AUSTIN (CelebrityAccess) – The daytime Emmy-winning actor from The Young and the Restless and General Hospital, Billy Miller, died Friday (September 15) in Austin, Texas. The cause of death has not been revealed. However, GeneralHospitalblog.com reports that Miller’s publicist revealed he died of a stroke due to complications from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). He was 43.
Miller’s manager confirmed the news to Variety in a statement on Sunday (September 17), which would have been Miller’s 44th birthday. “The actor was struggling with manic depression when he died,” the statement reads. His death was also confirmed by The Belmont, one of the restaurants Miller was a part-owner of in Los Angeles.
Born William John Miller II on Sept. 17, 1979, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas. According to Soaps in Depth, Miller was in and out of the hospital as a kid for a tarsal condition that affected the cartilage in his ankles. The Oklahoma native earned a film degree at the University of Texas, Austin. He then moved to Los Angeles, and while working in the mailroom of an entertainment company, he decided to pursue a career as an actor.
His break into the entertainment industry came when he was signed as a model to Wilhelmina, and later went on to play Richie Novak from 2007 to 2008 in the soap opera All My Children. Miller then moved over to The Young and the Restless to take over the role of Billy Abbott from 2008 – 2014.
The role of Abbott landed him three Daytime Emmys, including two for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and outstanding lead actor in a Drama Series.
Miller played the roles of Jason Morgan and Drew Cain on General Hospital, starring as a series regular from 2014 – 2019. It was speculated that Miller had issues with co-star Steve Burton, who had played the role of Jason Morgan / Drew Cain for two decades before Miller took over the part. Burton returned to the show in 2017, and Miller was let go from the show in 2019. He then joined Suits for five episodes.
His additional credits include appearances on NCIS, The Rookie, Truth Be Told, Major Crimes, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Castle and Enormous. He was also featured in Clint Eastwood’s 2014 war drama American Sniper and Craig Brewer’s 2016 Urban Cowboy TV movie drama.
Miller is survived by his mother, Patricia, sister Megan, brother-in-law Ronnie, nephew Grayson and niece Charley. He was also extremely close to his on-screen wife and speculated partner off-screen, Kelly Monaco.
RIP.
