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Billie Paul
Piper (originally registered as Lianne Piper [1]), born on 22 September
1982, is an English actress. She began her career as a pop singer in her
teens, and was well-known for her marriage to DJ Chris Evans, but is now
best known for portraying Rose Tyler, companion to the Doctor in the
television series Doctor Who from 2005 to 2006. Her role in Doctor Who
consolidated her status as a household name in the United Kingdom.
****
Born: September
22, 1982 (age 24)
Swindon,
England
Occupation:
Actress,former Singer
Website:
Billie-Piper.net
****
Career
Music
Piper's first
break in the entertainment world came as a teenager, when she was
selected to appear on the Saturday morning kids' television show
Scratchy & Co. Piper later landed a role in a television commercial
promoting the pop magazine Smash Hits. Her role was to run up to the
camera, blow a bubblegum bubble and shout "Pop!" Soon after she was
offered a record deal at the age of fifteen, and in 1998 became the
youngest artist ever to debut at number one in the UK singles chart with
"Because We Want To", released under the artist name "Billie". Her
follow-up single "Girlfriend" also debuted at Number One, and her first
album, Honey to the B (released immediately afterwards) debuted at
Number 14 in the UK album charts. She released two further singles off
the album, "She Wants You" and "Honey to the Bee"; both songs debuted at
Number 3.
Piper then took
a year off to record her second album. She decided to release further
records under her full name, Billie Piper. She returned to the Singles
Chart in May 2000 with a new, sexier sound. She hit the Number 1 spot
with "Day & Night", but her success wasn't to continue. She waited until
the following September to release "Something Deep Inside". That reached
Number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. In October 2000, Piper released her
second album, Walk of Life, which reached Number 14 in the UK Album
Chart. The song "Walk of Life", the final single off this album, was
released in December 2000 and reached Number 25 in the UK Singles Chart.
This proved to be Piper's last musical release, a low-key exit from the
world of pop.
In 1999, Piper
was nominated for two Brit Awards and was named Best Female Star at the
Smash Hits Poll Winners' party, although at the latter ceremony she was
reduced to tears after being viciously booed by jealous fans of Ritchie
Neville, member of boyband Five, whom she was dating at the time.
Film and television
In 2003, Piper
decided to end her pop career and return to her original ambition,
acting. She took acting lessons while living in Los Angeles and, still a
high-profile figure, quickly earned roles in the BBC Television series
The Canterbury Tales (modern retellings of Chaucer's stories) and the
one-off drama Bella and the Boys.
Piper gained
very positive reviews for these appearances, critics seemingly feeling
that she was a far better actress than she was a singer.
In 2004, she
appeared in the films The Calcium Kid, as the romantic interest of
Orlando Bloom's character, and Things to do Before You're Thirty.
Shortly before starting work on Doctor Who she filmed a starring role in
the horror movie Spirit Trap, released in the summer of 2005 to
generally poor reviews.
In November
2005, she starred as Hero in a BBC adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing,
updated for the modern day in a similar manner to the Canterbury Tales
series in which she featured, with Hero now being a weather presenter in
a television station.
Piper has
completed work on two stand-alone television productions. In the first,
a BBC adaptation of Philip Pullman's historical novel The Ruby in the
Smoke broadcast in December 2006, Piper played protagonist Sally
Lockhart, a Victorian orphan. The BBC plans to film all four of
Pullman's Sally Lockhart novels, presumably with Piper continuing in the
role. In 2007 she will appear as the main character, Fanny Price, in an
adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park, to be screened on
ITV1.[2] This will be her first acting role on television for a
broadcaster other than the BBC.
Doctor Who
In May 2004, it
was announced that Piper was to play the character Rose Tyler, companion
to the Doctor in the revived series of Doctor Who, beginning in 2005.
Piper won the
Most Popular Actress category at the 2005 and 2006 National Television
Awards for her work on Doctor Who.[3] BBC News named Piper as one of its
"Faces of the Year" for 2005, primarily due to her success in Doctor
Who. At The South Bank Show Awards on 27 January 2006 Piper was awarded
The Times Breakthrough Award for her successful transition from singing
to acting. In March 2006, the Television and Radio Industries Club named
Piper as best new TV talent in their annual Tric awards. In September
2006, Piper was named Best Actress at the TV Quick and TV Choice
Awards.[4]
After the
completion of the first series of Doctor Who, the British media
regularly released conflicting reports about how long Piper would be
staying with the programme. In March 2006, Piper claimed that she would
continue on Doctor Who into its third season in 2007;[5] however, on May
10, 2006 Piper was reported to be considering quitting the series,
although she did express an interest in playing a female version of the
Doctor in the future (possibly related to a proposed Doctor Who spin-off
series about Rose which was later dropped). [6] On June 15, 2006, it was
announced by the BBC that she was to depart in the final episode of the
second series, "Doomsday" [7]; Piper's decision to leave had been taken
a year previously, but remained a secret until news of her departure
became public.[8]
Spoiler
warning: Plot and/or ending details about Doctor Who episode Doomsday
follow.
