Billie Eilish eyes Sylvia Plath role
Billie Eilish may be expanding into acting, with advanced talks to star in Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s *The Bell Jar* [https://euronews.com/culture/2026/03/12/billie-eilish-in-talks-for-film-acting-debut-in-adaptation-of-sylvia-plaths-the-bell-jar]. Already a 10-time Grammy winner and two-time Oscar winner, this marks a significant move for Eilish [https://them.us/story/billie-eilish-the-bell-jar-adaptation-film-acting-role]. Her concert documentary, *Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)*, directed by James Cameron, is set for a May 8, 2026 cinematic release [https://euronews.com/culture/2026/03/12/billie-eilish-in-talks-for-film-acting-debut-in-adaptation-of-sylvia-plaths-the-bell-jar].
Eilish's potential casting as Esther Greenwood comes after her 2023 role in the TV series *Swarm*, co-created by Donald Glover. She played Eva, a women's empowerment cult leader. This marks a more significant step into acting for the singer. Sarah Polley, who won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for *Women Talking*, will direct and write the screenplay. Polley was previously attached to direct a live-action remake of *Bambi* but left the project. Her previous directorial work includes *Away From Her* and *Take This Waltz*. *The Bell Jar*, published in 1963, was Sylvia Plath's only novel and is semi-autobiographical, mirroring Plath's own struggles with mental illness. The novel explores themes of depression and societal expectations for women in the 1950s. Plath died by suicide a month after its initial UK publication. Previous attempts to adapt *The Bell Jar* into a film have been met with challenges. A 1979 film adaptation starring Marilyn Hassett received negative reviews. Other planned adaptations, with stars like Julia Stiles and Dakota Fanning, never materialized.
