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Busy Philipps

Busy Philipps

Highest Rated: 91% The Gift (2015)

Lowest Rated: 15% White Chicks (2004)

Birthday: Jun 25, 1979

Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, USA

Actress Busy Philipps exuded an effervescence that made her a natural at portraying fun-loving and vivacious characters. She first showed off her exuberance as a bully with a mouth as big as her heart on the cult hit series "Freaks and Geeks" (NBC, 1999-2000), a sharp comedy about so-called losers trying to survive 1980s-era high school. Philipps then moved on to the critical darling "Dawson's Creek" (The WB, 1998-2003), starring as a bubbly college student who shared a dorm room with the headstrong coed, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes). She also displayed her versatility with serious roles on the award-winning series "ER" (1994-2009), as well as on the sci-fi series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Fox, 2008-09), where she portrayed the sympathetic neighbor of Sarah Connor (Lena Headey). After dabbling in drama, she was pitch-perfect as a bodacious twenty-something who helped Courteney Cox get her groove back on the comedy series "Cougar Town" (ABC, 2009-12; TBS, 2013-15), a role that finally marked Philipps as one of Hollywood's most talented character actresses. Elizabeth Jean Philipps was born on June 25, 1979 in Oak Park, IL, but was raised in Scottsdale, AZ. As a toddler, Philipps reportedly had such endless energy, her parents called her "Busy," a nickname that stuck - even appearing on her driver's license. She started acting in school productions, and was even voted Best Actress in her senior yearbook. After training at the Acting Lab of Arizona and at England's Oxford School of Drama, she performed at various community productions in the Scottsdale area. One of her earliest jobs was playing a real-life Barbie doll at a toy fair convention in New York. In 1999, Philipps landed a supporting role on "Freaks and Geeks," a subtle yet biting look at teenage life in the 1980s, as seen through the eyes of a trio of junior high school nerds, and a group of self-proclaimed teenaged freaks. Philipps played Kim Kelly, the brash school bully who eventually befriended good girl-turned-rebel, Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini). Created by director Judd Apatow, the show appealed mostly to Gen-Xers who recognized a bit of themselves as they tried to survive high school. While the well-written series departed from the typical over-hyped, over-glamorized teen dramas that dominated the networks at that time, it failed to attract a mainstream audience and was prematurely taken off the air. Thankfully, the show would later earn cult status, and Apatow and a good amount of the cast would go on to greater fame. After the infamous cancellation, Philipps stayed busy with guest-starring roles on the offbeat comedy series "Malcolm in the Middle" (Fox, 2000-06), the post-collegiate drama "Undeclared" (Fox, 2001-02), and appeared in various made-for-TV movies. In 2003, Philipps joined the cast of "Dawson's Creek" (The WB, 1998-2003), a popular teen drama that followed four friends living in a small coastal town, led by Dawson Leery (James van der Beek), an aspiring videographer torn between the lovelorn tomboy, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), and the rebellious vixen, Jennifer Lindley (Michelle Williams). Philipps would portray an aspiring singer and the too-animated, over-the-top college roommate of Potter. The actress' first lead role on a television series was the on the UPN sitcom, "Love, Inc.," in which she played a successful dating consultant who struggles with finding love. In 2006, she checked into NBC's hit series "ER," with a recurring role as a devout Christian and intern who often clashed with her more liberal-minded colleagues. On "ER," she also happened to reunite with "Freaks and Geeks" co-star Cardellini. Philipps kept up her guest appearances on television, soon landing a recurring role on the action series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," a small screen spin-off of the blockbuster "Terminator" film franchise. On the series, Philipps portrayed Sarah Connor's (Lena Headey) pregnant and overly protective neighbor. While filming the sci-fi program, Philipps was also pregnant with her first child, Birdie Leigh, whom she would go on to have with her screenwriter husband Marc Silverstein. After many years paying her dues, Philipps landed a role on the ABC series, "Cougar Town," a comedy that was initially about recently divorced forty-something Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox), who was forced to reenter the dating scene, along with her friends (Philipps and Christa Miller). As the show progressed, it began to focus more on how Cobb's neurotic yet endearing personality affected her personal relationships. As she often had on shows in the past, Philipps often stole scenes as Cobb's feisty and party-going best friend and the show's resident troublemaker. After that series came to an end, Philipps co-starred in the dark comedy "Vice Principals" (HBO 2016-17) and appeared in the Amy Schumer comedy "I Feel Pretty" (2018). In 2018, Philipps co-starred in the Lena Dunham-produced comedy "Camping" (HBO 2018- ), hosted her own talk show "Busy Tonight" (E! 2018- ) and published her first book, a memoir called This Will Only Hurt A Little.

