Name	Billy Boyd
Height	5' 6½"
Naionality	British
Date of Birth	28 August 1968
Place of Birth	Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Famous for

Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1968, this talented young boy, inspired by Star Wars to try acting, got his first taste of it in his school's production of Oliver Twist when he was 10. Boyd's parents were extremely supportive, driving over two hours to get him to the performances, but sadly they passed away when he was 12. He was thereafter raised by his grandmother. He realized that he enjoyed acting very much and told his school counselor that was what he wanted to be, but the counselor discouraged this choice and told him to "keep it secret". When he was 17 he left school and went to work in a book-binding workshop. He worked there 4 years as an apprentice and 2 years as a workman. Ironically, during the years he worked at the book-binders, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was printed and bound there, many copies bound by his hands. After the 6 years as a book-binder, he was thoroughly sick of it. Billy planned on going to America for a year, but before he went he called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and asked about applying for when he got back. But it so happened that they still had space for this year and they asked him if he wanted to apply and he did. He was at the drama school in a 3-year course for his bachelor of arts degree, meanwhile studying everything from Shakespeare to puppet-making. During this time Billy had a few small roles in TV series such as "Down Amongst The Boys" and "Taggart". After graduating he performed in many plays like 'The Slab Boys', 'The Diary of Adrian Mole' etc. at The St. Andrews theatre which were his first paying roles.

He then received a call from his agent about the Lord of the Rings movies and if he would like to audition for them. He went along not expecting much, but within a few months Peter Jackson came out to Scotland to meet him and to audition him personally. While rehearsing for a show he received a call from his agent who said that the part of Pippin had been offered to him - if he wanted it. The rest is history.Billy Boyd is recognizable to international audiences as The Lord of the Rings trilogy's comic and courageous hobbit Peregrin "Pippin" Took. He is also one of Scotland's most prolific theater actors, a skilled musician, and a talented singer. Since graduating from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with a diploma in Dramatic Arts, Boyd starred in countless stage productions throughout the United Kingdom. He plays drums, bass, and guitar, and sings baritone and tenor. Boyd was discussing his latest play at Scotland's celebrated Traverse Theater, when he heard that he landed a coveted and career-changing role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy: one more great accomplishment in an already brilliant career.

Boyd was born in 1968 in Glasgow, Scotland, where he still lives today. He adored escaping to the movies as a child. After multiple viewings of George Lucas' Star Wars, Boyd reasoned that if he could not truly be a Jedi Knight, he might as well be an actor. At ten years old, he played the Artful Dodger in his school's version of Oliver Twist and was hooked. Through high school, he performed in amateur productions at the local art center and in annual Christmas shows. Yet, a cynical school guidance counselor coerced Boyd to temporarily abandon his ambition. After graduation, he became an apprentice bookbinder at a publishing house. Boyd bound books for six years, making good friends with his colleagues and spending his nights singing with a band on the Glasgow pub circuit. When he realized that he desired a change, he applied to acting school.

Boyd's audition tape marked the first time he acted in six years; nevertheless he was accepted into a selective three-year, acting-intensive diploma program at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama for the upcoming semester. In his first term, he learned to perfect his voice and movement. In his second, he performed in Shakespeare, Chekov, comedies, musicals, and even pantomimes. He earned walk-on roles on several television shows, and even a speaking part on Scotland's Taggart. Shortly before graduation, St. Andrews Repertory hired Boyd for their production of The Slab Boys, and to play the title role in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. He has acted steadily ever since, performing in several Shakespearean and various modern plays, including the U.K. tour of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. He added four BBC Radio programs to his credit, and appeared in his first mainstream film, Jason Connery's Urban Ghost Story (1998). He also displayed his singing and drumming talents in the cult musical Julie and the Cadillacs (1999), in which he played the Scottish drummer of an English band during the '60s.

In the fall of 1998, Boyd auditioned for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, New Line Cinema's massive three-film screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's books. After meeting with director Peter Jackson, Boyd defeated over a hundred actors for the major role of Pippin Took and flew to New Zealand for the trilogy's 18-month shoot. Pippin is as brave as he is foolish, and as stout-hearted as he is afraid. The character appears in all three films -- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003) -- making Boyd an instant celebrity.

After completing The Lord of the Rings, Boyd quickly rejoined the theater. Only one month before the press junkets began for the trilogy's first installment, he performed in the Traverse Theater's rock & roll production The Ballad of Crazy Paola. Besides being named as one of Scotland's most eligible males, Boyd completed a comedy screenplay with fellow hobbit Dominic Monaghan, and launched his official website.