Billie Eilish has become a global music phenomenon, captivating audiences around the world.
At just 22 years old, she has already amassed numerous prestigious awards, including several Grammys and two Oscars for Best Original Song.
Her rise to fame has been supported by her brother Finneas, a talented singer-songwriter who is also her exclusive music producer.
While many have believed Billie and Finneas were the sole celebrities in the O’Connell family, it turns out their mother has her own claim to fame.
Maggie Baird, an actress, gained attention when Friends fans discovered her cameo appearance in an episode of the iconic sitcom.
She featured in the show’s sixth season as a casting director for a pet food commercial that Joey auditions for.
Following this revelation, Maggie addressed her history in the entertainment industry, responding to suggestions that Billie is a ‘nepo baby’ due to her career.
“I think it’s hilarious,” she mentioned to Glamour regarding her Friends clip resurfacing, “because that came out, and it was like, ‘Oh, Billie is a nepo baby.’ And I’m like, ‘Did you know that I got that episode of Friends because I was about to lose my health insurance?’.”
Maggie elaborated: “My husband and I are working class actors. We eked out a meager living, and it afforded us a lot of time with our kids, which was awesome. But the industry is primarily people like us or even people not even like us who couldn’t even do that.
“So when all of this happened to our kids, we’d never been on that side of it. I think that people don’t really understand there’s a whole industry of people who are creative and they’re working and they’re struggling, and they make perfectly happy lives, and they feel creative, and they feel fulfilled. But that’s a very different life than on this side of the door where you’re suddenly playing in this different arena.”
Aside from Friends, Maggie lent her voice to the character Samara in BioWare’s Mass Effect game series.
Billie’s father also has an acting background, a subject Billie has addressed in interviews.
In a conversation with Rolling Stone, the ‘What Was I Made For?’ singer expressed: “Acting is super weird. You can work for years and years and be the best in the world and never get a role, and you can be mediocre, do one audition, and become a huge star.
“For years, I saw my parents beat up over the fact that they didn’t have it better. And that drove me insane – because they were really good! My dad is the best actor I’ve ever seen.”
Patrick O’Connell, Billie’s father, has appeared in films such as Iron Man and Cyborg 2.