is getting candid about his personal life—almost.
The Morning Show star gave rare insight into his life with ex , sharing that after their difficult breakup they’ve chosen to keep their focus on co-parenting their 21-year-old son William Atticus Parker.
“Without commenting on any of our … Our adoration for our son is boundless,” Billy told in an interview published Nov. 27 when asked where he and Mary-Louise stand now. “He has, through the mash-up of the two of us, been endowed with superpowers for theatricality.”
The 57-year-old shared that William is already a prolific actor, director and writer and has made several micro-budgets films.
“He’s such a badass,” Billy gushed. “Mary-Louise and I appeared in most of his films.”
Mary-Louise, 61, and Billy were in a relationship from 1996 until 2003 when he left the Weeds alum—who was then seven months pregnant with William—to begin a three year relationship with after meeting on the set of Stage Beauty (2004).
And while the two have rarely spoken about their split, Mary-Louise had only positive remarks after in 2023.
"I wish them well," she told at the time. "And absolutely, I honestly of course wish them every happiness because that's my son's father. So I'm happy for them. I'm happy they found each other."
The Angels in America actress had previously touched on their relationship and breakup in her 2015 memoir, Dear Mr. You, which was written as a series of letters to men in her life. One letter was written to a cabdriver who asked her to leave his taxi after Mary-Louise lost her temper with him in the wake of her breakup.
"I am alone," she wrote. “Look, see? I am pregnant and alone. It hurts to even breathe. I’m trying to get through it but I’m by myself every night and every morning and no one, nothing helps.”
As for Billy, he briefly addressed the breakup in 2004, although he noted he was hesitant to do so in the first place.
"First and foremost it is personal, painful and involves an infant," he told in an email published as part of a 2004 profile on him, "and does not deserve to be exploited to sate the appetites of circulation counters and bored readers."
"I have never indulged our society's misguided notion that my personal life is relevant to my work," Billy continued, "so any reporting surrounding that is necessarily hearsay, speculation or fantasy. Each published report is based only on the trade of suffering."
And while Claire has also moved on—the Homeland alum married Hugh Dancy in 2009 and they share children Cyrus, 12, Rowan, 7 and a baby girl they welcomed in 2023—she has previously reflected on her relationship with Billy.
"That was really hard. I didn’t know how to not do that," in 2015. "I was just in love with him, and needed to explore that, and I was 24."
The Emmy winner added, "I didn't quite know what those consequences would be."
For more stars who have experienced their own rocky relationship moments, keep reading.
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