Jaquel Spivey

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Jaquel Spivey
JaquelSpivey-byPhilipRomano.jpg
Spivey at the 75th Tony Awards in 2022
Born (1998-11-13) November 13, 1998 (age 25)
Raleigh, North Carolina
Education Point Park University
OccupationActor

Jaquel Spivey (born November 13, 1998) is an American actor. He won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his starring role as Usher in the Broadway theatre production of A Strange Loop in 2022. [1] [2] [3] He also earned a Grammy Award nomination for the cast recording of the show. [4]

Contents

Personal life and career

Spivey grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, raised by a single mother, before moving to New Jersey to live with his aunt. [1] Spivey stated that he grew up "in a household of black women" who he credited for instilling confidence in him and his identity as "very feminine, queer, and outspoken." [5]

He graduated from Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey. [2] He attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received a degree in musical theatre in May 2021. [1] At Point Park, he portrayed Louis in a production of Sunday in the Park with George . [1]

After Larry Owens left A Strange Loop following its off-Broadway run, Spivey was cast as Usher in July 2021 when the show transferred to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., for a seven-week tryout. [1] [6] The show then moved to New York City at the Lyceum Theatre, with Spivey making his Broadway debut with the opening of the production in April 2022. [2] [1] A Strange Loop earned 11 Tony Award nominations in 2022, including one for Best Actor in a Musical for Spivey's performance. [2] Spivey, as the principal vocalist, and the rest of the cast received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. [4] Spivey won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, [3] He was also nominated for a Distinguished Performance Award for the Drama League Awards, [7] and won the Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical and was honored with a Theatre World Award. [6] A Strange Loop closed on Broadway in January 2023. [8]

In December 2022, Spivey was cast as Damian Hubbard in Mean Girls , a film adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name, which itself is based on the 2004 film Mean Girls . [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024 Mean Girls Damian Hubbard

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
2022–2023 A Strange Loop Usher Lyceum Theatre, Broadway

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2022 Tony Awards Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical A Strange Loop Nominated [2]
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won [3]
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance AwardNominated [7]
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actor in a MusicalWon [6]
Theatre World Award Honoree [6]
2023 Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album Nominated [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vincentelli, Elisabeth (April 20, 2022). "'I Deserve to Be Here': Riding His First Professional Gig to Broadway". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Keller, Ilana (June 10, 2022). "Opening doors: Jaquel Spivey talks Tony-nominated 'A Strange Loop' role". Asbury Park Press . Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Sullivan, Lindsey (June 8, 2022). "Six, Company & Clyde's Lead 2022 Drama Desk Awards". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ Porter II, Juan Michael (2022-05-16). "'Feminine, queer, and outspoken,' Broadway's Jaquel Spivey reimagines the definition of Broadway's leading man". Queerty . Archived from the original on 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Marius, Marley (June 14, 2022). "Jaquel Spivey Is On the Ride of His Life". Vogue . Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Rosky, Nicole (April 25, 2022). "2022 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced- Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Tran, Diep (January 10, 2023). "Michael R. Jackson Has Made Peace with A Strange Loop Closing on Broadway". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (December 9, 2022). "'Mean Girls' Movie Musical Sets Cast". HollywoodReporter.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
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