He is making hay.
A local horse named Billy has an impressive resume. He has appeared as Hugh Jackman's character's carriage horse in “The Greatest Showman,” charmed Meryl Streep in “Little Women,” stole Carrie Coon's heart on the set of “The Gilded Age” and turned in a show-stopping performance in “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera House.
The 20-year-old Norwegian Fjord (a sturdy and relatively rare breed, easily recognizable by its tawny coat and striking black-and-white mane and tail) is also the inspiration for Sarah Maslin Nir’s new book “The Star Horse.”
“There aren't many horses that do what he does, especially of that breed,” Billy's owner and trainer, John Allegra, 72, told The Post of the coveted stallion, who lives on a farm in East Haddam, Connecticut.
Allegra met Billy when she was 5 years old and wanted to make him a star. Billy got his start in show business by attending weddings and events around town before making his way to Hollywood.
His big break came around 2017, when he was cast to play a carriage horse for Hugh Jackman's PT Barnum character in “The Greatest Showman.”
“Billy is the greatest showman, he just pulled a carriage on stage. He wasn’t one of the circus animals, although he could have been,” Allegra joked.
Maslin Nir met Billy in 2019, when he was writing his book, “Horse Crazy.” She helped him get on the Met stage in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida,” which tells a story of love and betrayal against a backdrop of war.
“It was one of those moments that, as a journalist, is incredible,” Maslin Nir recalls of the experience. “It seems like something out of a children’s fairy tale.”
Billy played an Egyptian warhorse belonging to the romantic hero. The star horse trotted onto the stage during the grand Triumphal March in Act II (arguably one of the most famous scenes in opera history) to the sound of several trumpeters amid a stage packed with around 150 actors armed with spears and swords.
Allegra said Billy remained remarkably calm in the big moment, thanks to his training and his inherently calm nature.
The proud family man also boasted that his horse got the role instantly, partly because it fit the era. The Norwegian Fjord breed dates back 4,000 years.
“He's a very old breed. He fit the mold of that show perfectly,” Allegra said, noting that fans lined up to take photos with Billy before the show.
“They were like, ‘Oh my God, look at the horse,’” he recalled.
In 2019, Billy starred alongside Meryl Streep in “Little Women.” Allegra also appeared in the film as Billy’s caregiver and received support from Streep.
“Meryl Streep said to me, ‘Thank you! I appreciate your expertise in protecting me!’” she recalled.
Billy entered his noble era in 2022, landing a role in “The Gilded Age” as Carrie Coon's carriage horse, Mrs. Bertha Russell.
He is seen sitting outside his Park Avenue home, modeled after the Vanderbilt mansion, in the series.
“He’s an exotic horse that pulls Mrs. Russell. (Coons) fell in love with him. Who wouldn’t? Everybody loves Billy!” Allegra said, adding that the horse will appear in the upcoming third season of the acclaimed show.
While Billy's real-life journey to stardom is the inspiration for his new book, Maslin Nir added an endearing twist.
In the fictional version of his life, Billy discovers that the role that gives him the most meaning is becoming a therapeutic riding horse at the real-life therapeutic riding stable. GallopNYC in Queens.
Helps over 500 disabled New Yorkers every week.
“Horses have been partners with humanity for 10,000 years and they gift us with their power,” Maslin Nir told The Post, “whether it’s trotting center stage and stealing the show or helping vulnerable people feel brave, strong and heal.”
