Billy Miller
Miller at the37th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2010
Born	William John Miller II (1979-09-17)September 17, 1979 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	September 15, 2023(2023-09-15) (aged 43) Austin, Texas, U.S.
Other names	Billy J. Miller B.J. Miller
Education	University of Texas (B.A.)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2006–2022
Awards	See below

William John Miller II (September 17, 1979 – September 15, 2023) was an American actor. He was recognized for his work on Americansoap operas, including his award-winning work asBilly Abbott onThe Young and the Restless and his dual portrayals ofJason Morgan andDrew Cain onGeneral Hospital.

William John Miller II^[1] was born inTulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up inGrand Prairie, Texas.^[1][2] As a child, Miller spent five years as a patient ofTexas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, an organization he also supported.^[3][4]

Miller attendedLamar High School inArlington, Texas,^[5] and theUniversity of Texas inAustin, Texas, where he received a communications degree and was one of only twenty students in the film department's intensive Production Sequence.^[4]

After graduating from college, Miller moved out to Los Angeles where he began working in the mail room of Industry Entertainment.^[6][7][8] His first break into acting came after he signed on with theWilhelmina modeling agency.^[7] He appeared in six commercials, including two forElectronic Arts'The Sims.^[9][10] He also did commercials forJCPenney,Pizza Hut and pokerparty.com.^[8]

At the age of 24, Miller screen-tested forAs the World Turns, asoap opera on theCBS network; he lost the audition, citing bad management, and subsequently parted ways with his agency and management company.^[3] He took a two-year hiatus from acting after that experience.^[8]

In 2006, Miller returned to acting, starring in an episode ofCSI: NY. A year later, he landed the role of Richie Novak, the murdering and blackmailing brother ofAnnie Lavery onAll My Children, a soap opera onABC. His first appearance was August 30, 2007. When news of the character's demise broke in August 2008, Miller began the audition process again.Barbara Bloom (Senior Vice President, Daytime, CBS Entertainment),Julie Hanan Carruthers (Executive Producer,All My Children),Marla Kanelos (former script writer,All My Children, now Associate Head Writer,The Young and the Restless) and, screen-test partnersPeter Bergman andElizabeth Hendrickson, were instrumental in his casting atThe Young and the Restless,^[11] where he was cast in the role ofBilly Abbott.^[12] Miller, who submitted the longestEmmy reel among all nominated performers (over 32 minutes long—an entire episode), was awarded for his work in anIt's A Wonderful Life-styled episode ofThe Young and the Restless with his first nomination and win asOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series on June 27, 2010 as well as June 14, 2013.^[13]

In 2011, he was nominated a second time in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category for the same role. Miller also appears, as himself, in an independent film titledRemembering Nigel, which premiered at thePaso Robles Digital Film Festival on November 25, 2009.^{[citation needed]}

In August 2012, it was announced Miller would be appearing in primetime as a recurring cast member onThe CW'sRinger.^[14] Miller was also cast as Gabe Watson in the Lifetime made-for-TV movieFatal Honeymoon.^[15] In November 2013, it was announced Miller would depart the role of Billy;^[16] Miller's predecessorDavid Tom was named as his successor in the role. Miller called his decision to leave the role the "hardest thing" he had ever done.^[17]

On September 2, 2014,General Hospitalexecutive producerFrank Valentini announced onTwitter that Miller would join the cast asJason Morgan.^[18][19][20] In March 2018, for his portrayal of Jason, Miller earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor.^[21] In 2017, with the return ofSteve Burton to the role of Jason, Miller's casting wasretconned to that of his twin,Drew Cain.^[22][23] In July 2019, Miller announced his exit from the soap.^[24]

Miller died inAustin, Texas, on September 15, 2023.^{[25][26][27][28][29]} In a statement, Miller's mother, Patricia, revealed his death was due tosuicide following his battles withbipolar depression:

"He fought a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for years. He did everything he could to control the disease. He loved his family, his friends and his fans but in the end the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life."^[30][31]

The final autopsy report, conducted in November 2023 and released in the following month, concluded that Miller's death was a suicide resulting from "gunshot wound of head". Toxicology reports found the presence of "ethanol, cocaine, and its metabolites, diphenhydramine, and amphetamine". The report further detailed Miller had been found "with an apparent gunshot wound to the head", as well as "[M]ultiple letters indicating suicidal intent and instructions for others were found at the scene. A revolver chambered for .410 shotgun shells was found in the decedent's right hand."^[32]

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• Billy Miller atIMDb
• Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas) Notable Alumni

• 1979 births
• 2023 deaths
• 2023 suicides
• American male soap opera actors
• American male television actors
• Daytime Emmy Award winners
• Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series winners
• Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series winners
• Male actors from Arlington, Texas
• Male actors from Dallas County, Texas
• Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas) alumni
• People from Grand Prairie, Texas
• Male actors from Tulsa, Oklahoma
• People with bipolar disorder
• Suicides by firearm in Texas

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