Entertainment
“Billy on the Street” tells his origin story in a new audiobook memoir out May 19. Our culture writer caught up with him ahead of stops in Boston and Provincetown.
Miss! Sir! For a dollar!
What type of kid grows up to approach randos on the streets of New York City to ask inane and/or personal questions for the prize of one dollar?
Sir, what type of kid grows up to fly off the handle, screaming with a woman over whether Denzel Washington was in “Phantom of The Opera”? (Iconic moment.)
Miss, what type of kid grows up to aggressively quiz strangers in the face: “Would you have sex with Paul Rudd?” Or “Do gay people care about John Oliver?” Or “True or false: Masculinity is a prison.” Or, famously: “Name a woman”?
These questions are the thesis of Billy Eichner’s new audio-memoir, “Billy on Billy.”
That answer is: a loved kid.
Eichner’s late parents, Jay and Debbie, loom large here as the wind beneath the wings of their showtunes-obsessed, Madonna-loving, aspiring actor son.
“My parents were wildly devoted to me,” Eichner, 47, tells me in a recent phone interview from his home in New York City. “There’s a whole chapter about how my parents got to understand me via watching my love of Madonna. I loved interweaving my love of pop culture with this very close relationship I had with my parents. Because in my household, that often went hand in hand.”
If you only know the multiple Emmy nominee from his 10-Red Bulls-deep-energy persona on the Emmy nominated “Billy on the Street,” well, that’s why this is an audiobook-only memoir, he tells me.
There is no printed book. “Which is a bit unusual, and there are a few reasons for that. Number one, I’m an actor and a comedian — I like the performance element of it. But more importantly, this was a rare opportunity for me to show people who I am beyond the Billy on the Street persona. I wanted people to actually hear my real voice,” he tells me. The performances include his singing (he’s got pipes) and imitating his Bronx native dad.
“I’m telling heartwarming and sometimes poignant stories about my parents and growing up. I didn’t want people to hear those stories with my ‘Billy on the Street’ voice in their head,” says Eichner, 47.
For the record, he speaks — in our interview and most of his narration — in his natural voice, which sounds much more like his character from Netflix’s “Friends from College.”
While “Billy on Billy” delves into how he created the viral character and his later work, the backbone is his happy, middle-class childhood in Queens, and his deep love of his late parents.
We meet the self-described tall chubby gay child actor from Queens — a showtunes-obsessed Barbra Streisand fanatic, who kept a personal journal of his Oscar predictions, orchestrated his own Madonna-themed bar mitzvah, relished the Sunday New York Times Arts pages — and played John Goodman’s son on SNL.
Billy, an adored only child, and Jay and Debbie were a solid unit who soaked up theatre, movies and TV like sponges. Jay and Debbie supported every creative endeavor, whim, or interest their son ever had.
As a longtime fan of Eichner’s frantic-high-energy work — especially the absurdist humor of “Billy on the Street” and his similar role as Craig in “Parks & Recreation” (“Oh I have a medical condition, alright. It’s called CARING TOO MUCH!”) — I appreciated this charming audio-memoir as a chance to meet the man behind the chihuahua-on-a-Dunkin’-drip, lunatic-energy mask.
For Eichner fans — you may also know him as the voice of Timon in Disney’s live action “The Lion King” (2019) and “Mufasa: The Lion King” (2024), or his 2022 film “Bros,” among a slew of other roles — it’s a must-listen. Fun fact: He also played himself on “Family Guy,” quizzing Quohoag, Rhode Island’s own Peter Griffin in the face.
“Billy on Billy” releases May 19. Eichner’s book-tour stops at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre May 21, moderated by Boston’s man-on-street master, WBZ’s Matt Shearer, with special guest Gov. Maura Healey. Tickets include a free audiobook. You can also catch him in his beloved Provincetown June 10 at East End Books. P.S.: This book is nothing like “Heated Rivalry.” (Spotify recommendations aside.)
I called to talk Conan, Amy Poehler, Madonna, P-Town, the Patriots Super Bowl, his upcoming movie with Will Ferrell directed by a Harvard grad, and more.
Boston.com: So I loved this audiobook. What sparked it?
