Billie Eilish in talks to make film acting debut in adaptation of Sylvia Plath's 'The Bell Jar'
Billie Eilish is in talks to star as lead in her first film with director Sarah Polley's adaptation of Sylvia Plath's semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar.
According to Deadline, Eilish will play teen student Esther Greenwood, who tries to navigate intense mental health struggles amid the rigid societal expectations of women in the 1950s.
Plath published her novel under a pseudonym in 1963; she died by suicide in the same year.
Eilish, a 10-time Grammy Award, two-time Academy Award, and two-time Golden Globe Award winner, will be working on the film with fellow Oscar Award winner Sarah Polley, who will also be adapting the screenplay.
Aside from her Grammy wins for various Albums of the Year and Songs of the Year, Eilish won Oscar and Golden Globe awards in 2022 for her original song No Time To Die, which played in the James Bond movie of the same title, and again in 2024 for What Was I Made For? in the Greta Gerwig film Barbie.
Polley won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for 2022's Women Talking and 2025's & Sons.
The Bell Jar adaptation is currently still in the casting and development phase. No release date has yet been set.
The singer-songwriter-actress previously appeared with acting credits in the Prime Video dark comedy miniseries Swarm, created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover.
In an interview with Variety in 2023, Eilish mentioned how she had always been interested in acting.
"It's always been a deep thing that I've been reluctant to talk about because I thought I was really bad," she said then.
Eilish recalled learning about her potential role in Swarm, and getting excited about it.
“I was on some management call, and I remember being told, ‘There’s this show, but it’s during a period of time where you’re not available. It’s a pass. I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the fu*k are you talking about? This is my dream!”’ Eilish told Variety.
Later this month, the feature film Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) will hit local cinemas. Eilish directed the feature film with fellow Oscar winner James Cameron.
