Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985)[1] is an American actor and singer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he has received several awards including a Tony Award and a Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.
On television, he started his career with a recurring guest star as Jesse St. James in the Fox musical-comedy series Glee (2009–15). He starred as Patrick Murray in the HBO comedy-drama series Looking (2014–15), the network's first series centering on the lives of gay men, as well as its subsequent television film, Looking: The Movie (2016). He portrayed FBI Special Agent Holden Ford in the Netflix period crime drama Mindhunter (2017–19). He was Primetime Emmy Award-nominated for his role in the Disney+live stage recording of Hamilton (2020).
Groff's roots in theater and acting began at an early age. When he was three years old, Groff fell in love with Julie Andrews' performance as Mary Poppins, and growing up, he and his brother put on childhood home productions, such as a performance of The Wizard of Oz in his father's barn, where he played Dorothy.[4][5] Groff credits Sutton Foster as one of his greatest influences and idols, and as a young aspiring actor, he would wait at the stage door after her performances to get her autograph.[6] Groff joined his middle school and high school drama departments, and it was there that he became inspired to start a career in theater.[7]
Groff graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 2003 and intended to attend Carnegie Mellon University, but he deferred his admission for a year when he was cast as Rolf in a Non-Equity national tour of The Sound of Music.[11][12] After the tour, Groff decided to move to New York City instead of attending college and begin his career.[13]
Acting career
2005–09: Career beginnings and Spring Awakening
Groff started out waiting tables at the Chelsea Grill in New York City before earning his Actors' Equity Association card in 2005, with the musical Fame at the North Shore Music Theatre, where he played Nick Piazza.[14][15] That same year, he made his Broadway debut as an understudy for the lead role (played by Christopher Hanke), swing, and dance captain for the musical In My Life by Joseph Brooks, opening on October 20 and closing on December 11, 2005, after 61 performances.[16] The musical was panned by critics, with a review from Broadway.com calling the production "undoubtedly the most bizarre, misguided Broadway musical of the millennium".[17]
Groff in 2006
His breakout performance occurred in 2006, when Groff originated the lead role of Melchior Gabor in the Broadway production of the rock musical Spring Awakening. The musical tells the story of repressed adolescents in late nineteenth century Germany discovering their sexuality, adapted from Frank Wedekind's original 1891 play by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater and directed by Michael Mayer.[18] Groff was first cast in a workshop of Spring Awakening at Baruch College with Lea Michele, John Gallagher Jr., and the rest of the original cast, and the production then moved to the Atlantic Theater Company for its original off-Broadway run from May 19 through August 5, 2006, before transferring to Broadway.[19] During the Broadway production at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Groff played the role from its debut on December 10, 2006, through May 18, 2008, when he departed the production with co-star and best friend Lea Michele. The musical achieved great critical acclaim, garnering eleven nominations and winning eight awards, including Best Musical, at the 61st Tony Awards. The musical was also awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, which the Grammys did not award to vocalists at that time.[20]Charles Isherwood of The New York Times called the show a "brave new musical, haunting and electrifying by turns" and praised Groff's "ardency and thoughtfulness".[21]Variety wrote that the performances of "Michele, Groff and Gallagher dominate the young ensemble".[22] Groff was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, a Drama League Award, and a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance. He received the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.
