Busy Philipps

Philipps worked across writer, voice actor, actor, talk show host and television presenter and 4 further recorded occupations. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — Busy Philipps • Birth Name — Elizabeth Jean Philipps • Born — 25 June 1979 • Birthplace — Oak Park, Illinois, U.S. • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1999–present • Children — 2

Philipps was born in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She received the nickname "Busy" as a child; sources conflict on whether the nickname came from her parents or a babysitter named Susie. She said on her late-night talk show, Busy Tonight, that her mother gave her the nickname, but during her book tour said that her babysitter had given it to her. This was clarified on an episode of Comedy Bang! Bang! when she confirmed to host Scott Aukerman that it was her babysitter. Philipps was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she graduated from Chaparral High School. Philipps attended Loyola Marymount University at the same time as Colin Hanks and Freaks and Geeks costar Linda Cardellini. She then dated Hanks for several years, after they left school. Philipps did not complete her degree program.

• Illustration — Philipps in 2009 While still in high school, Philipps worked at toy trade fairs as a real-life Barbie, her sister Cool Teen Skipper. Among the people who saw her at toy conventions was actress Sharon Stone, who was impressed with her performance and told Philipps that she would be a star. Her first major role was Kim Kelly in the 1999–2000 comedy-drama TV series Freaks and Geeks; Philipps appeared in all but one of the show's 18 episodes (the episode "Chokin' & Tokin'"). She made her film debut in the comedy The Smokers in 2000, and had various small appearances on television. In 2001, Philipps was cast as Audrey Liddell in the teen drama Dawson's Creek. Philipps appeared in several films, including Home Room (2002) and White Chicks (2004). She was cast in the UPN sitcom Love, Inc. in a role originally intended for Shannen Doherty. The show lasted one season (2005–2006). In 2006, she had a major recurring role as Hope Bobeck on ER, alongside her Freaks and Geeks co-star Linda Cardellini. During her second year on ER, her character was written out as heading to South America to "fulfill her Christian mission". Philipps had a co-credit for the storyline of the 2007 comedy film Blades of Glory. A year later, she appeared in a supporting role in Made of Honor. She made appearances in He's Just Not That into You as Kelli Ann and on an episode of How I Met Your Mother. In 2008 to 2009 she was a recurring character on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, appearing in five episodes as Kacy Corbin. From 2009 to 2015, Philipps portrayed Laurie Keller in the television series Cougar Town. She routinely contributed to the Thrilling Adventure Hour, a live stage radio show. Her primary recurring character was the Red Plains Rider. On a 2010 appearance on Chelsea Lately, Philipps said that she auditioned for the hit television show Glee just one week after giving birth, following a pregnancy during which she gained 80 pounds. Philipps starred on the HBO series Vice Principals (2016–2017). In 2017, she signed on as co-lead opposite Casey Wilson in Tina Fey's comedy pilot The Sackett Sisters for NBC, but it was not picked up. In 2018 and 2019, Philipps played Sheba Goodman in season 4 of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She had a late-night talk show called Busy Tonight, which aired on E! from October 28, 2018, to May 16, 2019. It was cancelled the same day Philipps was nominated for a 2019 Critics Choice Award. In August 2020 she began hosting a podcast, Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best, along with former Busy Tonight writers Caissie St. Onge and Shantira Jackson. In October 2020, it was announced that she had joined the main cast of Peacock's Girls5eva, a musical comedy about a female pop group that reunites 20 years after it flamed out. In its third season the show, created by Meredith Scardino, shifted to Netflix. In February 28, 2023, Philipps was announced as Mrs. George in the 2024 film adaptation of the musical Mean Girls, based on the 2018 Broadway musical. In 2024, Phillips began hosting a talk/shopping show called "Busy This Week" on the QVC+/HSN+ streaming service.

Philipps's memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, was released October 18, 2018. It includes a passage where she describes a physical altercation she had with James Franco on the set of Freaks and Geeks. She said she was "bummed" by the amount of attention drawn to just this incident in the book, saying the story was not new, and that she meant it "to illustrate a larger point about the way women are treated in this business and in life."

Philipps married screenwriter Marc Silverstein on June 16, 2007. They have two children. They separated in February 2021. Philipps has ADHD. In August 2026, Philipps revealed that she was diagnosed with oligodendroglioma, a type of brain tumor, back in February. The following month in March, she had it successfully treated via surgery, however developed a staph infection a month later, which required additional surgery to treat. Philipps said she had prolonged medical care, however following the death of James Van Der Beek from colon cancer, it encouraged her to seek a diagnosis after experiencing frequent headaches.