Billy Eichner: A few things. Number one, they offered. [laughs]
[laughs] Right.
But that’s how a lot of things start with me. I have a million ideas and create in a lot of formats, so I’m always looking for someone to focus me. If someone says, “Hey, what about a book?,” immediately, I love it because I have parameters. And I loved that it was an audiobook. It was a rare opportunity to introduce people to the real me, and it helps to hear my actual voice.
You told me you liked it being audiobook-only because you were afraid people would hear the “Billy in the Street” voice in their head with a printed book.
Right. I didn’t want people to hear that voice while I’m telling these stories about my childhood and my parents. It’s not shrill. It’s a different side of me, and I thought that was most effectively conveyed by actually hearing my voice.
It sounds like you had a great childhood.
I had a magical childhood. I’ve read a lot of books from entertainers who had strained relationships with their parents — who discouraged them from pursuing their dream, or were jealous, or some variation on that. I had the opposite.
My mom died when I was 20. She was a colorful, hilarious, incredibly warm person, though complicated. My father was this hilariously blunt guy from the Bronx who told it like it is. I acquired that skill from him, and probably use that in my work.
That’s a good point. Some people have said this could almost be a parenting guide book.
You can divide people into those who were successful because of their parents, and people who were successful in spite of their parents. My parents, their default mode was to love, support and encourage me.
They were incredibly ahead of their time, both in terms of encouraging me as an artist, and supporting the fact that I was clearly a gay kid. This was in the ’80s and ’90s when that [kind of acceptance] wasn’t as common as it is now, and it still isn’t as common as it should be. I wanted to pay tribute to that.
You can draw a direct line from that to the confidence I pursued my career with, and to my ultimate success. They’re not here to see it, but they laid the foundation for it. The culture they exposed me to opened up my world, and gave me incredible confidence. I think you see that in my work.
I was going to say, with “Billy on the Street” — you have to be made of steel to approach strangers with random personal questions, or to get aggressive with New Yorkers. Has anyone ever hit you?
People always ask: Aren’t you afraid someone’s gonna punch you? I get into arguments, but I’ve never been [hit]. I think that’s because of two things: I grew up in New York City. I’m one of those crazy people for whom the chaos, energy and attitude of New Yorkers — that calms me down. I find it unnerving if things are too quiet, or if people are being nice in a phony way.
Also, as New Yorkers, we expect crazy things to happen on the street. People may not choose to talk to me, but they’re not baffled. They understand it. This is a show business town. I don’t think they’re alienated by me — certainly not enough to punch me.
I’ve always thought you’d be perfect on an E! “Live from the Red Carpet”-type show, or some kind of pre-Emmys or pre-Oscars show. Have you ever been asked?
I got requests like that, especially when “Billy on the Street” was first getting noticed. But I never had much interest, to be honest. I love award shows, but “Billy on the Street” works best in its natural habitat. The red carpet is too much of a controlled environment. There’s too much press; it’s too crowded. I don’t know if I could fully do my thing in that environment.
Good point. And I want to ask about some Massachusetts connections. You worked with Conan a few times.
I adore Conan O’Brien. Conan was one of my earliest champions. He was the first major talk show to have me on when “Billy on the Street” premiered as a TV show, in 2012.
Then he did one of the greatest things anyone ever did for me in my life, which is hire me to shoot a “Billy on the Street” video for his show, even though mine was already on the air, on an obscure cable network.
Those [TBS “Conan”] segments culminate with me doing “Billy on the Street”-style video with Madonna when she was rehearsing her concert at Yankee Stadium, and actually meeting her and having her in a video. I was completely obsessed with Madonna as a child. She was a huge inspiration for me, and continues to be. That was all because of Conan.
You did a classic segment for Conan at the 2012 SuperBowl, the Patriots vs. Giants.
They called me and asked “Would you be interested in doing a ‘Billy on the Street’ segment at the Super Bowl?” I was scared, because I don’t know much about football. I’m a pop culture guy. Then thank God it was Madonna as the halftime show that year. I ran around talking to the Giants who just won, but only asked about Madonna, and completely ignored that the game just happened.
[laughs] That was hilarious.
It’s one of my favorite segments. That all happened because of Conan. He’s been incredibly supportive. I love that guy.
