Billie Eilish Makes Debut in Acting as a Creepy Cult Leader in Prime Video Series ‘Swarm’

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You’ve read it right. Billie is set to guest star in a new series.

Wait, is this the Billie Eilish that I knew? Yes, the American singer-songwriter now explores the world of acting as she makes a surprise appearance in the newest series in Prime Video’s Swarm.

Making such a buzz in social media, the series headlined by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers follows the story of Dre, an obsessed fan who goes to extreme lengths in the name of her favorite pop star. Aside from the relatable scenarios posed by the series, Swarm has become a topic of discussion over social media thanks to the unexpected appearance of Billie Eilish, Paris Jackson, and Chloe Bailey.

Here’s What You Need to Know About Swarm

Premiering on March 17, Swarm has been receiving lots of buzz for its plot, including its dark turns and relatable fandoms. After making rounds for its bloody trailer, it has now gained the attention of many for its intentional similarities to Beyoncé and her fandom, the BeyHive.

Aside from Malia Obama joining the writers’ room for Swarm back in March 2022, adding flavors to the series is the presence of Billie Eilish, who plays the mysterious character of Eva, a leader of an all-female cult.

In an interview, Janine Nabers shared that Billie’s involvement was attributed to casting director Carmen Cuba. “We were looking to cast the episode, and she suggested Billie, and I said, ‘Does she act?’ And she said, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘What has she been in?’ And she said, ‘Nothing’.” Despite the lack of experience, seeing how multi-hyphenated people who have so many different passions work, they have asked Billie to join the series, thereby resulting in the multi-awarded singer playing the role of a cult leader whose guise came in a “women’s empowerment group”—a concept inspired by NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere.

“There is a cult that existed in the world that was very prominent during that time. And that is the kind of true-crime element to that episode. And I think that when people think of the idea of artists or celebrities, there is this idea or thinking about the cult of Taylor Swift or the cult of the Beatles or whatever. What we were really interested in was just seeing someone who worships at the altar of ‘something’ and this idea of what is the cult of the mind.”

Spoiler alert: While Billie’s character gets killed by the end of episode four, her acting was greatly praised by fans, including Rolling Stone, which tweeted “A star is born” for her astounding performance. Swarm comes in seven episodes, which are now available to watch on Prime Video.

^{Cover image credit: Billie Eilish Instagram}