Philipps was born in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.[2][3] She received the nickname "Busy" as a child; sources conflict on whether the nickname came from her parents[4] or a babysitter named Susie.[5] She said on her late-night talk show, Busy Tonight, that her mother gave her the nickname, but during her book tour said that her babysitter had given it to her. This was clarified on an episode of Comedy Bang! Bang! when she confirmed to host Scott Aukerman that it was her babysitter.[6]
While still in high school, Philipps worked at toy trade fairs as a real-life Barbie, her sister "Cool Teen Skipper™️".[5] Among the many people who saw her at toy conventions was actress Sharon Stone, who was impressed with her performance and told Philipps that she would be a star.[4]
Her first major role was Kim Kelly in the 1999–2000 comedy-drama TV series Freaks and Geeks; Philipps appeared in all but one of the show's 18 episodes (the episode "Chokin' & Tokin'").[3][9] She made her film debut in the comedy The Smokers in 2000, and had various small appearances on television.
In 2001, Philipps was cast as Audrey Liddell in the teen drama Dawson's Creek.[3][10] She was a series regular in seasons 5 and 6, appearing in 46 episodes, before the show finished in 2003. The role earned her a Teen Choice Awards nomination in the category of "TV - Choice Sidekick".[citation needed]
Philipps appeared in several films, including Home Room (2002) and White Chicks (2004). She was cast in the UPNsitcomLove, Inc. in a role originally intended for Shannen Doherty.[11] The show lasted one season (2005–2006). In 2006, she had a major recurring role as Hope Bobeck on ER, alongside her Freaks and Geeks co-star Linda Cardellini.[3][10] During her second year on ER, her character was written out as heading to South America to "fulfill her Christian mission".[12]
From 2009 to 2015, Philipps portrayed Laurie Keller in the television series Cougar Town.[10] She routinely contributed to the Thrilling Adventure Hour, a live stage radio show.[15] Her primary recurring character was the Red Plains Rider.[16]
On a 2010 appearance on Chelsea Lately, Philipps said that she auditioned for the hit television show Glee just one week after giving birth, following a pregnancy during which she gained 80 pounds.[17]
She had a late-night talk show called Busy Tonight, which aired on E! from October 28, 2018, to May 16, 2019.[20][21] It was cancelled the same day Philipps was nominated for a 2019 Critics Choice Award.[22] In August 2020 she began hosting a podcast, Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best, along with former Busy Tonight writers Caissie St. Onge and Shantira Jackson.[23]
In February 28, 2023, Philipps was announced as Mrs. George in the 2024 film adaptation of the musical Mean Girls, based on the 2018 Broadway musical.[24]
Book
Philipps's memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, was released October 18, 2018.[25] It includes a passage where she describes a physical altercation she had with James Franco on the set of Freaks and Geeks. She said she was "bummed" by the amount of attention drawn to just this incident in the book, saying the story was not new, and that she meant it "to illustrate a larger point about the way women are treated in this business and in life."[26]
After the Alabama Legislature's May 14, 2019, passage of House Bill 314 (also known as the "Human Life Protection Act"), Philipps advocated that women speak out if they had had abortions. On May 14, she invoked the hashtag#YouKnowMe (established on February 18) to her 370,000 followers on Twitter, with her call for testimonies:[36] "1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Many people think they don't know someone who has, but #youknowme. So let's do this: if you are also the 1 in 4, let's share it and start to end the shame. Use #youknowme and share your truth."[37] The previous week she revealed on her Busy Tonight TV show that she had an abortion at age 15.[38]
On June 4, 2019, Philipps gave a testimonial before the House Judiciary Committee defending women's right to access more abortion clinics.[39][40] She spoke of her own experience with abortion: "I am a human being that deserves autonomy in this country that calls itself free, and choices that a human being makes about their own bodies should not be legislated by strangers who can't possibly know or understand each individual's circumstances or beliefs."[41]
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