Billy Boyd, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, began his acting career in the Scottish television series "Taggart". He went on to amass UK television credits including "Coming Soon" and "Chapter and Verse". Boyd made his feature film debut in "An Urban Ghost Story", followed by "Julie and the Cadillacs" and a film short entitled Soldiers Leap. He and the rest of the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring were nominated for the Screen Actor’s Guild ensemble award.

Prior to Master and Commander, Boyd filmed a groundbreaking science fiction one-man short film, Sniper 470, financed by Scottish Screen and STV, which world premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival 2002. It was one of only two films to have been chosen from the Newfoundland series to be blown to 35 mm. Since when it has been invited by 18 Film Festivals and screened on Scottish National Television.

On the stage, Boyd has performed in various UK productions including "The Speculator," "An Experienced Woman Gives Advice," "Therese Racquin," "Britannia Rules," "Kill The Old, Torture Their Young," "The Chic Nerds," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Merchant of Venice," "Trainspotting" (Tour), "Merlin the Magnificent" and "The Slab Boys." Last year, Boyd starred in the Traverse production of "The Ballad of Crazy Paola," a new play by Anne Sierens. This year Boyd opened the Edinburgh International Festival with the World Premiere of "San Diego," a play by David Greig.

Boyd is also a singer, musician and composer. In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Boyd sings his own composition to Tolkien’s words.