Jaquel Spivey

Jaquel Spivey
Spivey at the 75th Tony Awards in 2022
Born (1998-11-13) November 13, 1998 (age 26)
Raleigh, North Carolina
EducationPoint Park University
OccupationActor

Jaquel Spivey (born November 13, 1998) is an American actor. He won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his starring role as Usher in the Broadway theatre production of A Strange Loop in 2022.[1][2][3] He also earned a Grammy Award nomination for the cast recording of the show.[4]

Personal life and career

Spivey grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, raised by a single mother, before moving to New Jersey to live with his aunt.[1] Spivey stated that he grew up "in a household of black women" who he credited for instilling confidence in him and his identity as "very feminine, queer, and outspoken."[5]

He graduated from Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey.[2] He attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received a degree in musical theatre in May 2021.[1] At Point Park, he portrayed Louis in a production of Sunday in the Park with George.[1]

After Larry Owens left A Strange Loop following its off-Broadway run, Spivey was cast as Usher in July 2021 when the show transferred to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., for a seven-week tryout.[1][6] The show then moved to New York City at the Lyceum Theatre, with Spivey making his Broadway debut with the opening of the production in April 2022.[2][1] A Strange Loop earned 11 Tony Award nominations in 2022, including one for Best Actor in a Musical for Spivey's performance.[2] Spivey, as the principal vocalist, and the rest of the cast received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.[4] Spivey won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical,[3] He was also nominated for a Distinguished Performance Award for the Drama League Awards,[7] and won the Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical and was honored with a Theatre World Award.[6] A Strange Loop closed on Broadway in January 2023.[8]

In December 2022, Spivey was cast as Damian Hubbard in Mean Girls, a film adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name, which itself is based on the 2004 film Mean Girls.[9]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2024 Mean Girls Damian Hubbard
TBA Queens of the Dead †
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2022–2023 A Strange Loop Usher Lyceum Theatre, Broadway

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2022 Tony Awards Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical A Strange Loop Nominated [2]
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won [3]
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Award Nominated [7]
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical Won [6]
Theatre World Award Honoree [6]
2023 Grammy Awards Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album Nominated [4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Vincentelli, Elisabeth (April 20, 2022). "'I Deserve to Be Here': Riding His First Professional Gig to Broadway". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Keller, Ilana (June 10, 2022). "Opening doors: Jaquel Spivey talks Tony-nominated 'A Strange Loop' role". Asbury Park Press. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Sullivan, Lindsey (June 8, 2022). "Six, Company & Clyde's Lead 2022 Drama Desk Awards". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Porter II, Juan Michael (2022-05-16). "'Feminine, queer, and outspoken,' Broadway's Jaquel Spivey reimagines the definition of Broadway's leading man". Queerty. Archived from the original on 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  6. ^ a b c d Marius, Marley (June 14, 2022). "Jaquel Spivey Is On the Ride of His Life". Vogue. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Rosky, Nicole (April 25, 2022). "2022 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced- Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  8. ^ Tran, Diep (January 10, 2023). "Michael R. Jackson Has Made Peace with A Strange Loop Closing on Broadway". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. ^ Galuppo, Mia (December 9, 2022). "'Mean Girls' Movie Musical Sets Cast". HollywoodReporter.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.