| Wesley Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wesley Taylor August 13, 1986 North Carolina, United States |
| Alma mater | Dr. Phillips High School/North Carolina School of the Arts |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, and writer |
| Years active | 2008-Present |
| Home town | Orlando, Florida |
| Awards | Theatre World Award (Rock of Ages) |
Wesley Taylor (born August 13, 1986, in North Carolina, United States) is an American stage actor and writer, probably best known for his roles in the Broadway musicals Rock of Ages and The Addams Family.
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Born in North Carolina, but raised in Orlando, Florida, Taylor graduated from the theatre magnet at Dr. Phillips High School and holds a BFA in acting from North Carolina School of the Arts.[1] At the latter, Taylor performed as Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2 and Action in West Side Story.[2]
Taylor's parents resided in China, where they taught at a university: "[I]t's kind of hard for them to come and see the shows I'm in. I always get a little jealous of other people's families ... But my parents — I love them and I totally respect them. They kind of didn't want to settle into being bored in middle age, and they wanted to start over and move to a different country."[3]
In summer 2008, Taylor performed in Barrington Stage Company's production of the musical See Rock City and Other Destinations.[4] The show won Richard Rodgers and Jerry Bock Awards.[5] Taylor made his Broadway debut in the rock musical Rock of Ages, where he originated the role of the German city developer Franz.[6][7] He won a Theatre World Award for this role, and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award.[8]
His second major role on Broadway was as Lucas Beineke in the musical The Addams Family, a role he originated after previously playing the role in the 2009 Chicago production of the show.[9][10][11] The show premiered on Broadway in April 2010, with Taylor appearing alongside Krysta Rodriguez, who plays Wednesday Addams, Lucas' love interest.[7][9] He left the role on March 8, 2011.[12]
Taylor also participated in a reading for a play called A Dog's Tale (or The Thing About Getting) at the Kennedy Center.[13][14] On March 7, 2011, Taylor played the title role alongside Lauren Molina in a reading for a stage adpatation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, penned by playwright Michael Raver.[15] He has appeared on television in ABC's One Life to Live, Live! with Regis and Kelly, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.[16]
On April 2, 2011, Taylor, Erin Davie, Ann Harada, Kendrick Jones, and Burke Moses performed the concert, Broadway Tribute in Northport, Long Island at the Engeman Theater. The concert performance featured "the performers re-creating songs they performed on Broadway."[17][18]
He then starred as Michael "Mouse" Tolliver in the world-premiere musical Tales of the City (based on the book series by Armistead Maupin), which began performances on May 18, 2011, in San Francisco at the American Conservatory Theatre, directed by Jason Moore.[19] After three extensions, Tales of the City closed on July 31, 2011.[20]
Since early 2009, Taylor and former Rock of Ages co-stars have maintained a YouTube web series entitled Billy Green.[21][22] The series deals with an up-and-coming actor Billy Green, who arrives in New York City but has no idea how to act around established performers, constantly giving away his resume. Billy Green's main cast stars Taylor as Billy and Jackie Hoffman[23] as his over-protective mother. The idea came about during Taylor's senior year at drama school:
In addition, Taylor has written several short plays: Star-Crossed, The Game, and The Delivery Boy.[25] His latest project, What's So Funny?, received a developmental reading on August 12, 2011, at Ripley-Grier Studios in Manhattan.[26]