Paolo Montalban | |
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![]() Montalban in 2023 | |
Born | |
Education | St. Peter's Preparatory School |
Alma mater | Rutgers University (BS) |
Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
Years active | 1997–present |
Notable work |
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Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is an American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother. [1] He reprised that role in a stage version of the musical with Deborah Gibson and then Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Cinderella and Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother. [2] [3]
Montalban was born in Manila, Philippines, to Paul and Vivian Montalban. [4] His family immigrated to the United States when he was a year old and lived in a studio apartment in Manhattan's West Side across the street from The Juilliard School and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. [4] He is an alumnus of St. Peter's Preparatory School and holds a degree in pre-med psychology from Rutgers University. [5]
In 1997, Montalban starred in Cinderella as Prince Christopher alongside Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, and Brandy. He also played Kung Lao (ancestor of Kung Lao) in the syndicated series Mortal Kombat: Conquest along with Daniel Bernhardt and Kristanna Loken.
Montalban was also cast in John Dahl's The Great Raid as Sgt. Valera, and played Raul [6] in the independent film American Adobo . He also appeared in Just Wright starring Queen Latifah, The Adjustment Bureau, and the short film Two Weeks.
Montalban was named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1998. [7]
He has appeared on Broadway in Pacific Overtures , The King and I and Breakfast at Tiffany's , starring Emilia Clarke. Off-Broadway, he was in Two Gentlemen of Verona at Shakespeare in the Park, The Romance of Magno Rubio at Ma Yi Theater Company, among others. [8] He also guest starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 8, episode 20: "Annihilated") and One Life to Live .
Montalban has appeared in productions of The King and I on Broadway and around the country, where he has played both Lun Tha, the young lover, and the title role of the King. [9] In 2022, Montalban starred as Captain Von Trapp in the Dallas Theater Center production of The Sound of Music at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. [10] On March 28, 2023, he succeeded Peter Francis James as Florenz Ziegfeld in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl and remained with the show until it closed on September 3 of that year. [11] [12]
He reunited with Brandy in the Disney+ movie Descendants: The Rise of Red , part of the Descendants franchise, which premiered July 12, 2024. [13] He is set to reprise the role in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland . [14]
On January 17, 2024, he originated the role of Kurt Huber in the world premiere of the off-Broadway musical White Rose. [15]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | American Adobo | Raul | |
2005 | The Great Raid | Sgt. Valera | |
2010 | Just Wright | Sommelier | |
2012 | Two Weeks | Dad | Short film |
2020 | The Girl Who Left Home | Tony | |
2023 | Asian Persuasion | Lee-Kwan Lee | |
2024 | Descendants: The Rise of Red | King Charming | |
2026 | Descendants: Wicked Wonderland |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Cinderella | Prince Christopher | Television film |
1998–1999 | Mortal Kombat: Conquest | Kung Lao | 22 episodes |
2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Wahid | Episode: "Annihilated" |
2010 | One Life to Live | Tahiti Cop #1 | 1 episode |
2013 | City of Dreams | Paolo Montalban | Episode: "The Ballad of Ofagina" |
2015 | Madam Secretary | Military Tech | 2 episodes |
Nurse Jackie | Second Investigator | Episode: "Jackie and the Wolf" | |
The Blacklist | Forensic Agent | Episode: "Arioch Cain" |
Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | The King and I | Lun Tha | Neil Simon Theatre | Revival Broadway Cast |
2004 | Pacific Overtures | Manjiro | Studio 54 | Revival Broadway Cast |
2005 | Two Gentlemen of Verona | Eglamour | Delacorte Theater | Off-Broadway |
2013 | Breakfast at Tiffany's | u/s Jose, u/s Yunioshi | Cort Theatre | Original Broadway Cast |
2017 | Bella: An American Tall Tale | Tommie Haw/Skeeter | Playwrights Horizons | Off-Broadway World Premiere Nominated - Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical |
2020 | The Unsinkable Molly Brown | Arthur | Abrons Arts Center (Transport Group) | Original Off-Broadway Cast |
2023 | Funny Girl | Florenz Ziegfeld | August Wilson Theatre | Broadway Replacement |
2024 | White Rose: The Musical | Professor Kurt Huber | Theatre Row | Original Off-Broadway Cast |
Star Awards--Best New Actor nominee, Paolo Montalban ... WINNER Filipino Heritage Award – Most Promising Talent, Paolo Montalban