Highest rated movies

91% 75% The Gift 69% 62% Mean Girls
55% 78% Home Room
47% 26% A Case of You
35% 35% I Feel Pretty
17% 32% I Don't Know How She Does It
16% 55% Made of Honor
15% 55% White Chicks

Filmography

Movies

Credit
69% 62% Mean Girls Mrs. George (Character) $72.4M 2024
35% 35% I Feel Pretty Jane (Character) $48.8M 2018
No Score Yet 88% FML Amanda (Character) - 2016
91% 75% The Gift Duffy (Character) $43.8M 2015
No Score Yet 38% Jason Nash Is Married Unknown (Character) - 2014
47% 26% A Case of You Ashley (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 56% Made in Cleveland Shannon (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 29% The Reef 2: High Tide Cordelia (Voice) - 2012
17% 32% I Don't Know How She Does It Wendy Best (Character) $9.7M 2011
16% 55% Made of Honor Melissa (Character) $46.0M 2008
No Score Yet 18% Mummy an' the Armadillo Carol Ann (Character) - 2004
15% 55% White Chicks Karen (Character) $69.1M 2004
55% 78% Home Room Alicia Browning (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 50% Anatomy of a Hate Crime Chasity Pasley (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet I'm a Spring Break Lawyer Jenny (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 42% The Smokers Karen Carter (Character) - 2000

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 61% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2014 2019-2020 2022 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2018 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jennifer Hudson Show Guest 2024
97% 84% Girls5eva Summer (Character) 2021-2022 2024
No Score Yet 12% The View Guest 2021-2022 2024
No Score Yet 28% The Drew Barrymore Show Guest 2021 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Carpool Karaoke: The Series Self 2023
No Score Yet 26% Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Guest 2021
81% 88% The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo Guest 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Guest 2012-2013 2016 2018 2021
No Score Yet 62% The Kelly Clarkson Show Guest 2021
No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Guest 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Search Party: The Podcast Guest 2020
No Score Yet 51% Busy Tonight Executive Producer,
Host
2018-2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild Guest 2019
No Score Yet 19% The Late Late Show With James Corden Guest 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2010 2012 2014 2018
No Score Yet 49% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2016 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ellen DeGeneres Show Guest 2014 2018
96% 84% Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Sheba Goodman (Character) 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Doctors Guest 2018
No Score Yet 81% Drunk History Rose Valland (Guest Star) 2016 2018
83% 87% Vice Principals Gale Liptrapp (Character) 2016-2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Comedy Jam Self 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Match Game Guest 2017
No Score Yet 63% The Odd Couple Unknown (Guest Star) 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chopped Junior Judge 2016
96% 74% Angie Tribeca Courtney Woodpatch-Newton (Guest Star) 2016
95% 85% New Girl Connie (Guest Star) 2016
89% 82% Cougar Town Laurie Keller (Character) 2009-2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Chew Guest 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Yo Gabba Gabba! Unknown (Guest Star) 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Soup Guest 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Conan Guest 2011 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rachael Ray Guest 2013
85% 83% Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Unknown (Guest Star) 2012
No Score Yet 41% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest 2010 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lopez Tonight Guest 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Guest 2010
100% No Score Yet Funny or Die Presents Cute Girl (Character) 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bonnie Hunt Show Guest 2009-2010
85% 86% Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Unknown (Guest Star) 2008-2009
20% No Score Yet Kath & Kim Unknown (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet 85% ER Dr. Hope Bobeck (Guest Star) 2006-2007
84% 84% How I Met Your Mother Rachel (Guest Star) 2007
65% 82% Entourage Cheryl (Guest Star) 2007
13% No Score Yet Love, Inc. Unknown (Character) 2005-2006
No Score Yet 80% CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet 91% American Dad! Dana (Guest Voice) 2005
73% No Score Yet life as we know it Unknown (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet 76% Dawson's Creek Audrey Liddell (Character) 2002-2003
93% 75% Undeclared Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dead Last Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet 89% Malcolm in the Middle Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
100% 96% Freaks and Geeks Kim Kelly (Guest Star) 1999-2000