Billy Miller (actor)

William John Miller II (September 17, 1979 – September 15, 2023) was an American actor. He was recognized for his work on American soap operas, including his award-winning work as Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless and his dual portrayals of Jason Morgan and Drew Cain on General Hospital.

Early life and education
William John Miller II was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas. As a child, Miller spent five years as a patient of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, an organization he also supported.

Miller attended Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, and the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, where he received a communications degree and was one of only twenty students in the film department's intensive Production Sequence.

Career
After graduating from college, Miller moved out to Los Angeles where he began working in the mail room of Industry Entertainment. His first break into acting came after he signed on with the Wilhelmina modeling agency. He appeared in six commercials, including two for Electronic Arts' The Sims. He also did commercials for JCPenney, Pizza Hut and pokerparty.com.

At the age of 24, Miller screen-tested for As the World Turns, a soap opera on the CBS network; he lost the audition, citing bad management, and subsequently parted ways with his agency and management company. He took a two-year hiatus from acting after that experience.

In 2006, Miller returned to acting, starring in an episode of CSI: NY. A year later, he landed the role of Richie Novak, the murdering and blackmailing brother of Annie Lavery on All My Children, a soap opera on ABC. 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 partners Peter Bergman and Elizabeth Hendrickson, were instrumental in his casting at The Young and the Restless, where he was cast in the role of Billy Abbott. Miller, who submitted the longest Emmy reel among all nominated performers (over 32 minutes long—an entire episode), was awarded for his work in an It's A Wonderful Life-styled episode of The Young and the Restless with his first nomination and win as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series on June 27, 2010 as well as June 14, 2013.

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 titled Remembering Nigel, which premiered at the Paso Robles Digital Film Festival on November 25, 2009.

In August 2012, it was announced Miller would be appearing in primetime as a recurring cast member on The CW's Ringer. Miller was also cast as Gabe Watson in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie Fatal Honeymoon. In November 2013, it was announced Miller would depart the role of Billy; Miller's predecessor David Tom was named as his successor in the role. Miller called his decision to leave the role the "hardest thing" he had ever done.

On September 2, 2014, General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini announced on Twitter that Miller would join the cast as Jason Morgan. In March 2018, for his portrayal of Jason, Miller earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor. In 2017, with the return of Steve Burton to the role of Jason, Miller's casting was retconned to that of his twin, Drew Cain. In July 2019, Miller announced his exit from the soap.

Death
Miller died in Austin, Texas, on September 15, 2023. In a statement, Miller's mother, Patricia, revealed his death was due to suicide following his battles with bipolar 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.'"

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."