Christian Borle

Christian Borle
Borle at the 2014 Montclair Film Festival
Born (1973-10-01) October 1, 1973 (age 50)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, dancer
Years active1995–present
Known forLegally Blonde
Something Rotten!
Some Like It Hot
Spouse
(m. 2006; div. 2009)

Christian Dominique Borle (born October 1, 1973) is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!. Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et. al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos. He also starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash.

He has been nominated for five Tony awards, including Legally Blonde, Peter and the Starcatcher, Something Rotten!, Falsettos, and Some Like It Hot.

Early life

Borle was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Andre Bernard Borle (1930–2011), a professor of physiology at the University of Pittsburgh. His love for Star Wars and drawing made him dream of becoming a comic book artist when he grew up, but it was only when a friend convinced him to audition for a school play in his second year at Shady Side Academy that he began to develop an interest in acting.

Borle attended the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 1995. After he graduated, he moved to New York City and landed his first acting job. He worked as an elf at Macy's Santaland.

Career

1995–2004: Early career and Broadway debut

Soon after moving to New York City, Borle was cast in the German production The Who's Tommy. Returning to the states, he joined the national tour of West Side Story in 1996, as a replacement for the role of Riff. Borle was next cast as Willard Hewitt in the first national tour of Footloose, which opened on December 15, 1998, at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio.

After his tenure as Willard, Borle made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of the 2000 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. He left the production after two months to reprise his role of Willard Hewitt (succeeding Tom Plotkin) in the Broadway production of Footloose in June 2000. Soon after joining the company, the show received its closing notice, and Borle remained with the show for a few weeks through its final performance on July 2, 2000.

He was the dance captain and understudy for several characters for the short-lived 2002 musical Amour.

Borle appeared in a 2003 advertisement for the California-based online auction company eBay. In the 30-second TV spot, Borle plays a store clerk who breaks into song and dance when asked about a product. The song, "That's on eBay", was a parody of the Dean Martin standard "That's Amore". Also in 2003, he replaced Gavin Creel in the role of Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He married his co-star, actress Sutton Foster, who had played Millie, in September 2006. Borle and Foster divorced in 2009.

2005–2010: Spamalot and Legally Blonde

Borle performed in Monty Python's Spamalot, in which he originated a number of roles, including Prince Herbert, the Historian, Not Dead Fred, A French Guard, and Sir Robin's Minstrel. His performance earned him a 2005 Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical. He is known for originating the role of Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde on Broadway, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The musical is based on MGM's 2001 film of the same name.

He was featured in the Encores! staged concert version of On the Town as Ozzie in November 2008. He appeared in a workshop production of a new play titled Peter and the Starcatcher in 2009. He played Bert in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins, replacing Adam Fiorentino in the role on October 12, 2009, and then left the cast on July 15, 2010.

In 2010, he played a golf caddy in the film The Bounty Hunter. In Fall 2010/Winter 2011, Borle played the role of Prior Walter in Signature Theatre Company's 20th anniversary production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America.

2011–2014: Smash and Peter and the Starcatcher

On February 25, 2011, it was announced that Borle had joined Steven Spielberg's new NBC pilot Smash with Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Brian d'Arcy James, and Megan Hilty. The series follows a cross-section of characters who come together to mount a Marilyn Monroe-themed musical (which is called Bombshell) on Broadway. In May 2011, it was reported that NBC had picked up the show as a series for the 2011–2012 season. In March 2012, NBC announced it would renew the series for a second season with 15 episodes. The show was officially cancelled by NBC in May 2013.

Borle was a member of the original cast in the Regional and Off-Broadway productions of Peter and the Starcatcher that ran until April 24, 2011. He reprised the role of "Black Stache" on Broadway in April 2012, where his performance earned him his second Tony Award nomination and first win as Best Featured Actor in a Play. He ended his run in the Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher on June 30, 2012, to take a break before taping for Smash began in August 2012.[citation needed]

Borle played Max Dettweiler in the live television production of The Sound of Music Live!, which aired on NBC on December 5, 2013. He played Mr. Darling and Mr. Smee in the live TV production of Peter Pan Live!, which aired on NBC on December 4, 2014.

2015–2018: Something Rotten! and Falsettos

He won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Something Rotten!, playing the role of William Shakespeare, which opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on March 23, 2015, in previews and officially on April 22, 2015. Borle provided the voice of Mr. Bungee on the cast recording of Encores! A New Brain. Dan Fogler, who played the part onstage, was unable to record the album as he was busy filming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Borle played Marvin in the limited Broadway revival of Falsettos, directed by James Lapine, alongside Andrew Rannells and Stephanie J. Block who played Whizzer and Trina, respectively. Borle left the cast of Something Rotten! on July 16, 2016, to prepare for Falsettos, which opened in previews on September 29, 2016, and officially on October 27, 2016. Borle was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. The show closed on January 8, 2017, after 30 previews and 84 performances.

