Andrew Rannells

Andrew Rannells

Andrew Rannells, July 2011
Born Andrew Scott Rannells
August 23, 1978
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Education Creighton Preparatory School
Alma mater Marymount Manhattan College
Occupation Stage
Television actor
Years active 1994–present
Known for Elder Price,
The Book of Mormon
Television The New Normal
Girls
Awards Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
The Book of Mormon
Website
facebook.com/andrewrannells

Andrew Scott Rannells (born August 23, 1978) is an American actor and singer. He is perhaps best known for his work as Elder Price in the 2011 Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, which earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. As a featured soloist on the musical's Original Broadway Cast Recording, he won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. His other Broadway credits include Jersey Boys and Hairspray. He most recently portrayed the title character in Hedwig and the Angry Inch replacing Neil Patrick Harris, who originated the role in the 2014 Broadway revival at the Belasco Theatre.

Early life

Rannells was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Charlotte Rannells and the late Ronald Rannells.[1] Rannell's father had a heart attack very suddenly in 2001 when Rannells was 22.[2] He is the fourth of five siblings: three sisters and an older brother.[1] His family has an Irish and Polish background.[2]

Rannells attended Our Lady of Lourdes grade school and then Creighton Prep,[1] an all-boys Catholic school in Omaha, that Alexander Payne, Conor Oberst and Nicholas D'Agosto also attended.[2][3] His family lived in the Hanscom Park neighborhood of Omaha.[1]

As a child Rannells took classes at the Emmy Gifford Children's Theater and performed at the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Firehouse Dinner Theatre and the Dundee Dinner Theatre.[1][4] Rannells was 11 when he did his first play. He said he did community theater with Conor Oberst: "We did children's theater together. We were both in Peter Pan. I played a pirate and an Indian. He was one of those Darling kids. I can't remember which one."[5] Rannells also did a significant amount of regional voice-over work and commercials that came to Omaha. One was a commercial for a bank that was a Grease spoof, featuring Rannells and Amy Adams in 1996.[2]

On growing up in Omaha within the Catholic community: Rannells said his family was loud, irreverent, sarcastic, so not so conservative, even though they went to Catholic school and church. Rannells said his family was more culturally Catholic. Rannells said the close-knit community was like a social club, like a "middle class country club," but it wasn't that religious.[2]

Rannells moved to New York City in 1997 after high school, studying theater at Marymount Manhattan College for two years before he started auditioning full-time and was landing roles.[6] On not completing college: "But the fact that my passion was acting, and I was paying for college myself, I was just like, 'I can't justify going this deep into debt for something that might not mean anything. So I want to just try it. I want to try and see if I'm good enough to do this before I invest anymore financially in this.'"[7]

Career

For about three years, from 2001–04, he worked with 4Kids Entertainment, a New York City animation production company, where his Omaha voice-over work served him well. He also directed a couple of video games, "Kirby" and "Sonic the Hedgehog."[1]

As a voice actor, Rannells appeared in several 4Kids and DiC television programs and video games, such as Yu-Gi-Oh![5] Before winning his first Broadway role, Rannells took part in a number of regional theater productions, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Miss Saigon, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.[8] For his turn as Hedwig at the Zachary Scott Theater Center in Austin, Texas, in 2002,[9] Rannells was nominated for and won for best actor in a musical at the B. Iden Payne Awards in September 2002, which honor outstanding achievements in Austin theater.[10] In 2006, he won the role of Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray.[11] This was his first Broadway show, what he considers his big break. Rannells followed this with some regional performances.[2]

Rannells played Bob Gaudio in the First National Tour of Jersey Boys. His last performance with the tour was on December 6, 2008 in Toronto. In January 2009, he reprised the role of Gaudio in the musical's Broadway production.

