Some film actors, like Julie Andrews and Nathan Lane are known for their musical theatre careers as well, but not the stars on this list. This list of actors you didn't know were in musical theatre is loosely ranked by fame and popularity and may surprise you. Several dramatic and comedic actors have also appeared in musicals. Actors from "Seinfeld," "In Living Color," and "Dexter," have all appeared in musicals.
Who is the most famous actor that you didn't know was in a musical? Christina Applegate tops our list. In 2004, Christina Applegate made her Broadway debut playing Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance.
Prior to landing the role of "Seinfeld's" George Costanza, Jason Alexander won a Tony Award for his role as the narrator in Jerome Robbins' Broadway in 1989. "Dexter" actor Michael C Hall was discovered by Sam Mendes in 1999, when he was appearing as the Emcee in a Broadway revival of Cabaret. Mendes then suggested that Alan Ball cast Hall as David Fisher in "Six Feet Under," a role which led to an Emmy nomination.
Do you think having a background in musical theater helped these actors to succeed? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith appeared in the 1957 musical, Destry Rides Again in New York. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Destry. From 1960-1968 he starred as Sheriff Andy Taylor in "The Andy Griffith Show."
Christian Slater
Christian Slater appeared in a Broadway production of The Music Man with Dick Van Dyke when he was just eight years old. He became a teen heartthrob after appearing in the 1989 film Heathers.
Christina Applegate
In 2004, Christina Applegate made her Broadway debut playing Charity Hope Valentine in Sweet Charity. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance. That same year she appeared in several films including Surviving Christmas, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Employee of the Month.
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken may be best known for appearing in unsettling films like The Deer Hunter, Pulp Fiction, and Seven Psychopaths, but he is also a highly trained Broadway dancer. In the early 1950s, he appeared alongside Liza Minnelli in an Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward.
Emma Thompson
In the early 1980s, Emma Thompson was in a London production of the musical Me and My Girl. She made her big screen debut in the 1989 film Henry V.
Jamie Lynn Sigler
In 2002, Jamie Lynn Sigler played Belle in a Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. She played Meadow Soprano in the HBO drama "The Sopranos" from 1999-2007.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm appeared in several musicals when he was in college including Cabaret and Assassins. He gained on-screen fame when he was cast as Don Draper on "Mad Men" in 2007.
Kelsey Grammer
In 1983, Kelsey Grammer portrayed Young Man on the Bank and Soldier in the musical Sunday in the Park with George. He was cast as Dr. Frasier Crane in Cheers in 1984 and he played the character for the following 20 years.
Morgan Freeman
In 1968, Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman made his Broadway debut appearing in Hello, Dolly! with Cab Calloway. He began to be successful in film in 1989 when he appeared in both Driving Miss Daisy and Glory.
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1963 for her role in Tovarich. In 1939 she won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Scarlett in Gone with the Wind.