Anthony Deane Rapp[1] (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, he reprised it in the film version of the show and the show's United States tour in 2009. He also performed Charlie Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and originated the role of Lucas in the musical If/Then in 2014. From 2017 to 2024, he played Commander Paul Stamets on the television series Star Trek: Discovery.
Rapp is also known for accusing actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct in 2017 during the #MeToo movement over an alleged event from 1986. The same allegation generated an unsuccessful civil case in 2022 where a jury found Spacey not liable.[2]
Early life
Rapp was born on October 26, 1971, in Chicago, Illinois[3] to Mary Lee (née Baird) and Douglas Rapp[4] and raised in nearby Joliet.[3] After his parents' divorce in 1974,[3] he was raised by his mother, a nurse.[5] His older brother is playwright, novelist and filmmaker Adam Rapp. He also has an older sister.[6]
Rapp participated in community theater as a child[6] and won awards for his singing in junior high school.[7] He attended Joliet West High School and theatre camp at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan.[8] He moved to New York in 1989 to attend New York University as a film student, but dropped out after a semester.[6]
Rapp greeting fans following a 2009 performance of Rent
Rapp played Mark Cohen in the off-Broadway and original Broadway casts of Jonathan Larson's musicalRent. For his audition, he sang R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", and received his callback in September 1994.[7] After offering him the role, Jonathan Larson wrote new songs for the production with Rapp's voice in mind.[10] Rapp reprised the role in the film adaptation, released on November 23, 2005. He returned to the stage version with original cast member Adam Pascal,[11] from July 30 to October 7, 2007.[12] Rapp, Pascal and fellow original cast member Gwen Stewart also participated in a national tour of Rent beginning January 6, 2009.[13]
In 2005, Rapp played The Doctor in the world premiere of Feeling Electric (later the Broadway musical Next to Normal) at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.[6][16] During Next to Normal's Off-Broadway run in 2008, he worked as assistant director to Michael Greif, who had directed him in Rent,[17] and wrote the introduction to the published script.[18]
Rapp played Lucas in If/Then, starring fellow Rent alum Idina Menzel. It opened at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., began previews on Broadway on March 5, 2014, and opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theater on March 30. In July, Rapp had to miss performances due to a knee injury and surgery.[19] It closed on March 22, 2015. Rapp reprised the role in the 2015-2016 National Tour with Menzel and the rest of the main Broadway cast.[20]
Rapp also appeared in "Psych: The Musical", an episode of the TV series Psych, which premiered on USA Network on December 15, 2013. In 2016, Rapp was cast in Star Trek: Discovery as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, the first openly gay character in the Star Trek television series.[21] It was Rapp's first television regular role; while he had watched some Star Trek as a child, he watched "curated lists" of episodes from the multiple series to prepare for the role.[22]
Rapp had a close relationship with his mother, who was battling cancer during the beginning of the off-Broadway and Broadway transfer of Rent. He visited her on weekends.[7][14] She died at age 55 in 1997.[23] He credits her for instilling values of justice and respect in him.[24]
In 2012, Metro Weekly referred to Rapp as "one of the first openly gay men on Broadway".[25][26] He came out to his mother at 18, and by her death in 1997 she had grown comfortable with it.[3] In a 1997 interview with Oasis magazine, he explained his sexual identity as "queer" rather than "gay":
I don't want to get into labels, but I've never labeled myself except to say I'm queer. The thing that's been most important to me to be out about is that I have been in loving relationships with men ... I haven't said "I am gay." Because the truth is that I've also been in love with women, although the truth is I do think I'm primarily homosexual.[27]
Rapp is a "die hard" Chicago Cubs fan and co-hosts the baseball podcastThe Clubhouse.[29] At the Cubs game on August 29, 2016, he threw the first pitch and sang the Star Spangled Banner.[30] He enjoys playing poker and video games.[18]
In November 2019, Rapp announced his engagement to his partner, Ken Ithiphol.[31][32] They have two children, both born via surrogacy.[33][34]
Accusations against Kevin Spacey
In October 2017, Rapp alleged in an interview with BuzzFeed that actor Kevin Spacey made an unwanted sexual advance toward him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. At the time, Rapp and Spacey were both appearing in Broadway shows – Rapp in Precious Sons, Spacey in Long Day's Journey into Night[35] – and Spacey invited Rapp to a party at his home. Rapp said that at the end of the evening, an apparently drunk Spacey "picked [him] up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold", placed him on the bed, and held him down while tightening his grip on him. "He was trying to seduce me", Rapp said. "I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually."[36][37] Rapp added that he met with a lawyer to discuss possible legal action, but was told there was no case worth pursuing.[36][38] He had previously discussed the incident in a 2001 interview with The Advocate, but Spacey's name was redacted from publication to avoid legal disputes and public outing.[39] Rapp claimed he was inspired to come forward in 2017 after the effects of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations with the support of his family, boyfriend, and representatives;[24] however, text message evidence shown during Rapp's trial against Spacey showed that Rapp had reported his allegation about Spacey to BuzzFeed before Lupita Nyong'o, whom Rapp previously credited for inspiring him to come forward.[40]
In response, Spacey posted on Twitter that he did not remember the encounter but said that he was "beyond horrified to hear his story", and offered Rapp the "sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior".[41] After the BuzzFeed article, at least 14 other people came forward to accuse Spacey of sexual misconduct,[42] ultimately leading to him losing his starring role on House of Cards and involvement in other projects.[43] Rapp faced harassment and criticism for the accusation.[44] On September 9, 2020, he sued Spacey for sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress under the Child Victims Act, which extended New York's statute of limitations for civil suits related to child sexual abuse. Rapp sought $40 million in damages.[45][46] Joining Rapp in the suit against Spacey was a man who requested to remain anonymous who accused Spacey of sexually abusing him in 1983, when he was 14 and Spacey was 23.[47] On October 20, 2022, a jury found Spacey not liable.[46]