In 2007, Groff played the recurring role of Henry Mackler for eleven episodes on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. His character's storyline about a school shooting was cut due to the Virginia Tech shooting in April 2007.[23] In November 2007, Groff was cast in the FX series Pretty/Handsome, directed and written by Ryan Murphy, and filmed a pilot, but the series was not picked up.[24]
From July 22 through August 31, 2008, Groff played the lead role of Claude in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair, a rock musical about hippiecounterculture during the Vietnam War that was directed by Diane Paulus.[25] Theater critic Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote in his review of Hair that "Mr. Groff, who was memorably tormented by young lust in the musical Spring Awakening, is even more affecting here, his open face a shifting map of doubt and affirmation."[26] Groff decided to turn down the opportunity to reprise his role in the Broadway production, choosing instead to make his film debut.[27] In 2009, he appeared as Michael Lang in Ang Lee's comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock, about the 1969 Woodstock Festival. While critics found the film "likable" but "underwhelming", Groff's performance was praised for its "crafty, angelic fervor" by Rolling Stone.[28][29][30]
From November 14 to December 21, 2008, Groff appeared as Billy Noone, a closeted gay soldier fighting in Iraq, in the off-Broadway production of Prayer for My Enemy, a play written by Craig Lucas.[31] The production was directed by Bartlett Sher and performed at Playwrights Horizons.[32] Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times that the play is "muddle-headed" and "disconnected", but Groff "exudes the charismatic aura of distressed youth".[33] From April 10 to May 17, 2009, Groff appeared as Gray Korankyi and Walter Riemann in the off-Broadway production of another Craig Lucas play, The Singing Forest, alongside Olympia Dukakis at the Public Theater.[34] The play, directed by Mark Wing-Davey, was described by critics as "convoluted" in plot but with strong performances, praising Groff for his "natural emotional transparency [that] helps add layers to Gray".[35] For both performances, Groff received an Obie Award.[36]
Groff starred as Dionysus in the play The Bacchae opposite Anthony Mackie from August 11 to 30, 2009; it was directed by JoAnne Akalaitis and produced as a part of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park.[37]The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Groff is surprisingly effective as the Stranger, Dionysus' human guise", but "in the moments when he must be the immortal god and register his full wrath, however, Groff is less successful despite an earnest effort."[38]
2010–16: Glee, Frozen and Hamilton
Groff in 2010
Starting in 2010, Groff rose to greater prominence as a recurring guest star in the Fox musical comedy-drama Glee as Jesse St. James, lead performer in rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline and love interest to Rachel Berry, played by Lea Michele.[39] He appeared in a total of fifteen episodes over the first, second, third, and sixth seasons of the series. Groff was featured in four of Glee's soundtrack albums and made a special appearance in the concert tour Glee Live! In Concert! with Michele at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles and at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[40][41]
From August 21, 2010, to January 15, 2011, Groff made his West End debut in the London revival of Deathtrap, a play written by Ira Levin and directed by Matthew Warchus at the Noël Coward Theatre.[42] Groff played Clifford Anderson, a young brilliant playwright, starring alongside Simon Russell Beale as Sidney Bruhl, his professor. The play received positive critical reception; The Spectator called Groff's performance "magnetic" and "deeply charismatic" but found the "relationship between student and professor [to be] unconvincing".[43]
Groff also starred in the off-Broadway world premiere of the play The Submission by Jeff Talbott with MCC Theater. The production was directed by Walter Bobbie and performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre from September 8 to October 22, 2011.[44] He portrayed Danny Larsen, a white playwright who submits his play under the pen name of an African-American woman, alongside Rutina Wesley, who played an actress he hires to pose as the writer. The production was met with mostly positive reviews, with The New York Times praising the script for its "self-awareness" but also finding it "too theatrical" and lacking "real emotions".[45] Groff's acting was widely praised, however, with critics calling his performance "exceptional", "deft", and "disarming".[46][47]
From August to October 2012, Groff appeared as Ian Todd, a ruthless political aide, in the second and final season of the Starz political drama series Boss.[48] The series was not renewed for a third season due to low ratings.[49] Groff then played Ken, an artist's assistant, opposite Alfred Molina in the Center Theatre Group production of John Logan's play Red. The production ran from August 1 through September 9, 2012, and was directed by Matthew Warchus.[50] From March 14 to 17, 2013, Groff and Molina reprised their roles for six more performances of the play, this time through L.A. Theatre Works and directed by Rosalind Ayres.[51]Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times praised Groff's performance for its "admirable clarity" and wrote that "he is every bit as effective in revealing the delicate nuances of [his character]."[52]