Rannells originated the role of Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, a musical written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q composer Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. For his performance, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for his performance in the musical's Original Broadway Cast Recording. His last performance was June 10, 2012.[12]

Rannells played a stripper in the 2012 film Bachelorette[13] and played a lead character, Bryan Collins, in the 2012–13 television series The New Normal.[14][15]

Rannells currently plays the recurring role of Elijah on the HBO television series Girls.[16]

Personal life

Rannells is of Polish and Irish descent, and he is openly gay.[17] Rannells currently lives in New York City after temporarily re-locating to Los Angeles to do The New Normal.[2]

On coming out, Rannells said he came out when he graduated high school. He came out to his family when he was 18 and said by that point “no one was surprised,” and characterized it as anti-climactic.[18] Rannells said he knew he was gay in high school but just felt that at an all-boy's Catholic school that it would be too stressful, that "it wouldn't be great for him." Rannells said he was out with all of his theater friends at the time. He said that he had such a great circle of people around him that he didn't consider it all that traumatic. He said that the thing that was hardest in the mid-1990s was that the AIDS crisis was in full swing and the depiction of gays on TV was "basically murderers or AIDS victims."[2]

Rannells counts himself lucky that he had his family's support: "I remember my dad saying he believed it was a choice, but that he also loved me, and that he would support me no matter what I chose to do. And then about six months later, he said, 'I've been thinking about this a lot, and it clearly is not a choice. This is clearly the way you were born, because as I replay your childhood in my head, I know that you've been telling us this since you were born. So no, this is not a choice and I love you and I will always love you.' So I'm so lucky to come from a family where that was the response."[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Sex and the City 2 Wedding Chorus
2012 Bachelorette Manny
2015 The Intern Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1994–95 Street Sharks Streex Lead role
2012–present Girls Elijah Krantz Recurring role (season 1–3)
Main role (season 4–present)
2012–13 The New Normal Bryan Collins Lead role
2013–14 How I Met Your Mother Darren 2 episodes

Theater

Year Title Role Notes
2000–01 Pokémon Live! James Baritone/Tenor
2005 Hairspray Fender, Link Larkin Replacement roles[19]
2006 The 60's Project Performer Chester, CT (Regional): World Premiere
2007 Jersey Boys Bob Gaudio US Tour: 1st National Tour, replacement role[20]
2011 The Book of Mormon Elder Price Originated role
2014 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig Replacement

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Fischbach, Bob (May 1, 2011). "He has drive — and now Broadway". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Taylor, Aisha (February 11, 2014). "girl on guy 126: andrew rannells" (AUDIO PODCAST). girl on guy. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Miller, Bruce R. (2011). "'Nebraska native finds stardom in 'Book of Mormon'". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ Francke, Warren (September 9, 2012). "Omaha’s Andy Now in New Normal: Oompa-Loompa Before Mormon Missionary". The Reader (Omaha). Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Rapkin, Mickey (9 June 2011). "Q&A: The Book of Mormon's Andrew Rannells". GQ. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Yi, David (June 9, 2011). "'The Book of Mormon' star Andrew Rannells: college dropout turned actor gets suited up for the Tonys". NY Daily News. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gross, Terry (September 10, 2012). "Andrew Rannells: Gay And Serious In 'New Normal'". Fresh Air. NPR. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Broadway.com Staff (30 December 2008). "Andrew Rannells Tapped to Play Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys". Broadway Buzz. Broadway.com. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ Faires, Robert (4 October 2002). "Articulations". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  11. ↑ Truitt, Brian (June 9, 2011). "Rannells relishes first Tony nomination". USA Today. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  12. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (June 6, 2012). ""Two By Two": Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells Will Be Succeeded By Jared Gertner and Nic Rouleau in Book of Mormon". Playbill. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  13. ↑ Ganz, Andrew (10 August 2012). "Book of Mormon's Andrew Rannells Takes It Off in "Bachelorette" Film; Comedy Available on VOD Aug. 10". Playbill. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  14. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (February 22, 2012). "'The Hangover Star Joins NBC's Ryan Murphy Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  15. ↑ Miller, Bruce (November 24, 2012). "Andrew Rannells sends up boss in 'New Normal'". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  16. ↑ Lynch, Matthew (April 28, 2011). "Andrew Rannells: Keeping the Faith". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  17. ↑ Siegel, Miranda (May 29, 2012). "Andrew Rannells on His Girls Character, Slapping Marnie, and His New Ryan Murphy Show". Vulture-New York. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  18. ↑ Martin, Denise (January 29, 2013). "Andrew Rannells: The Boy Scout With the Dirty Mouth". Vulture-New York. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  19. ↑ Joy, Cara (November 11, 2005). "Andrew Rannells to Star as Hairspray's Next Link Larkin". broadway.com. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  20. ↑ Aradi, Cathi (March 3, 2008). "JBB EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Andrew Rannells!". jerseyboysblog.com. Retrieved 2014-05-18.

External links