Rose leaves the
show after being trapped on an alternate planet Earth, along with her
family and former boyfriend. She has a final scene on a beach with the
Doctor, where she declares her love for him, but he is cut off as he
starts to reply. Both Piper and head writer Russell T. Davies have
mentioned this move was intended to leave the door open for her return
to the role at a later date. Rumours about a return in the 2007 series
have, however, been denied in print by Davies.
Spoilers end
here.
Theatre
Piper will next
work on a touring production of Christopher Hampton's play Treats, which
will open in early 2007 in Windsor. Treats will also show in the West
End, at the Garrick Theatre, starting on 28 February (with previews
begining on 20 February). This will be Piper's West End debut. She will
play Ann, with Kris Marshall and Laurence Fox as costars. [1]
Personal life
Piper was born
in Swindon, Wiltshire, England to Paul and Mandy Piper. Her parents
changed her given name from Lianne to Billie three weeks after
registering her birth. Piper has one younger brother, Charlie, and two
younger sisters, Harley and Ellie.[9]
Piper grew up
in Nine Elms, Swindon. She went to Brookfield Primary School in the
Shaw, Swindon, and Bradon Forest Secondary School in the village of
Purton. She supports Swindon Town football club. Later, she attended The
Sylvia Young Theatre School. She is 1.65m tall. She is quoted as saying
that "Weight doesn't matter as long as you're happy with yourself."
Piper married
businessman, television presenter, and BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans in May
2001 in Las Vegas. Their marriage attracted much comment due to the
sixteen-year age gap between the two.
In recent
articles, Piper has credited Evans with saving her from a particularly
difficult time in her life. Their courtship began in May 2000 when Piper
was promoting her new single "Day and Night" on Evans' show TFI Friday.
Shortly after that appearance, Piper started a vigorous promotion for
her album Walk of Life.
After working
16 hour days, taking laxatives, and having wild nights on the town,
Piper developed cystitis. With a new album, Piper had little time to
recover. In a bar in Soho, Piper collapsed as a result of a bladder
infection that moved up to her kidneys and started to urinate blood. She
was taken to the hospital and her publicist put out a statement that
Piper was suffering from a kidney infection and exhaustion. Piper was
too embarrassed to admit to her mother about the reason behind her
hospital stay. Instead, she told her mother she has taken the morning
after pill and had an allergic reaction to it. Shortly after the
hospital stay, Piper began taking sleeping pills and would use them to
"sleep her way thinner."
In December,
Piper released Walk of Life on Evans's radio show. Evans asked, "Why
don't we get married and sell the photos to Hello!, then give all the
money to charity?" To which Piper replied, "OK, let's." She didn't think
he was serious but she wasn't sure. After the show, Piper and Evans
exchanged numbers. To her surprise, Evans called her and they went out
to the pub and "really hit it off". Piper went to bed and the next
morning a silver Ferrari was on her doorstep with a note asking for her
hand in marriage. Piper broke up with her on-again-off again boyfriend,
Ritchie Neville of Five.
During this
time, the media blamed Evans for Piper's apparent profligacy, but in
fact it was Evans who helped Piper take control of her career. Her
relationship with Evans created a rift between Piper and her parents.
Subsequently, the Pipers took a large sum of money in return for an
exclusive on their daughter. Billie felt betrayed and ended all
communication with her parents for a long time. With her marriage to
Evans, Piper gave up on anorexia, drugs, and pop stardom. Then, Billie
set her sights on becoming an actress. She spent some time in Los
Angeles taking acting classes. Since then, she has landed lucrative film
and television roles.
In October
2004, the two began a trial separation. In spring of 2005 it was
confirmed that she and Evans would be divorcing. The two remain friends,
and in November 2005 Piper was a guest on the first episode of her
ex-husband's show OFI Sunday. As of 2006 Piper and Evans live two houses
away from each other. She still refers to her ex-husband as "Mr. E" (a
subtle reference to her "Mystery" marriage).
A story in The
Independent on 27 June 2006 stated that Piper has declared that she does
not wish to claim any money from Evans' reported £30m wealth. "I'm not
taking a penny from him," she told the Radio Times. "I think that's
disgusting." They will divorce amicably in September.
Piper dated law
student Amadu Sowe from 2004 to 2006.[10] . She has also stated that she
is bi-curious.[11]
Autobiography
Piper signed a
six-figure contract with publishers Hodder and Stoughton to write her
autobiography, Growing Pains, which was released in the autumn of 2006.
In recent
publication, an excerpt of her autobiography has been printed. Piper
divulges about her battle with anorexia that developed after a
television presenter called her fat when she was a 16-year-old pop star.
