Billie Piper

Billie Piper (born Leian Paul Piper on 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer who first captured public attention as a teenage pop sensation. At the age of fifteen she released the debut single "Because We Want To," which made her the youngest female artist to enter the UK Singles Chart at number one. Her follow‑up "Girlfriend" also topped the chart, and she continued to dominate the pop scene with hits such as "Day & Night" and the platinum‑certified album Honey to the B. By the early 2000s she had amassed three UK number‑one singles and two studio albums before deciding to end her music career in 2003 to focus on acting. Billie’s early life in Swindon was marked by a move to London after winning a scholarship to the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she honed her performance skills and began appearing in commercials and small film roles. Her breakthrough as an actress came with the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, where she portrayed Rose Tyler, a beloved companion to the Ninth Doctor. The role earned her multiple National Television Awards and cemented her status as a leading television talent. Since then she has built a versatile portfolio, starring as Hannah Baxter in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Brona Croft/Lily in the horror series Penny Dreadful, and Karen Mars in Collateral, earning BAFTA nominations for her dramatic work. Piper also co‑created the critically acclaimed series I Hate Suzie, receiving BAFTA nods for Best Actress in both 2021 and 2023. On stage she won the 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for her portrayal of Yerma, a performance described as “earth‑quaking” and a benchmark for her generation. In recent years she has returned to genre television with roles in Wednesday and Doctor Who specials, while also embracing her musical roots in on‑screen performances, showcasing a career that spans pop stardom, dramatic acclaim, and enduring cultural impact.