In 2013, Groff starred in C.O.G., a comedy-drama film adaptation based on David Sedaris's book of essays, Naked. In the film, Groff plays David, loosely based on Sedaris himself, a young repressed gay man who moves to Oregon in search of a new purpose.[53] The film, directed and written by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2013, and was released in theaters on September 20, 2013, to mixed but mostly positive reviews, with critics citing a "meandering" plot.[54] As Dan Callahan from RogerEbert.com wrote of Groff's performance, "Groff has an innate sweetness and likability about him no matter what he does, and ... brings a yearning to his role that steadily makes this semi-amusing tale of a fish out of water into a serious and often surprising drama".[55] On June 11, 2013, Groff portrayed Frederic, a pirate apprentice, in a one-night-only Shakespeare in the Park gala production of the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. The production was directed by Ted Sperling at the Delacorte Theater, with other members of the cast including Kevin Kline, Martin Short, and Glenn Close.[56]
From 2014 to 2015, Groff starred as Patrick Murray, a gay video game developer, in the HBO comedy-drama series Looking, created by Michael Lannan.[61][62] The first HBO series to center around the lives of gay men,[63] the show depicted a group of gay friends navigating relationships in San Francisco and was praised for its representation of LGBTQ+ characters and experiences.[64] Due to low ratings, the series was canceled after two seasons on March 23, 2015, with the network green-lighting a television film to conclude the story.[65] The film premiered on HBO on July 23, 2016. Groff's performance was well received by critics, with one critic from The New York Times calling Groff's performance "excellent ... Mr. Groff always made his tics, inconsistencies, and operatically scaled mistakes believable."[66]
Groff returned to the London stage on May 19, 2015, to star as J. Pierrepont Finch in a one-night-only concert of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, at the Royal Festival Hall alongside Cynthia Erivo.[68] One critic from BritishTheatre.com wrote that while the concert lacked "consistent careful handling", Groff was "truly terrific" and "exudes a warmth and comic intelligence which makes him impossible not to watch."[69]
Groff also starred in an Encores! production of the musical A New Brain as Gordon Schwinn, a composer who suffers from arteriovenous malformation, based on the real-life composer William Finn. The production, which took place from June 24 to 27, 2015, was presented as part of the New York City Center's Encores! Off-Center staged concert series and was directed by James Lapine, with Groff performing alongside Aaron Lazar, Dan Fogler, and Ana Gasteyer.[70] Groff was praised for his performance, as one critic from the New York Post says, "Though the musical is uneven, Groff effortlessly keeps the production together with his supple voice and low-key charm."[71]
On March 3, 2015, Groff joined the cast of the hit musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Thomas Kail, replacing Brian d'Arcy James in the role of King George III.[72] Groff held the role for the remainder of the show's off-Broadway production at the Public Theater through May 3, 2015, and he reprised the role in the Broadway production at the Richard Rodgers Theatre for two stints from July 13 to October 25, 2015, and December 1, 2015, to April 9, 2016, being replaced after the first stint by Andrew Rannells and Rory O'Malley after the second.[73] Ben Brantley of The New York Times called Groff's performance "delicious" and wrote that "His is the voice of vintage Britpop, rendered in a leisurely, ironic, condescending vein to a distant population he regards as savages."[74]Hamilton achieved high critical and commercial success, winning eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and eight Drama Desk Awards. Groff, along with the rest of the cast, won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for appearing as a featured performer on the original Broadway cast recording. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as the king.[75]
2017–present: Career expansion