More local connections: Amy Poehler is from Mass.; Rashida Jones went to Harvard. You ended up on two seasons of “Parks and Recreation” with them. How did that come about?
This was back when people were on Twitter a lot. Mike Schur, the show’s creator, literally DMed me on Twitter out of the blue: “Hey, we’re all big ‘Billy,’ fans and I think we might have a part for you.” He said it was for two episodes. I guess they liked the character; they ended up keeping me around. I had absolutely no idea that was going to happen. I was shocked to get the invite. And a lot of “Parks and Rec” people were on “Billy” at one point — Chris Pratt, Aziz [Ansari], Nick Offerman, Amy, Rashida. Never got Aubrey. So if I ever bring the show back, I need Aubrey Plaza.
Amy Poehler was another big “Billy” fan early on.
Amy was an early champion. Amy also ended up producing a show I was on, Hulu’s “Difficult People.” And she was in one of the most popular “Billy” segments ever, which is when we’re Christmas caroling with New Yorkers. It comes back around online every year. She’s been a big part of my life, too.
Your next book-tour stop after Boston is Provincetown.
Provincetown is one of my favorite places in the world. I go there multiple times every summer. The movie I made, “Bros,” (2022) we shot partially in P-town. It’s one of my favorite places. It’s magical. I know a lot of people feel that way about it.
How long have you been going?
Oh, man, this is funny. My first serious boyfriend after college was from Boston. He went to BC, he was from Scituate; I’d go to Boston a lot to visit him. The first time I went to P-town was with him, more than 20 years ago. What’s really funny — he’s now happily married to someone else, I haven’t seen him in years — but he texted me that he’s coming with a group to see me at the Wilbur.
[laughs] I love that. Another local connection: I was a huge fan of Netflix’s “Friends From College,” about Harvard grads in their 40s. I wish there were more seasons. Do you think it would come back?
Thank you! I hear about that show a lot, actually. I don’t think that one is ever coming back. However, the creator and director of that show, Nick Stoller [Harvard ’98] also wrote and directed the new Will Ferrell movie I’m in. So we kept it all in the family. But yeah, people mention that show to me more than you’d think. Nick and I work together a lot.
Right, he also worked with you on “Bros.” And he’s directing that movie with Will Ferrell for Prime: “Judgement Day.”
Yes. And that’s Will in his element [laughs]. I don’t have the release date yet; I think early next year. The cast is truly stacked: Will Ferrell, Zac Efron, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale, Priyanka Chopra Jonas — the list goes on. I’m really excited about it. Will’s done “Billy” a bunch of times. He was also an early champion — his company Funny or Die produced “Billy on the Street” many years ago. So I love him, but this is the first time I’ve ever really gotten to see him in his element. And he’s playing a very Ron Burgundy-esque character: a judge who has his own daytime TV court show. I play his bailiff.
That sounds amazing. And would you ever bring back “Billy on the Street”?
We always talk about it. It’s really up to me, and obviously, if there’s a platform that wants to produce it. If it makes sense, we’ll do it. I’m never going to do it as a full TV series again with half-hour episodes. That part is behind me. But there might be other ways.
It could come back just on Instagram or Tiktok.
Yeah, we’re in a different world now than the one that existed when I created the show and the character over 20 years ago. So we shall see.
Overall, is there a favorite project you’ve done?
Oh, man, I’ve been lucky. I’ve had a really eclectic career so far. But “Billy on the Street” is where it all started. That was my break. I’m still shocked by how popular the clips are online. It’s being discovered by a new generation on Tiktok and on Instagram. It’s really wild.
I’m proud of it because — and the book goes into this — there wasn’t a lane for me when I was starting out. People would see my live shows or videos and say, “You’re funny, you’re unique, but we don’t know what to do with you. We don’t know which category you fit into.”
I had to create a lane for myself. “Billy on the Street” was my way of doing that. So I’m proud of that show, even though it’s completely insane [laughs], it means a lot to me.
Lauren Daley is a freelance culture writer. She can be reached at [email protected]. She tweets @laurendaley1, and Instagrams at @laurendaley1. Read more stories on Facebook here.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
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