Most Surprising Broadway Actor

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 12:01pm

What movie stars/celebrities are you surprised have acted on Broadway before?

I was surprised to learn that Quentin Tarantino was in a revival of Wait Until Dark for 12 weeks in the 90s (He wasn't well reviewed).

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 12:11pm

As a child it surprised me that Julie Andrews was on broadway. I could never understand how a person on tv and do a show on stage. Same went for Angela Lansbury. Especially when I found out Mrs Potts was also Mrs Lovett

As of lately (in the last ten years) I was surprised Bette Mulder was in fiddler. That Maggie smith had a string of seasons up in Canada at a theatre. I also never knew back a couple years ago TImothee Chalamet was in a broadway play

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 12:28pm

Theatrefanboy1 said: I also never knew back a couple years ago TImothee Chalamet was in a broadway play 

Timothee has yet to make his Broadway debut.  In 2011, he made his stage debut in the Off-Broadway play THE TALLS.  He has never appeared on Broadway.  

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 12:36pm

I'm always surprised when reminded that Katie Holmes has two Broadway credits. Not well received...maybe the right opportunity just hasn't come her way.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 12:50pm

I knew he had done Dame Edna on Broadway several times, of course, but I was surprised to learn Barry Humphries was also the original Mr. Sowerberry and Fagin cover in the original Broadway production Oliver 40 years prior.

[binau]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 12:59pm

Jason Alexander

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 1:53pm

Broadway61004 said: "I knew he had done Dame Edna on Broadway several times, of course, but I was surprised to learn Barry Humphries was also the original Mr. Sowerberry and Fagin cover in the original Broadway production Oliver 40 years prior."

40 years prior?  Try more like 57 years.  The original Broadway production of OLIVER (which Humphries was part of) opened in 1963 not 1980. 

 

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 1:54pm

Not Broadway, but West End - I recently got into the musical Billy Elliot and discovered during my research that one of the West End Billys was Tom Holland, known for the Spiderman movies and the new Pixar movie Onward.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 2:12pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Broadway61004 said: "I knew he had done Dame Edna on Broadway several times, of course, but I was surprised to learn Barry Humphries was also the original Mr. Sowerberry and Fagin cover in the original Broadway production Oliver 40 years prior."

40 years prior? Try more like 57 years. The original Broadway production of OLIVER (which Humphries was part of) opened in1963 not 1980.

"

Right, and he did Dame Edna on Broadway for the first time in 1999.  So actually 36 years prior.

 

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 4:38pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "What movie stars/celebrities are you surprised have acted on Broadway before?

I was surprised to learn that Quentin Tarantino was in a revival of Wait Until Darkfor 12 weeks in the 90s (He wasn't well reviewed)."

We saw this in Boston.  He was fine, the show wasn't very good

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 5:02pm

Was it marketed as a stunt cast? If it was, that's got to be one of the strangest stunt casts I've ever heard of. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 5:14pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "Was it marketedas a stunt cast? If it was, that's got to be one of the strangest stunt casts I've ever heard of."

The marketing for that was Marisa Tomei, really.  I mean, they also tried to hype up Tarantino's name a little bit, but it was really about Marisa Tomei making her Broadway debut.  This was during the time Tarantino was focusing on being an actor, not so much a writer-director (he started taking a bunch of roles in films too around that time), so I think this was just one more thing to add to his resume.  I didn't see it, but I could actually imagine him in that role, so I guess it at least sort of made sense.

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:23pm

Chris Rock

Tom Selleck

Sean Combs

 

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:33pm

Just recently found The Wild Party with Toni Collette and was completely shocked at how good she sounded

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:48pm

InTheBathroom1 said: "Just recently found The Wild Party with Toni Collette and was completely shocked at how good she sounded"

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 11:08pm

Not that most of you will know who this is....but I got to see Tony Orlando in BARNUM when Jim Dale was on vacation? His honeymoon???

Granted, I was only 17, but I thought he was spectacular.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 11:28pm

When I first learned Victor Garber was primarily a theatre actor I was kind of shocked, because I was most familiar of his performance in the titanic. So, I had just assumed he was a big film actor.

Updated On: 5/29/20 at 11:28 PM

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 6:38am

Call_me_jorge said: "When I first learned Victor Garner was primarily a theatre actor I was kind of shocked, because I was most familiar of his performance in the titanic. So, I had just assumed he was a big film actor."

I knew him as the sleazy law school professor in Legally Blonde! Lol

[amaklo]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 8:50am

Tom Hanks in Lucky Guy.  He was fine in a so-so play. He also sweated and spit like a pro.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 10:16am

I always forget that Marc Anthony was in The Capeman. Actually I kind of forget that show exists, and then forget he has a Broadway credit from it.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 10:38am

How about Vincent Price in a musical?  I saw him in Darling of the Day 52 years ago.  He was actually fine, but was overshadowed by Patricia Routledge, who won a deserved Tony award for her wonderful performance in this show, which ran 32 performances.

And Anthony Quinn in a revival of the musical version of his classic movie, Zorba.  I know he had been on Broadway prior to Zorba, but not since I began attending the theatre regularly in 1964.

 

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:00am

Broadway61004 said: "Alex Kulak2 said: "Was it marketedas a stunt cast? If it was, that's got to be one of the strangest stunt casts I've ever heard of."

The marketing for that was Marisa Tomei, really. I mean, they also tried to hype up Tarantino's name a little bit, but it was really about Marisa Tomei making her Broadway debut. This was during the time Tarantino was focusing on being an actor, not so much a writer-director (he started taking a bunch of roles in films too around that time), so I think this was just one more thing to add to his resume. I didn't see it, but I could actually imagine him in that role, so I guess it at least sort of made sense."

This is correct.  At that time Tarantino had Reservoir Dog and Pulp Fictions as hits (and Jackie Brown, a lesser hit), but he wasn't QUENTIN TARANTINO yet.

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:28am

Katherine Hepburn in a musical about the life of Coco Chanel was incredibly surprising to read. 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:44am

Had trouble computing Cyndi Lauper in Tbreepenny Opera years back. Can’t say I remember much from the production

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:56am

This is correct. At that time Tarantino had Reservoir Dog and Pulp Fictions as hits (and Jackie Brown, a lesser hit), but he wasn't QUENTIN TARANTINO yet."

Sweets, Tarantino was already THE Oscar winning Quentin Tarantino when he chose to slum it as an actor in the 1998 Broadway revival of WAIT UNTIL DARK.  I was around then so I’m quite keen of all the industry accolades he received with 1994’s PULP FICTION.  It was one of the major films that awards season.  He and Tomei were the big name showcases for this 1998 Broadway revival.