In October 2017, Groff starred in the Netflix crime thriller series Mindhunter, created by Joe Penhall and executive produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron.[76] In the series, Groff portrays Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Holden Ford, a serial killer profiler in the Behavioral Science Unit interviewing and investigating real-life serial killers and murder cases.[77] His character is loosely based on the real-life John E. Douglas, one of the first criminal profilers in FBI history.[77] Groff and co-stars Holt McCallany and Anna Torv also starred in the second season of the series, which premiered on August 16, 2019.[78] The series and Groff's performance were critically acclaimed. RogerEbert.com called it "Netflix's best drama", and Collider wrote that Groff's performance was "exceptionally affecting as Holden" and that "Groff has always had a talent for making his characters empathetic."[79][80] For his performance, Groff won a Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.[81] Season three has since been put on hold indefinitely as Fincher, who directed and produced much of the series, elected to focus on other projects, although he may one day revisit the project.[82]
In July 2017, Groff starred as Jase in the first podcast musical, 36 Questions, written by Chris Littler and Ellen Winter based on The New York Times article "The 36 Questions That Lead to Love" and a 1997 psychological study on interpersonal closeness. The three-act podcast, released by Two-Up Productions, follows the story of an estranged husband and wife trying to salvage their marriage with the titular set of 36 questions.[83] On July 23, 2017, Groff performed in a one-night only symphonic concert production of Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl.[84] From January 20 to 22, 2018, Groff starred as the titular character in the off-Broadway production of The Bobby Darin Story, a three-day concert and biographical retelling of the life of 1950s singing icon Bobby Darin, presented as part of the Lyrics & Lyricists series at 92nd Street Y and directed by Alex Timbers.[85] The production was met with great critical reception, with Michael Ridel writing in the New York Post that Groff "moves with the ease and slyness of Darin".[86]
He will next star in an industry reading for Just in Time, a musical about Bobby Darin that is looking to come to Broadway in the future.[114] He worked on a concert version of the project with director Alex Timbers in 2018 when titled The Bobby Darin Story.[85]
In 2019, Groff purchased a home next to his father's horse farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania.[118] He splits his time between Pennsylvania and New York City.[118]
Coming out and LGBTQ+ activism
Groff publicly came out as gay when asked by a Broadway.com reporter during the National Equality March in October 2009.[119] He later shared his experience with coming out, discussing the pain of being closeted and the knowledge that disclosing his sexuality could have negative ramifications on his career.[120][121] He has also expressed how much he values being a role model for young people as an out actor,[120] and has advocated for the importance of sharing coming out stories.[122]
Groff was initially hesitant to accept the lead role in the gay television series Looking, citing insecurities around being typecast in gay roles, but he ultimately found the experience rewarding: "living in that world and talking about gay issues was truly life-altering for me and made me so much more comfortable in my own skin".[121] On June 29, 2014, Groff was a Grand marshal at the New York City Gay Pride Parade.[123]
In April 2015, Groff was honored by the Point Foundation with the Point Horizon Award honoring a "trailblazer who has taken a leadership role as an advocate" of LGBTQIA communities.[124] In December 2015, he was honored by Equality Pennsylvania with the Bayard Rustin Award, which "recognizes a Pennsylvanian who is continuing the work to ensure that the LGBT community will be visible, accepted, and celebrated in our society".[125] In 2017, Groff was named Out100's Entertainer of the Year, celebrating impactful LGBTQ+ public figures.[126]
While Groff was beginning his professional career in theater, he volunteered for the nonprofit Broadway Cares, and he has continued to perform in and support fundraisers for the organization throughout his career.[130] Groff is a longtime supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, serving as an Event Chair for the charity's 14th Annual New York Benefit Gala in 2015.[131] Other charities he has supported include the Point Foundation,[132]Habitat for Humanity,[133]Actors Fund of America,[134]Theatre Development Fund,[135] Hispanic Federation Emergency Assistance Fund, and Color of Change,[136] through which he participates in benefit performances and fundraisers, often recording personal voicemails as his Frozen characters Kristoff and Sven for auction winners.[137] In August 2020, Groff joined the Hamilton cast in organizing the virtual fundraiser event Ham4Change for organizations working to end systemic racism, raising over $1million for the Equal Justice Initiative, African American Policy Forum, Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, Black AIDS Institute, Color of Change, Dance4Hope, Know Your Rights Camp, Law Enforcement Accountability Project, Until Freedom, and When We All Vote.[138]
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on Broadway, she has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence, powerful mezzo-soprano, and reputation as one of the most influential stage actors of her generation. Having achieved mainstream success across stage, screen, and music, her accolades include a Tony Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.
