Christopher Fitzgerald (actor)
Christopher Fitzgerald | |
|---|---|
 Christopher Fitzgerald at the premiere ofImogeneatToronto Film Festivalin 2012 | |
| Born | Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald November 26, 1972 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Waitress Young Frankenstein Wicked |
| Spouse |
Jessica Stone (m.2003) |
| Children | 2 |
Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald(born November 26, 1972) is an American actor and singer. He is known for his role asBoqin the musicalWicked,Igor in the musicalYoung Frankenstein,and Ogie Anhorn in the musicalWaitress.He earnedOuter Critics Circle Award,Drama Desk Award,andTony Awardnominations for his performances inWaitressandYoung Frankensteinand won theDrama Desk Awardand Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance inWaitress.
Early life
[edit]Fitzgerald was born inBryn Mawr, Pennsylvania,the son of Victoria D. Field, who worked for theAmerican Kennel Club,and James W. Fitzgerald, Jr., a real estate agent atColdwell Banker.[1]He grew up inSouth Portland, Maineand attendedWaynflete SchoolinPortlandin 1991.[2]He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater fromRollins CollegeinWinter Park,Florida.He is a member ofAlpha Tau Omegafraternity. He also gained a master's degree in Fine Arts from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
He studied "techniques of clowning but also mime and storytelling, singing and comedy and everything. Juggling, balancing" at the Celebration Barn with Tony Montanaro in Maine.[3]
Career
[edit]Theatre
[edit]Fitzgerald started his acting career in 1980, at the age of eight, when he appeared as the youngest boy in Portland Player's production ofOliver!.From that time on, he worked steadily in community theater and Maine's New Vaudeville shows. In college, he began his career as a summer apprentice at Williamstown Theater Festival. At age 26, in 1998, he starred in his first off-Broadway show, the controversialCorpus Christiby acclaimed playwrightTerrence McNally.In the same year, he also appeared inThe MatchmakerbyWilliamstownTheatre Festival, as well as an off-Broadway staging ofThe Cripple of Inishmaan.[4]
During the following year, Fitzgerald appeared in theSondheim-WeidmanmusicalWise Guys.He also performed in a production ofBabes in Arms,produced byEncores!in theNew York City Center.[4]
In 2000, Fitzgerald co-starred in the 1954SondheimmusicalSaturday Night.[4]His performance in this show earned him his first award nomination, for theDrama Desk Awardfor Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.[5]Also in 2000, Fitzgerald played the lead role in the one-man showFully Committed,appearing until 2001.[4]
In 2002, Fitzgerald opened in the musicalAmour,adapted from a 1943Frenchshort story written byMarcel Aymé.He performed from October 20, 2002 until November 3, 2002. His performance earned him another nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.[5]On October 30, 2003, Fitzgerald premiered in the musicalWickedin the role ofBoq.He departed the role on January 2, 2005 and was replaced by Jeffry Kuhn.
Fitzgerald was seen inGutenberg! The Musical!directed byAlex Timbersfrom December 3, 2006, and ran until May 6, 2007.[6]He appeared as the character "Igor" in the Broadway production of the Mel Brooks musicalYoung Frankenstein,which opened onBroadwayin November 2007. For the role he received anOuter Critics Circle Award,Drama Desk Award,and aTony Awardnomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Fitzgerald also played Igor in the musical's out-of-town tryouts in Seattle. During rehearsals for the show his wife gave birth to their first child, a boy named Charlie. Fitzgerald played his final performance as Igor inYoung Frankensteinon November 23, 2008.[7]
Fitzgerald played the title role in the world premiere of the burlesque-style musicalMinsky's,in Los Angeles, which played at the Center Theatre inAhmanson Theatrefrom January 21 – March 1, 2009, and also starred his formerYoung Frankensteinco-starBeth Leavel.[8]
He played Og in the Broadway revival ofFinian's Rainbowat theSt. James Theatre.For this performance, Fitzgerald won theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.He and his wife also gave birth to a second child, a boy named Emmett.[9]He also once more received anOuter Critics Circle AwardMay 2010 and aTony Awardnomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
He starred as Pseudolus in an all-male production of Stephen Sondheim'sA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forumin his tenth season with theWilliamstown Theatre Festival.The sold-out show closed on July 11, 2010. In November 2010 to February 2011 he played Launcelot Gobbo inThe Merchant of Veniceon Broadway.[10]
He starred as P.T. Barnum inBarnum,revived byCameron Mackintosh,premiering at theChichester Festival Theatrein Chichester, West Sussex, UK from July 15 through August 31, 2013.
He played the role of Amos Hart in the Broadway production ofChicago,beginning October 28, 2013 and leaving on June 8, 2014. He then started playing Billy Flynn in the same production from August 5 to November 30, 2014.
