Billy Boyd was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1968 to Mary and William Boyd. The young boy's passion for acting was ignited by his love for the Star Wars franchise. He made his stage debut at the tender age of 10 in a school production of Oliver Twist, with his parents proudly attending every performance, driving over two hours to get him to the shows. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when Billy was just 12, and his parents passed away. He was subsequently raised by his grandmother.
Despite the challenges he faced, Billy's love for acting only grew stronger. He confided in his school counselor about his aspirations, but was met with discouragement, being told to keep his dreams a secret. Billy left school at 17 and embarked on a four-year apprenticeship at a book-binding workshop, followed by two years as a workman. During this period, he unknowingly contributed to the binding of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, many copies of which he himself had bound by hand.
After six years of book-binding, Billy felt burnt out and decided to take a break, planning to spend a year in America. However, before his departure, he contacted the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama to inquire about applying for their program. To his surprise, they still had space available and invited him to apply. Billy enrolled in a three-year course for his bachelor of arts degree, studying a wide range of subjects, including Shakespeare and puppet-making.
During his time at drama school, Billy landed a few small roles in TV series such as "Down Amongst The Boys" and "Taggart." After graduating, he performed in various plays, including "The Slab Boys" and "The Diary of Adrian Mole," at The St. Andrew's theatre, marking his first paid acting gigs. His agent then reached out to him about auditioning for the Lord of the Rings movies, and Billy was invited to meet with director Peter Jackson personally in Scotland.
While rehearsing for a show, Billy received a call from his agent offering him the role of Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Billy accepted the part, and the rest, as they say, is history.