Borle also made an appearance with his former wife, Sutton Foster, in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. His musical talents were used in Episode 3 for the Star's Hollow musical, which walked through the history of the quirky small town. The two had "found Gilmore Girls together and became fans of the show long before there were talks of a revival. For both actors, being a part of the Stars Hollow world was a special experience because they already loved the show before they became involved with it."

On May 9, 2016, it was announced that Borle would play Willy Wonka in the Broadway production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, which opened on March 23, 2017. A cast album was announced March 21, 2017. The show played its final performance on January 14, 2018.

Borle made his directorial debut with Popcorn Falls, which premiered at the Riverbank Theatre in Marine City, Michigan. The show ran from August 18–27, 2017. It was such an unexpected success that the theatre had to add extra performances to keep up with demand.

In March 2018, it was announced that Borle would again reunite with Sutton Foster, this time for two episodes of her TV show Younger as a journalist named Don Ridley. He was also announced as the lead in the Encores! production of Me and My Girl, alongside former Mary Poppins co-star Laura Michelle Kelly.

2019–present: Little Shop of Horrors and Some Like It Hot

In July 2019, it was announced that Borle would star as Orin Scrivello in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, which began previews at the Westside Theatre on September 17, 2019, with an official opening of October 17. Borle won a Lucille Lortel Award and has been nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance.

In August 2021, it was announced that Borle would star in the 2022 Encores! season. Borle was cast as the Baker in Into the Woods, running from May 4–15, 2022. This would have been his third show in the 2022 Encores! season. Borle was ultimately replaced by Neil Patrick Harris.

In March 2022, it was announced that Borle was cast in a workshop for the new musical Some Like It Hot, an adaptation of the 1959 film of the same name, as Joe/Josephine. He originated this role on Broadway and is currently performing the show at the Shubert Theatre.

Personal life

Borle met actress Sutton Foster in college and they married on September 18, 2006. They divorced in 2009. In 2012, Foster said that she and Borle remain friends and continue to support and appear in each other's work.

Theatre credits

Debut Year(s) Production Location Role Notes
1995 The Who's Tommy Offenbach, Germany Pinball Lad 1 (replacement)
1996 West Side Story National Tour Riff (replacement)
1998 Footloose National Tour Willard Hewitt
2000 Jesus Christ Superstar Ford Center for the Performing Arts
Broadway
Disciple (Original Broadway Cast)
2000 Footloose Richard Rodgers Theatre
Broadway
Willard Hewitt (replacement)
2001 The Baby and Johnny Project New York Theatre Workshop
Off-Broadway
Billy Kostecki
Just So North Shore Music Theatre
Regional
Kangaroo / Cooking Stove / Bushbuck
The 3 Musketeers, One Musical For All American Musical Theatre of San Jose
Regional
Planchet (Original American Cast)
2002 Prodigal York Theatre
Off-Broadway
Kane Flannery / Zach Marshall (Original Cast)
Amour Music Box Theatre
Broadway
Dance Captain, Advocate (Understudy) / Bertrand (Understudy) / Dusoleil (Understudy) / Newsvendor (Understudy) / Painter (Understudy) (Original Broadway Cast)
2003 Elegies: A Song Cycle Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater
Off-Broadway
Original Performer
Thoroughly Modern Millie Marquis Theatre
Broadway
Jimmy Smith (replacement)
2004 Snoopy! The Musical New York City Center
Concert
Snoopy
Time After Time New York City Center
Reading
H.G. Wells
Spamalot Shubert Theatre
Regional
Historian / Not Dead Fred / French Guard / Minstrel / Prince Herbert
2005 Shubert Theatre
Broadway
(Original Broadway Cast)
The Flamingo Kid Workshop Performer
2007 Legally Blonde Golden Gate Theatre
Regional
Emmett Forrest
Palace Theatre
Broadway
(Original Broadway Cast)
2008 On the Town Encores!
New York City Center
Ozzie
2009 Peter and the Starcatcher La Jolla Playhouse
Regional
Black Stache, et al.
Mary Poppins New Amsterdam Theatre
Broadway
Bert (replacement)
2010 Angels in America Signature Theatre Company
Off-Broadway
Prior Walter, et al.
2011 Peter and the Starcatcher New York Theatre Workshop
Off-Broadway
Black Stache, et al.
2012 Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Broadway
(Original Broadway Cast)
2014 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Lincoln Center Adolfo Pirelli
Little Me New York City Center Various Characters
2015 Something Rotten! St. James Theatre
Broadway
The Bard (William Shakespeare) (Original Broadway Cast)
A New Brain Encores!
New York City Center
Mr. Bungee (Cast Album Only)
2016 Falsettos Walter Kerr Theatre
Broadway
Marvin (2016 Original Broadway Revival Cast)
2017 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Broadway
Willy Wonka (Original Broadway Cast)
Popcorn Falls Riverbank Theatre
Regional
Director & Dramaturg
2018 Me and My Girl Encores!
New York City Center
Bill Snibson
2019 The Who's Tommy John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Captain Walker
Little Shop of Horrors Westside Theatre
Off-Broadway
Orin Scrivello & Others Original Off-Broadway Revival Cast
2022 Some Like It Hot Shubert Theatre
Broadway
Joe / Josephine (Original Broadway Cast)

