Todd Graff | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation(s) | Actor, filmmaker |
Years active | 1970–present |
Spouse | Jhon Lafaurie (m. 2014) |
Todd Graff (born October 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for writing and directing the musical comedy films Camp (2003), for which he was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Bandslam (2009), and Joyful Noise (2012). Graff is also known for his supporting roles in the science fiction films The Abyss (1989) and Strange Days (1995), as well as the black comedy crime film Death to Smoochy (2002).
Graff was born in New York City, the son of Judith Clarice (née Oxhorn), a piano teacher and choirmaster, and Jerome Lawrence Graff, a musician. [1] His sister is actress Ilene Graff. [2]
Graff is an alumnus both as a camper and counselor of the Stagedoor Manor performing arts summer camp in upstate New York. He sang on the original-cast albums of Sesame Street (1970) and the follow-up Sesame Street 2 (1971). He garnered fame in 1975 when he joined the cast of the PBS children's television series The Electric Company . Playing the role of Jesse, a member of the Short Circus, he remained with the show to the end of its production in 1977 (replacing Stephen Gustafson). [3]
Graff's writing credits include Camp , Used People , The Vanishing , and The Beautician and the Beast . Graff acted in several films including Death to Smoochy , Dominick and Eugene , Strange Days , Not Quite Paradise , and The Abyss . [3]
He was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Danny in Broadway's Baby in 1984. He starred in the 1987 Off-Broadway musical Birds of Paradise as Homer. In 2006, Graff directed the stage musical 13 by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish at the Mark Taper Forum. [4] In 2009, he co-wrote and directed the film Bandslam . In 2012 he wrote and directed the film Joyful Noise . He developed Apple TV's miniseries The Crowded Room (2023).
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Not Quite Paradise | Rothwell T. Schwartz | Also known as Not Quite Jerusalem |
1987 | Five Corners | James | |
1987 | Sweet Lorraine | Leonard | [5] |
1988 | Dominick and Eugene | Larry Higgins | |
1989 | After Midnight | Tough Kid | |
1989 | An Innocent Man | Robby | |
1989 | The Abyss | Alan "Hippy" Carnes | |
1990 | Framed | Pete | |
1990 | Opportunity Knocks | Lou Pesquino | |
1991 | City of Hope | Zip | |
1995 | Strange Days | "Tex" Arcana | |
1997 | The Beautician and the Beast | Denny | Also writer |
2002 | Death to Smoochy | Skip Kleinman |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975–1977 | The Electric Company | Jesse | Main role (seasons 5–6) |
1983–1992 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Trent / Robby Pols | Episodes: "It's No Crush, I'm in Love", "Summer Stories: The Mall – Part 3" |
1995 | Chicago Hope | Louis Bagley | Episode: "Growth Pains" |
1997 | The Nanny | Harvey | Episode: "Danny's Dead and Who's Got the Will?" |
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The Beautician and the Beast is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, written by Todd Graff, and starring Fran Drescher, Timothy Dalton, Lisa Jakub, Ian McNeice, and Patrick Malahide. It tells the story of a New York City beautician who is hired, under the false assumption that she is a science teacher, to tutor the four children of a dictator of a fictional Eastern European nation, played by Timothy Dalton. The film deals with the theme of cultural differences, and takes inspiration from other stories like Beauty and the Beast, The King and I, Evita, and The Sound of Music. Produced by Drescher's company High School Sweethearts in partnership with Paramount Pictures, The Beautician and the Beast was her first starring role in a film.
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Joyful Noise or A Joyful Noise may refer to:
Stagedoor Manor is a performing arts training center located in Loch Sheldrake, New York. Since its opening, it has trained thousands of young actors, many of whom have gone on to success in film, television, and theater.
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Bandslam is the soundtrack album for Summit Entertainment's film of the same name. The soundtrack was released on August 11, 2009 through Hollywood Records.
Joyful Noise is a 2012 American musical comedy-drama film, starring Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, and Courtney B. Vance. It is based on an original script, Love The Light, written by Max Myers and re-written and directed by Todd Graff, with gospel-infused music by Mervyn Warren. The film was released in U.S. theaters on January 13, 2012. In the film, two strong-minded women are forced to cooperate when budget cuts threaten to shut down a small-town choir. The film received mixed reviews, with praise for its songs and acting but criticism of its script and tone.
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