Daniel Breaker

Last updated
Daniel Breaker
Born (1980-06-02) June 2, 1980 (age 43)
Education Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active2002–present
Spouse
(m. 2008)
Children2

Daniel Breaker (born June 2, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Donkey in Shrek The Musical .

Contents

Career

Beginning his career in 2002, immediately after graduating from Juilliard, Breaker has performed in Off-Broadway, London, and U.S. regional theatre productions. He performed in five plays at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C. His first major role was the Youth, protagonist of the Off-Broadway premiere of Passing Strange , for which he won an Obie Award in 2008. He was then nominated for a Tony Award for the show's Broadway transfer, in which he again played the Youth; he also played this role in Spike Lee's filmed version of the musical.

Breaker has also been a guest star on TV. [1] [2]

One of his most recognizable roles was Donkey in the original Broadway production of Shrek The Musical , which ran from November 2008 through January 2010. He starred alongside long-time Broadway stars Brian d'Arcy James, Sutton Foster, John Tartaglia, and Christopher Sieber. For his portrayal, Breaker earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. [3] [4] His voice can be heard on the original cast recording of the show.

He has also appeared in the plays Well and Cymbeline . [5]

In 2009, he co-hosted the Obie Awards. [6]

Breaker previously played Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. He also appeared as the King of Navarre in The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of the Love's Labour's Lost musical. [7] He played Aaron Burr in Hamilton in Chicago and joined the musical's Broadway cast. [8]

Since 2021, he has been part of the supporting cast of the Peacock show Girls5Eva .

Personal life

Breaker has been married to theatre director Kate Whoriskey since 2008. They have two children. [1] [9]

Stage credits

YearTitleRoleTheaterNotes
2003 Pericles PericlesRed Bull Theater
2006 Well Jim and others Longacre Theatre
2007 Cymbeline Gentleman Lincoln Center Theatre
2008 Passing Strange Youth Belasco Theatre
2008 Shrek The Musical Donkey Broadway Theatre
2012 The Performers Lee Longacre Theatre
2014 The Book of Mormon Mafala Hatimbi Eugene O'Neill Theatre
2017 Hamilton Aaron Burr Richard Rodgers Theatre

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 Limitless Campaign Manager
2012 Red Hook Summer Cliff
2013 He's Way More Famous Than You EMT
Shrek the Musical Donkey
2015SistersAirport Bartender

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent ZachEpisode: "The Pilgrim"
2009 Great Performances YouthEpisode: "Passing Strange"
2011 Unforgettable MarkEpisode: "Lost Things"
2014 Submissions Only Dean Klausen5 episodes
2014–2016 Mozart in the Jungle Virgil16 episodes
2017–2018 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Agent Dunleavy2 episodes
2020 Helpsters Artist AndrewEpisode: "Camper Cortez/Artist Andrew & Detective Dudley"
2020–present Billions Roger 'Scooter' Dunbar34 episodes
2021–present Girls5eva Scott10 episodes
2022 The Good Fight Randy Elkin5 episodes

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References

  1. 1 2 Bernardo, Melissa Rose (July 27, 2009). "Daniel Breaker on Fatherhood, Donkey-hood (in Shrek) and His Strange New Movie". Broadway.com .
  2. "Daniel Breaker". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  3. Miller, Winter (December 28, 2008). "Swamp Creatures Step Out". The New York Times . New York.
  4. Parker, Eloise (December 15, 2008). "Behind the scenes with Daniel Breaker at 'Shrek the Musical'". New York Daily News . Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  5. "Daniel Breaker". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2017-06-11.
  6. "Martha Plimpton and Daniel Breaker to Host 2009 Obie Awards". Broadway.com. March 17, 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-06-09.
  7. "Daniel Breaker, Colin Donnell, Rebecca Naomi Jones & More Set for COMEDY OF ERRORS and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST in the Park!". BroadwayWorld. April 24, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-27.
  8. Levitt, Hayley (March 10, 2019). "How Hamilton's Daniel Breaker Built a Burr for the Ages". TheaterMania. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  9. Fierberg, Ruthie (March 7, 2016). "If Daniel Breaker Weren't An Actor, He Would Be A..." Playbill .