Piper began to use laxatives as well as starvation to drop weight.
During a US promotional tour, she contemplated suicide as a result of
low record sales and self doubt. She admits to managing five days
without food during which time she existed on nothing more than Diet
Coke, coffee and cigarettes. She also stated that her relationship with
Evans made her ditch her starvation diet and gave her a new zest for
life.[12]
Awards and nominations
Awards Won
1999 - Smash
Hits Awards: Best Female
2005 - National
TV Awards: Best Actress
2005 - BBC Face
Of The Year
2005 - BBC
Drama Awards: Best Actress
2006 - The
South Bank Show Awards: The Times Breakthrough Award
2006 - TV
Choice/TV Quick Awards: Best Actress
2006 - The
National Television Awards: Best Actress
Filmography
Television
The Canterbury
Tales: The Miller's Tale (BBC One, 2003) - Alison Crosby
Bella and the
Boys (BBC Two, 2004) - Bella
Doctor Who (BBC
One, 2005–06) - Rose Tyler
ShakespeaRe-Told: Much Ado About Nothing (BBC One, 2005) - Hero
The Friday
Night Project (Channel 4, 2006) - herself (guest presenter)
The Ruby in the
Smoke (BBC One, 2006) - Sally Lockhart
Mansfield Park
(ITV1, forthcoming) - Fanny Price
Film
Evita (1996,
uncredited bit-part)
The Leading Man
(1996, uncredited bit-part)
The Calcium Kid
(2004) - Angel
Things to do
Before You're Thirty (2005) - Vicky
Spirit Trap
(2005) - Jenny
Discography
Singles
"Because We
Want To" (1998) #1 UK (Certified Silver); #9 Ireland; #19 Australia
"Girlfriend"
(1998) #1 UK (Certified Silver); #12 Ireland; #35 Australia
"She Wants You"
(1998) #3 UK (Certified Silver); #9 US Hot Dance Music/Club Play; #21
Ireland
"Honey to the
Bee" (1999) #3 UK (Certified Silver); #6 Australia; #25 Ireland;
subsequently recorded by Play
"I Dream"
(scheduled to be the fifth single from Honey to the B)
"Last
Christmas" (promo single, cover of song by George Michael)
"Thank ABBA For
The Music" (medley of ABBA songs, with Steps, Tina Cousins, Cleopatra
and B*Witched) (1999) #4 UK; #5 Ireland; #9 Australia
"Day & Night"
(2000) #1 UK (Certified Silver); #8 Australia; #13 Ireland
"Something Deep
Inside" (2000) #4 UK, #26 Australia
"Walk of Life"
(2000) #25 UK
"The Tide Is
High" (cover of song by Blondie, scheduled to be the 4th single from
Walk of Life)
B-sides and other tracks
"G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T." (Because We Want To B-side/The Best of Billie album
track; cover of song by Changing Faces)
"Love Groove"
(Girlfriend B-side/Honey to the B album track)
"Last
Christmas" (She Wants You B-side/Promo single; cover of song by George
Michael)
"It Takes Two"
(She Wants You B-side; cover of song by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston)
"So Deep" (She
Wants You B-side/Honey to the Bee US album track)
"Call Me"
(Honey to the Bee B-side)
"What's
Missing" (Honey to the Bee B-side)
"Makin' My Way
(Any Way That I Can)" (Pokemon: The First Movie Soundtrack)
"Tinted Eyes"
(Day & Night B-side)
"First Love"
(Something Deep Inside B-side/The Best of Billie album track)
"Caress The
Gold" (Walk Of Life B-side/The Best of Billie album track)
Albums
Honey to the B
1998 (UK #14) (Certified Platinum)
Walk of Life
2000 (UK #14) (Certified Silver)
The Best of
Billie 2005 (budget release)
Ranking in
FHM's 100 Sexiest Women
56 in 1999
86 in 2000
48 in 2001
62 in 2005
11 in 2006
142 in the 'ten
years of FHM's Sexiest Women polls' - 1995-2004.
Quotes
She told New Woman magazine: "Yeah, I fancy
women big time... I check them out more than I check men out. Maybe I
would want to sleep with a woman... Not Beyonce, although I like the
look of her, I don't think she's that dirty." [2]
References
-
Cook, Benjamin. "Billie",
Doctor Who Magazine, 4 January 2006, pp. 13–21.
-
McLean, Craig. "Why we
fell under Piper's spell", The Daily Telegraph, 5 November 2005.
Retrieved on 2006-01-03.
-
"Faces of the year - the
women", BBC News, 30 December 2005. Retrieved on 2006-01-03.
-
Searchable index of UK
chart positions, including Piper's hits
-
List of all #1 songs
(including Piper's) from The Official UK Charts Company
-
Chris Evans Saved My Life
****
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