Isaac Cole Powell (born December 30, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He played the role of Daniel in the Broadway revival of the musical Once on This Island[1] and was cast as Tony in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story.[2]
Early life and career
Powell was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, the youngest of three children born to Terry and Will Powell, a three-time world CrossFit champion.[3] His father is Afro-Indigenous; his mother is white.[3] His sister, Jessica Powell, is a Certified Personal Trainer at their father's fitness studio and is featured on TLC's My Big Fat Fabulous Life as Whitney's fitness trainer.[4][5] Powell began to act in middle school with the Community Theatre of Greensboro.[3] He attended Philip J. Weaver Academy, a performing arts high school, before transferring to a boarding program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) during his senior year of high school. He graduated from UNCSA with an acting degree in May 2017.[3][6]
Powell played the role of Daniel in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, which began previews in November 2017 and opened officially in December. Jesse Green, writing in The New York Times called Powell's solo, "Some Girls," a "quietly sensitive rendering."[11] Robert Hofler, in TheWrap, wrote that Powell makes the song "the most poignant moment in this revival."[12] TheaterMania's review deemed Powell, "charismatic and silvery-voiced."[13] He recorded his role on the revival's cast album.[14]
Powell competed in May 2018 on the live Broadway game show, I Only Have Lies for You.[15] In the spring of 2018, he signed on with the New Pandemics modeling agency and modeled for Palomo Spain's and NIHL's fall 2019 lines at New York Fashion Week.[16][17][18] In W Magazine, Powell notes that "[M]odeling is a new thing ... I've been basically shooting all the gay publications, which is really, really great."[19] He models in addition to acting, and was featured in the final issue of Hello Mr.[20][21]
Powell played Tony in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story. The production, directed by Ivo van Hove, began previews on December 10, 2019, and officially opened on February 20, 2020 at the Broadway Theatre, but closed early on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
Powell is gay and came out at the age of 16.[16] In 2016, Powell met Broadway actor, Wesley Taylor, when Taylor was visiting University of North Carolina School of the Arts where Powell was a junior in the school's theatre program.[24] The two then began a relationship in 2017 and were engaged in May 2019. They ended their relationship in 2021.[citation needed]
