Today's Out Spotlight is both a Broadway actor and singer and television star. He earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical in 2011. The Tony nominated actor and Grammy winning performer also starred in two television shows at the same time.Today's Out Spotlight is Andrew Rannells.
Andrew Scott Rannells was born August 23, 1978 in Omaha, Nebraska. He attended Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha. After graduating, he briefly attended Marymount Manhattan College.
As a voice actor, he appeared in several 4Kids and DiC television programs and video games, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! In 2006, he got his big break andwon the role of Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray.Rannells went on to play Bob Gaudio in the First National Tour of Jersey Boys. His last performance with the tour was on December 6, 2008 in Toronto. In January 2009, he reprised the role of Gaudio in the musical's Broadway production.
He is best known for his work as Elder Price in the 2011 Broadway musical The Book of Mormon. He originated the role of Elder Price in the acclaimed musical written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q composer Robert Lopez. For his performance, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He later won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for his performance in the musical's Original Broadway Cast Recording. His last performance was June 10, 2012.
Rannells later played a stripper in the film Bachelorette and is currently playing the recurring role of Elijah on the HBO television series Girls. He also played the lead character Bryan Collins in Ryan Murphy's recently cancelled television series The New Normal. 
Recently, he has been a part of the development of new projects for Broadway including William Finn and James Lapine's Little Miss Sunshine and Douglas Carter-Beane's Lysistrata Jones.
In May 2012, Rannells unassumingly came out during an interview with Vulture section of the New York Magazine where he publicly stated that he is gay. No big announcement or press conference. When talking about the closeted gay character he is currently plays on the HBO television show Girls, he simply said “I am gay in real life, so I definitely get it…[coming out] is very personal and everybody obviously has to do it in their own time.”
Rannells is currently in relationship with fellow Broadway performer and choreographer, Denis Jones. Rannells and the cast of The Book Of Mormon at the 2011 Tony Awards
Great spotlight. He is such a talented man. I most likely saw him do Jersey Boys and only just realized it based on the timing. Book of Mormon is still on my must see list. His character on Girls is good. I love that show even though I'm probably too old for it. The friendship and growing into adulthood themes are real. As for the new normal, the show was too cutesy to last.
ReplyDeleteI recorded The Emmys but have not watched yet. I need to blast through commercials and thank you speeches to make it through the show. But NPH is a true showman so I've no doubt he did great.
A not to be missed tidbit!
ReplyDeleteLainey earns her money. You can't argue with that.
http://www.laineygossip.com/Jake-Gyllenhaal-as-The-Dude-with-a-pinky-ring-at-Tonys-and-Guys-Choice-Awards/27138
...Tonys looking very handsome in a tuxedo though I could do without the pinky ring.
But Lainey, he always wears that pinky ring! His ma probably gave it to him!
Fine. But all I’m saying is that pinky rings are not my favourite.
In a seemingly innocuous post, Lainey has established in the gossip narrative that any pesky ring Jake wears was gifted to him by his mother.
And the paycheck is in the mail.
Lamey is just that - lame. lol
ReplyDeleteBoy, this guy Andrew Rannells is a real charmer, looks like. Full of life and look at that smile.
And now I realize this is the guy that a tweeter was referring to when she thought Austin played a stripper in The Bachelorette. LOL - it wasn't Austin, it was this guy. That's awesome - I can see a little resemblance but gee whiz, not that much.