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Christian Dominique Borle is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!. Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway, earning Tony nominations for the latter two. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos, which also earned him a Tony nomination. His first leading role on Broadway was Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He would later also star as Bert in Mary Poppins and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also portrayed Orin Scrivello in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. Borle starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash and Vox in the adult animated black comedy musical series Hazbin Hotel.
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician. He is known primarily for his Broadway roles, including Shrek in Shrek the Musical, Nick Bottom in Something Rotten!, King George III in Hamilton, and The Baker in Into the Woods. He has received five Tony Award nominations for his work. On-screen, he is known for his recurring role as Andy Baker on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, Officer Krupke in West Side Story, and reporter Matt Carroll in Spotlight.
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Lea Michele Sarfati is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of Les Misérables (1995–1996), Ragtime (1997–1999), Fiddler on the Roof (2004–2005), and Spring Awakening (2006–2008). Michele came to prominence playing Rachel Berry on the Fox series Glee (2009–2015), for which she received nominations for an Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. She also contributed to music recorded for the series, which spawned multiple hits on the Billboard charts, and earned her a Grammy Award nomination.
Gideon Glick is an American actor. His Broadway work includes originating the roles of Ernst in the musical Spring Awakening, Jimmy-6 in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Jordan Berman in Significant Other, and Dill Harris in Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he was nominated for the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
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Caissie Levy is a Canadian-American actress and singer, mainly known for her work in musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End. Her early Broadway credits included Penny Pingleton in Hairspray and Sheila in Hair, a role she also played in the West End. She originated the role of Molly Jensen in the West End and Broadway productions of Ghost: the Musical, and played Fantine in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables. Levy also originated the role of Elsa in Frozen on Broadway. For her performance on the cast recording of Caroline, or Change, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2023. Levy originated the role of Diana Goodman in the London production of Next to Normal and received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
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Ciara Renée Harper is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her roles on Broadway as The Witch in Big Fish, the Leading Player in Pippin, Jenna in Waitress, and Elsa in Frozen. She played Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Paper Mill Playhouse and La Jolla Playhouse. She starred as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl in the CW series DC's Legends of Tomorrow, a spin-off of Arrow and The Flash. Her vocal type is mezzo-soprano.
Alyson Mackenzie Stroker is an American actress, author and singer. She is the first actor who uses a wheelchair to appear on a Broadway stage, and also the first to be nominated for and win a Tony Award. Stroker was a finalist on the second season of The Glee Project and later appeared as a guest star on Glee in 2013. She played Anna in Deaf West Theatre's 2015 revival of Spring Awakening, and won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Oklahoma!
Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is the cast album to the 2015 musical Hamilton. The musical is based on the 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton written by Ron Chernow, with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The recording stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Jonathan Groff. The ensemble features Jon Rua, Thayne Jasperson, Sydney James Harcourt, Ephraim Sykes, Ariana DeBose, and Sasha Hutchings. The musicians on the album are Alex Lacamoire, Kurt Crowley, Andres Forero, Robin Macatangay, Richard Hammond, Benny Reiner, Jonathan Dinklage, Erin Benim Mayland, Anja Wood, Mario Gotoh, and Laura Sherman. It achieved the largest first week sales for a digital cast album and is the highest-charting cast album since 1963. It was the highest-selling Broadway cast album of 2015 and peaked at number one on the Rap Albums chart, the first cast album to ever do so. After being certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2023, Hamilton became the best-selling cast album of all time. It is also considered one of the best ever musicals.
↑ Ritzel, Rebecca J. (December 19, 2006). "Broadway 'Awakening'". LancasterOnline. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
↑ Michaels, Melissa (September 25, 2014). "'Sophie', A Review". L'Etage Magazine. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
"Like a Prayer" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart": "Discography Glee Cast". Australian-Charts.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
1 2 "Jonathan Groff". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. December 15, 2020. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
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