It seems like we've been writing more obituaries than usual around here, so it's really quite lovely to be able to do a birth announcement instead. Yesterday, actress Billie Lourd and her fiancee Austen Rydell announced the birth of the couple's first child, the epically named Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell. Lourd is the daughter of the late actress Carrie Fisher, and so you can be sure that one person who is very excited for the birth is her mother's dear friend and co-star Mark Hamill.
The Star Wars actor shared Billie Lourd's original Instagram post, a precious image of a pair of baby feet, with his own words of congratulations as well as compliments on the fantastic name, though he does misspell one of them.
It's so nice to see such a wholesome and heartwarming picture during a period where it feels like the whole world is falling apart. It's a simple picture that, among other things, keeps the privacy of a kid who is going to grow up in some amount of spotlight simply for being the grandchild of Princess Leia, but it's adorable. And also, he appears to be wearing space pajamas, and how perfect is that? Although, I'm pretty sure that is a moon and not a space station, but I could be wrong.
There's really no argument, that is an epic name. But it's a name that has everything. The child has the last names of both parents, but as separate names rather than a hyphenated single name, and also the middle name Fisher, obviously, a tribute to Billie Lourd's own mother, who friends, family, and fans are clearly still mourning. Why go with the standard three names when you can fave four, and as Mark Hamill says, when two of them are King and Lourd, you're clearly being set up for success.
While Billie Lourd is probably still most well known for being Carrie Fisher's daughter, she has been building her own resume in some memorable performances in recent years. In addition to her role in the newest Star Wars trilogy, where she got to perform with her mother, she has had roles in some of Ryan Murphy's television series including Scream Queens and American Horror Story. She also had a memorable supporting role in Olivia Wilde's hilarious Booksmart.
Here's to hoping that mom and baby are happy and healthy and that dad is making sure everybody is comfortable. And by the time Billie Lourd is in a position to resume her career, hopefully, film productions will be back at work to some degree and she'll be able to go back work. If nothing else, this was all well-timed as far as that goes. No reason to do anything other than spend time with family right now.
