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Will Swenson (actor)

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Will Swenson
Swenson in July 2011
Born
William Swenson

(1972-10-26) October 26, 1972 (age 52)
Provo, Utah, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Spouse
​
(m. 2012)​
Children3

William Swenson (born October 26, 1972) is an American actor and singer best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in LDS cinema.

Early life

Swenson was born in Provo, Utah. Two of his grandparents, James Nathan Hale and Ruth Hale, were playwrights; Ruth was also an actor.[1]

Swenson moved throughout the United States during his childhood. He attended Brigham Young University and later served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guayaquil-Ecuador. As of 2008, he was no longer practicing the LDS faith.[1][2]

Career

Swenson is known among members of the LDS Church for his role as Jonathan Jordan in the LDS Cinema movie The Singles Ward (2002) and its sequel, The Singles 2nd Ward (2007).[3] Swenson co-wrote, directed and acted in the LDS Cinema mockumentary Sons of Provo (2004).

Swenson appeared on Broadway in Lestat, 110 in the Shade and Brooklyn. Off Broadway, he played the role of Stacee Jaxx in the musical Rock of Ages but did not go on to perform the role on Broadway because he was offered the starring role of Berger in the Broadway revival of Hair. He played Sir Sagramore in Camelot at Lincoln Center and Chris in the second national tour of Miss Saigon.

He played the role of Berger in the off-Broadway 40th Anniversary Concert of Hair opposite Karen Olivo. In 2008, Swenson was again cast as Berger in The Public Theater's revival of the show in Central Park. He went on to reprise the role when the production moved to Broadway in March 2009.[4] He received critical acclaim for his performance on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. He played the role of Berger again in the West End revival of Hair which began performances on April 1, 2010,[5] and ended his limited engagement on May 29, 2010.[6] Audra McDonald and Swenson reprised their roles in a two-week fundraising production of 110 in the Shade at the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah.[7]

On October 8, 2009, Swenson appeared as in the guest cameo slot for the extension performance of Katie Thompson's R.R.R.E.D.: A Secret Musical, as part of the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival. In 2010, Swenson played the lead role of "Tick"/"Mitzi" in the pre-Broadway North American company of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert in Toronto, Canada.[8]

In October 2013, Swenson was cast as Inspector Javert in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, which opened in March 2014 at New York's Imperial Theatre, where the musical had previously run for 13 years.[9]

In 2018, Swenson played Satan in the New Group's off-Broadway production of Jerry Springer: The Opera. In 2020, he appeared in the Netflix show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Pan.

In June of 2022 Swenson began playing the role of Neil Diamond (Then) in the new musical "A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical" at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston. The show is scheduled to move to Broadway later in 2022 with its Broadway opening scheduled for December 4, 2022 at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. The musical is based on the life and music of Neil Diamond and Swenson has said he grew up surrounded by and loving Neil Diamond's music. Swenson has said his father loved Neil Diamond's music and in his youth Swenson would sing Neil Diamond songs and eventually even sang the songs trying to sound like Neil Diamond.

Personal life

Swenson met his first wife, Amy Westerby, while they were both in one of his grandmother's comedies, Hopsville Holiday. The couple have two sons, Bridger and Sawyer; they have since divorced.

Swenson and actress Audra McDonald became engaged in January 2012[10] and were married on October 6, 2012.[11] In October 2016, McDonald and Swenson had their first child, Sally.

Theatre credits

Year Show Role Category
2002 Miss Saigon Chris Scott US National Tour
2004 Brooklyn Vocalist; u/s Street Singer; u/s Taylor Collins Broadway
2005 Two Gentleman of Verona Ensemble Off-Broadway
2006 Lestat Ensemble; u/s Armand; u/s Lestat Broadway
2007 Adrift in Macao Rick Shaw Off-Broadway
2007 110 in the Shade Cody Bridger; u/s Bill Starbuck Broadway
2008 The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island Psychiatrist Off-Broadway
Hair Berger
Rock of Ages Stacee Jaxx
2009-2010 Hair Berger Broadway
2010 West End
2010 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Tick (Mitzi) Toronto
Broadway
2013 Murder Ballad Tom Off-Broadway
Little Miss Sunshine Richard Hoover
2014, 2015 Les Misérables Javert Broadway
2016 Pericles Cleon Theatre for a New Audience
2017-2018 Waitress Earl Broadway
2018 Jerry Springer - The Opera Satan Off-Broadway
2021-2022 Assassins Charles J. Guiteau Off-Broadway
2022 A Beautiful Noise Neil Diamond (then) Boston
Broadway

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Treasure Chest Thor Short film
2002 The Singles Ward Jonathan Jordan
2003 The R.M. Kori Swenson
2004 Sons of Provo Will Jensen Also executive producer
Dear John Tyson Short film
2007 The Singles 2nd Ward Jonathan Jordan
2010 The Switch Actor on stage
2013 Gods Behaving Badly Ares Unreleased
2014 This Is Where I Leave You Young Mort Altman
2017 The Greatest Showman Philo Barnum

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 All My Children Purse-snatcher Episode: August 14, 2002
2006 As the World Turns Vanya Episode: December 18, 2006
2007 Six Degrees Photoshoot man Episode: "Slings and Arrows"; uncredited
2008 Live from Lincoln Center Sir Sagramore Episode: "Camelot"
2009 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Joe Lazar Episode: "Rock Star"
Late Show with David Letterman Berger Episode: April 30, 2009
2012 The Good Wife Justin Varney Episode: "Pants on Fire"
Pzazz 101 Will Episode: "Method Acting"
2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mitch Hampton Episode: "Broken Rhymes"
2016–17 No Tomorrow Pete 2 episodes
2020 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Pan 5 episodes
2021 The Bite Brian Ritter
2022 First Kill Sebastian Fairmont Recurring role

Web series

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Submissions Only Fred Planer Episode: "Having Foresight"

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2009 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical Hair Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated
2018 Obie Award Performance Jerry Springer: The Opera Won
2022 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Award Assassins Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b Milzoff, Rebecca (March 31, 2009). "Hair's Will Swenson on Pantsless Acting and His Former Career in LDS Cinema". Vulture. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  2. ^ "Famous Mormons". Truman Library. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2008. I don't practice Mormonism at all anymore, but I grew up in a Mormon family.
  3. ^ "The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd". IMDb. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  4. ^ Hetrick, Adam (March 6, 2009). "Hair, with Swenson, Creel, Allen, Levy, Case and Sheik, Returns to Broadway March 6". Playbill. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Shenton, Mark (November 12, 2009). "Broadway's Hair to Let It All Hang Out at West End's Gielgud Theatre". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 16, 2009.
  6. ^ Gans, Andrew; Hetrick, Adam (May 21, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Burkhardt to Succeed Swenson in London's Hair". Playbill. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Orellana, Roxana (April 25, 2010). "Tony-Award winner to star in Hale Center show". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  8. ^ "Swenson & Sheldon Lead Pre-Broadway PRISCILLA in Toronto; Opens Oct. 26". BroadwayWorld.com. May 17, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
  9. ^ "Utah's Will Swenson lands role in 'Les Miz' revival". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  10. ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 3, 2012). "Audra McDonald and Will Swenson Are Engaged". Playbill. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  11. ^ Kennedy, Mark (October 7, 2012). "Broadway stars Audra McDonald, Will Swenson wed". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
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