Filmography

Film

Year Show Role Notes
1995 Stonewall Bar Patron Uncredited
2001 The Accident Delivery Guy Short (unreleased)
2010 The Bounty Hunter Caddy
2014 Shutterflies Lieutenant Burns Short
Dinner Father Short
2015 Blackhat Jeff Robichaud

Television

Year Show Role Notes
1998 Ghost Stories Trevor Mooney Episode: "Consumers"
2001 Law & Order Tanto Episode: "Swept Away"
2007 Legally Blonde: The Musical Emmett Forrest Filmed stage production
2008 Johnny and the Sprites Bridge Troll Episode: "The Bridge Troll"
2012–13 Smash Tom Levitt 32 episodes
2013 The Sound of Music Live! Max Detweiler TV movie
Funny or Die's Billy on the Street Himself Episode: "It's Debra Messing, You Gays!"
2013–15 The Good Wife Carter Schmidt 4 episodes
2014 Lifesaver Dr. Graham Permenter Pilot (unreleased)
Lucky Duck Lucky (voice) TV movie
Masters of Sex Frank Masters 3 episodes
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: Live from Lincoln Center Adolfo Pirelli Filmed stage production
Sofia the First Slickwell (voice) Episode: "Baileywhoops"
Peter Pan Live! Smee/George Darling TV movie
2016 Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Carl Episode: "Summer"
2017 Falsettos: Live from Lincoln Center Marvin Filmed stage production
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Himself Episode: "Jennifer Hudson; Chris Hayes; Christian Borle"
2018 Vampirina Rusty Topsail (voice) Episode: "Treasure Haunters"
Younger Don Ridley 2 episodes
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Father Francis (voice) Episode: "Freebird"
Elementary Dr. David Horowitz Episode: "The Visions of Norman P. Horowitz"
2018–21 The Good Fight Carter Schmidt 3 episodes
2019 Project Runway All Stars Himself – Willy Wonka Episode: "Pure Imagination" (special thanks)
Until the Wedding Miles Pilot (not released)
2020 Helpsters Mail Carrier Marty Episode: "Primmflandia Day/Marching Band Marsha"
2021 Prodigal Son Friar Pete 6 episodes
Run the World Brett Episode: "Because... ADOS"
2024 Hazbin Hotel Vox (voice) Recurring role

Discography

Cast albums

Singles

  • "Don't Say Yes Until I've Finished Talking" (featured in Smash Season 1)
  • "A Love Letter From the Times" (duet with Liza Minnelli, featured in Smash Season 2)
  • "Vienna" (featured in Smash Season 2)
  • "The Right Regrets" (duet with Debra Messing, featured in Smash Season 2)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2005 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Spamalot Nominated
Clarence Derwent Award Most Promising Male Won
Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical Won
Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male) Nominated
Favorite Onstage Pair (shared with Hank Azaria) Nominated
2007 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Legally Blonde Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
2010 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Best Replacement Mary Poppins Nominated
2011 Tina Award Best Actor (Play) Peter and the Starcatcher Nominated
Angels in America Nominated
Best Ensemble (Play) Won
Best Stage Duo (shared with Zachary Quinto) Won
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
2012 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Peter and the Starcatcher Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Actor Won
Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Funny Performance Won
2015 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Something Rotten! Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical Won
2016 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominated
2017 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Falsettos Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Leading Actor In A Musical Nominated
Favorite Onstage Pair (shared with Andrew Rannells) Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Nominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Favorite Funny Performance Nominated
2020 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Little Shop of Horrors Won
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Honoree
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won
2023 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Some Like It Hot Nominated

This page was last updated at 2023-12-17 05:40 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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