In 2014, he was in a concert version ofGuys and DollsatCarnegie Hallplaying Benny Southstreet.[11]At the Williamstown Theatre Festival in July 2014 he played the role of Benny Fox in its production ofJune Moon.[12]Christopher played the archangel Michael in the production ofAn Act of Godstarring Jim Parsons from May - August 2015[1].
In March 2016, he joined the cast of Broadway transferWaitress,playing the role of Ogie and stayed with the production on and off through 2021.[13]In 2021, he also played David in the Broadway revival ofCompany.[14]He played Patsy, Guard 2 and the Mayor in the 2023 Broadway revival ofSpamalot.[15]
Films
[edit]Fitzgerald's first film role was a bit part in the movieBoiler RoomstarringVin DieselandBen Affleck.His next part was in the moviePersonal Velocity: Three Portraitsas Greg.Personal Velocitywon two awards at the 2002Sundance Film Festival,including Best Cinematography.[16]
Fitzgerald starred in 2012'sGirl Most LikelyalongsideKristen Wiig,Annette Bening,Matt DillonandDarren Criss.
He was also in the professionally shot stage recording of the musicalWaitressreprising his role of Ogie.
Television
[edit]On the television showTwinsonThe WB,Fitzgerald played the character of Neil, beginning in 2005. The show was cancelled on May 18, 2006, following the merger of The WB andUPNthat created the new networkThe CW.
He appeared in full costume as an adultCabbage Patch dollin aGeicoinsurance commercial.[17]
In 2017, Fitzgerald played the role of J.J. Valentine in theNetflixlimited seriesGodless,[18]and played children's entertainer/child trafficker Sonny Shine in theSyFyfantasyblack comedycrimeseriesHappy!.
Stage credits
[edit]Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Saturday Night | Nominated |
| 2003 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Amour | Nominated |
| 2008 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Young Frankenstein | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical | Won | ||
| 2010 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Finian's Rainbow | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Waitress | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won |
References
[edit]- ^"WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Jessica Stone, Christopher Fitzgerald"The New York Times(registration required), August 24, 2003
- ^Keyes, Bob."Three with Maine ties get Tony nod"Portland Press Herald,May 5, 2010
- ^Herstein, Beth."Interview with Christopher Fitzgerald",talkinbroadway.com, November 5, 2009, accessed May 29, 2016
- ^abcd"Hollywood.com Biography"hollywood.com, accessed September 3, 2011
- ^ab"Listing"Internet Broadway Database, accessed September 3, 2011
- ^Jones, Kenneth."Award-Nominated 'Gutenberg! The Musical!' Will Close May 6 in NYC"Playbill.com, April 26, 2007
- ^Jones, Kenneth."Hump Day: Cory English Is Young Frankenstein's New Igor, Starting Nov. 25"Playbill.com, November 19, 2008
- ^Jones, Kenneth."Fitzgerald, Leavel, Cariani, Dratch, Wendt Signed for Minsky's World Premiere"Archived2008-12-07 at theWayback MachinePlaybill.com, December 4, 2008
- ^Gans, Andrew."'Red', 'Memphis', 'Bridge', 'Fences' and 'La Cage' Win Drama Desk Awards"Archived2014-03-02 at theWayback MachinePlaybill.com, May 23, 2010
- ^Hetrick, Adam."'The Merchant of Venice', With Al Pacino, Returns to Broadway Feb. 1"Playbill.com, February 1, 2011
- ^Guys and Dolls cast
- ^Giuliano, Charles."'June Moon' Brightens Williamstown"berkshirefinearts.com, July 4, 2014
- ^"Bullets Over Broadway Star Nick Cordero Joins Broadway-Bound Waitress Musical".playbill.com.Playbill.12 January 2016.Retrieved3 April2016.
- ^Company (Broadway, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 2021)
- ^Spamalot cast
- ^"Fitzgerald Credits"Internet Movie Database.com, accessed September 3, 2011
- ^Kennedy, Mark."Juggling roles of father, Igor isn't a monster task"LATimes.com,February 15, 2008
- ^"'Godless' Adds Sam Waterston, Kim Coates, More; Scoot McNairy Confirmed ".Deadline. September 6, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 6,2016.
External links
[edit]- Christopher Fitzgeraldat theInternet Broadway Database
- Christopher FitzgeraldatIMDb
- BroadwayWorld.cominterview with Christopher Fitzgerald, July 27, 2007
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1972 births
- Living people
- People from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
- People from South Portland, Maine
- American male singers
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male stage actors
- American male voice actors
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Rollins College alumni
- Male actors from Pennsylvania
- Male actors from Maine
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Waynflete School alumni