The Scarlet Witch’s son Billy Maximoff first appeared onscreen as a 5-year-old portrayed by Baylen Bielitz before Julian Hilliard took over the role. Both actors embodied the Marvel Comics superhero for the first time in WandaVision Season 1, Episode 5, but Hilliard became the face of the character. He played Billy in five episodes of the Jac Schaeffer miniseries and reprised the role in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Julian Hilliard didn’t return to the role in WandaVision’s spin-off series Agatha All Along. The fantasy superhero miniseries stars Joe Locke as Billy Maximoff with a storyline that explains the character’s return to life after his death in WandaVision. With Locke as the new Billy Maximoff actor, Schaeffer had the leverage to weave a puzzling and compelling narrative that resonated with the MCU fandom. Here are facts to know about the actor who originated the role.
1. Julian Hilliard Began Acting When He Was Only A Year Old
An American from Dallas, Texas, the Billy Maximoff actor was born on June 20, 2011. Julian Hilliard has been an actor since he was a toddler. He was barely a year old when he made his acting debut. He starred alongside April Hartman, Jodie Moore, and Tina Rodriguez in A Father, a 2012 short film written and directed by his father, Justin D. Hilliard. Be that as it may, he didn’t fully embrace the profession until 2018.
2. His Parents Works In The Movie Industry
Julian Hilliard’s early acting debut can be attributed to his parents, Justin D. Hilliard and Arianne Martin. The couple met in the early 2000s on the set of Confessions, a 2004 drama film directed by Hilliard, which also marked Martin’s professional acting debut. Hilliard’s father is quite a renowned filmmaker. He started making films at age 10 and would later bag a BFA in film from the University of Texas at Arlington. His most popular works include 2006’s Wednesday and 2009’s The Other Side of Paradise. Hilliard’s mother is also known for those projects, but she gained more exposure with projects like The Haunting of Hill House, Station 19, and Fancy Dance.
3. Julian Hilliard’s First Major Role Was As Young Luke In The Haunting of Hill House
After debuting in 2012 as a year old, the Billy Maximoff actor stayed away from acting until he turned 7. He returned to the profession in 2018 with an appearance in Augustine Frizzell’s crime dramedy Never Goin’ Back. Before the movie was released in late October, he had gained mainstream recognition with his portrayal of young Luke Crain in Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House.
The Netflix supernatural horror drama popularized his name in the industry, earning him coveted recognition. Julian Hilliard’s performance as the young version of Oliver Jackson-Cohen’s character was nominated for the Young Artist Awards’ Best Performance in a Streaming Series or Film: Young Actor. Alongside other cast members of the miniseries, he also received the Online Film & Television Association nomination for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Limited Series.
4. He Prefers Acting For Television
Since his breakthrough with the Luke Crain role, Julian Hilliard has starred in several films and television productions. In 2019, he played Julian in Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe’s comedy film Greener Grass, and then Jack Gardner in Richard Stanley’s horror thriller Color Out of Space. With the turn of the decade, he consolidated his growing Hollywood reputation with roles in series like Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and WandaVision.
His latest acting roles are in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Hilliard enjoyed working on all the projects but he prefers acting for television. “I honestly kind of like TV a little more, because you get to spend more time with the cast, crew, and friends you make,” he told Fangoria in June 2021.
5. Julian Hilliard Supports Joe Locke As The New Billy Maximoff Actor
Agatha All Along’s introduction of a new actor as Billy Maximoff received mixed reactions. While fans are pleased with Joe Locke’s portrayal of the superhero, they are quite disappointed Julian Hilliard didn’t get to play the character the first time he has a major story arc. Following fans’ outcry over the supposed unfairness, Hilliard took to X to support Locke as the new Billy Maximoff actor. “Joe Locke is awesome y’all… I fully support whatever role he plays in the MCU,” wrote the actor. Check out the best Maggie Smith movies, ranked.
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