy Magnussen and mother Daina Photo (2013-06-09)". Broadway World. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ "Billy Magnussen Biography". The Biography. A&E Television Networks. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ "Billy Magnussen Joins 'As the World Turns'". Buddy TV. November 29, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (July 30, 2014). "Reading Between the Sheets: Anna Gunn and Billy Magnussen Star in 'Sex With Strangers'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ Propes, Richard. ""Surviving Family" Review". The Independent Critic. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 22, 2013). "Billy Magnussen Ventures 'Into The Woods' To Replace Jake Gyllenhaal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (September 5, 2017). "Disney's Live-Action 'Aladdin' Casts Billy Magnussen as New Character (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Davids, Brian (October 11, 2021). "Billy Magnussen on Key 'No Time to Die' Scenes and 'The Many Saints of Newark'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Billy Magnussen & Alexandra Shipp To Topline Southern Revenge Thriller 'Violent Ends' – First Look". Deadline. November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Billy Magnussen: As The World Turns on CBS". CBS. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ Marsi, Steve (August 26, 2009). "Billy Magnussen to Guest Star on The Beautiful Life". TV Fanatic. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ "Jimmy Darmody and Roger McAllister". Fikkle Fame. October 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
- ^ "Kimmy and the Trolley Problem!". The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. May 19, 2017. Netflix. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Kimmy Googles the Internet!". The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. May 19, 2017. Netflix. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Billy Magnussen". Daytime Confidential. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ "Welcome to Reserved for Rondee!". Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
- ^ "Reserved For Rondee". Facebook. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ O'Connell, Mikey (June 7, 2021). "'Made for Love' Star Billy Magnussen on Finding Depth in the Role of "an Egomaniac and a Sociopath"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ "2018 San Diego Film Critics Society's Award Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. December 7, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "2018 San Diego Film Critics Society Award Winners". San Diego Film Critics Society. December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.