After the Alabama Legislature's May 14, 2019, passage of House Bill 314 (also known as the "Human Life Protection Act"), Philipps advocated that women speak out if they had had abortions. On May 14, she invoked the hashtag #YouKnowMe (established on February 18) to her 370,000 followers on Twitter, with her call for testimonies: "1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Many people think they don't know someone who has, but #youknowme. So let's do this: if you are also the 1 in 4, let's share it and start to end the shame. Use #youknowme and share your truth." The previous week she revealed on her Busy Tonight TV show that she had had an abortion at age 15. On June 4, 2019, Philipps gave a testimonial before the House Judiciary Committee defending women's right to access more abortion clinics. She spoke of her own experience with abortion: "I am a human being that deserves autonomy in this country that calls itself free, and choices that a human being makes about their own bodies should not be legislated by strangers who can't possibly know or understand each individual's circumstances or beliefs."

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1999 — Saving Graces — Mindy — TV series • 1999–2000 — Freaks and Geeks — Kim Kelly — 18 episodes • 2000 — Malcolm in the Middle — Meghan — Episode: "High School Play" • 2001 — Anatomy of a Hate Crime — Chasity Pasley — Television film • Spring Break Lawyer — Jenny • Dead Last — Tracy Sallback — Episode: "Death Is in the Air" • 2001–2003 — Dawson's Creek — Audrey Liddell — Main role (season 6); recurring (season 5) • 2002 — Undeclared — Kelly — 2 episodes • 2003 — Criminology 101 — Polly — Television film • 2004 — Foster Hall — Peg Hall • 2005 — Life As We Know It — Alex Morrill — 2 episodes • Testing Bob — Madison 'Maddie' West — Television film • Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! — Korlianne (voice) — Episode: "Girl Trouble" • 2005–2006 — Love, Inc. — Denise Johnson — 22 episodes • 2005, 2018 — American Dad! — Dana / Blanch (voices) — 2 episodes • 2006–2007 — ER — Dr. Hope Bobeck — 19 episodes • 2007 — Entourage — Cheryl — Episode: "Dog Day Afternoon" • How I Met Your Mother — Rachel — Episode: "Third Wheel" • 2008–2009 — Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles — Kacy Corbin — 5 episodes • 2009 — Kath & Kim — Whitney — Episode: "Competition" • 2009–2015 — Cougar Town — Laurie Keller — Main role • 2011 — Community — Greendale Team Member — Episode: "For a Few Paintballs More" • Fish Hooks — Clamanda (voice) — Episode: "We've Got Fish Spirits" • 2012 — Don't Trust the B— in Apartment 23 — Herself — Episode: "A Reunion..." • RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars — Episode: "RuPaul's Gaff In" • 2013 — Arrested Development — Joan — Episode: "Borderline Personalities" • 2014 — Garfunkel and Oates — Karen — 2 episodes • 2014–2018 — Drunk History — Various — 3 episodes • 2015 — Bottom's Butte — Beverly Bottom (voice) — Episode: "Pilot" • 2016 — New Girl — Connie — Episode: "300 Feet" • Angie Tribeca — Courtney Woodpatch-Newton — Episode: "Miso Dead" • Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ — Cate Kates — Episode: "Spiritual Gurus" • 2016–2017 — Vice Principals — Gale Liptrapp — Main role • 2017 — The Odd Couple — Natasha — Episode: "Should She Stay or Should She Go?" • Chopped Junior — Herself (guest judge) — Episode: "Curry Hurry" • The Sackett Sisters — Mandy Sackett — Episode: "Pilot" • Beat Bobby Flay — Herself (guest judge) — Episode: "Tame the Flame" • 2018 — Camping — Allison — Episode: "Up All Night" • 2018–2019 — Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — Sheba Goodman — 2 episodes • Busy Tonight — Herself — Main role; also executive producer • 2019 — Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show — Episode: "Full House But Black" • 2021 — Search Party — Donna — Episode: "Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig" • 2021–2024 — Girls5eva — Summer Dutkowsky — Main role • 2023 — With Love — Amanda — Episode: "Lily's Double Quinceañera" • Single Drunk Female — Darby — 3 episodes • 2024–present — Busy This Week — Herself/Host — Main role

Busy Philipps was born on 25 June 1979 in Oak Park. Philipps held the nationality of United States. Philipps was educated at Chaparral High School, Loyola Marymount University and Oxford School of Drama. Married to: Marc Silverstein. Philipps worked as writer, voice actor, actor and talk show host, and the authority record catalogues a further 5 occupations under the same name, among them television presenter, screenwriter, television director, film actor and television actor. Philipps was active from 1999. Philipps worked in English.