André De Shields facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
André De Shields
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De Shields in 2022
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| Born | January 12, 1946 |
| Education | Baltimore City College Wilmington College University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA) New York University (MA) |
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| Years active | 1967–present |
André Robin De Shields (born January 12, 1946) is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer. He is famous for his amazing performances on Broadway. He has won many important awards. These include an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award.
De Shields has starred in many original Broadway musicals. Some of these include The Full Monty and The Wiz. He is especially known for playing Hermes in the musical Hadestown. For this role, he won a Tony Award in 2019. He also won a Grammy Award in 2020 for the Hadestown cast album. He has also appeared on television. He won an Emmy Award in 1982 for his performance in Ain't Misbehavin'.
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André De Shields' Early Life and School
André Robin De Shields was born on January 12, 1946. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, with ten brothers and sisters. He was the ninth child in his family.
He finished high school at Baltimore City College in 1964. Then he went to Wilmington College. There, he acted in a play called A Raisin in the Sun. He later earned a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1970. In 1991, he earned a master's degree in African American studies from New York University. Today, he also teaches at New York University.
André De Shields' Acting Career
André De Shields started his acting career in 1969. His first big role was in the Chicago production of Hair. This led him to other roles and to work with the Organic Theater Company in Chicago. In the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, he performed in many plays in New York City.
Broadway Debut and Early Musicals
De Shields made his first appearance on Broadway in 1973. He played Xander in a show called Warp!. After that, he starred as the main character in The Wiz. This popular musical was directed by Geoffrey Holder.
Returning to Broadway and Major Roles
After working as a choreographer for Bette Midler, De Shields returned to Broadway. In 1978, he performed in the musical Ain't Misbehavin'. This show was very successful and ran for over 1,600 performances. He was nominated for an award for his performance.
In 1984, De Shields created his own Broadway musical. It was called André De Shields' Haarlem Nocturne. He wrote, choreographed, directed, and starred in this show. It featured classic American songs and his own music.
In 2000, De Shields played Noah "Horse" T. Simmons. This was in the musical version of the movie The Full Monty. He earned nominations for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for this role.
Regional Theatre and Recent Work
De Shields has also performed in many plays outside of Broadway. These include Waiting For Godot, Death of a Salesman, and King Lear. In 2013, he played Akela and King Louie in a new version of The Jungle Book. He won an award for his role as King Louie.
He also played Barrett Rude Sr. in The Fortress of Solitude. This musical was based on a popular novel. In 2015, he starred in a new musical called Gotta Dance.
Hadestown and Other Notable Performances
De Shields played the god Hermes in the Broadway musical Hadestown. The show started in March 2019. He won a Tony Award for his performance as Hermes. He left the show in May 2022. He will play Hermes again in London in 2025.
In 2021, De Shields also voiced Hermes in a podcast for kids. It was called Live From Mount Olympus. His co-stars included other actors from Hadestown.
André De Shields on Television and Film
De Shields has appeared in many television shows. These include Another World, Cosby, and Sex and the City. He won an Primetime Emmy Award in 1982 for his performance in the TV broadcast of Ain't Misbehavin'.
In 1983, he played Tweedledum in a TV show of Alice in Wonderland. More recently, he appeared in John Mulaney's comedy special on Netflix. He sang a song called "Algebra Song!" In 2020, he had a recurring role as Chubby in the TV series Katy Keene.
In 2021, De Shields was part of a special online concert. It was a musical version of the Disney/Pixar film Ratatouille. He played Anton Ego. He also appeared in the movie tick, tick... BOOM! in 2021. This film was directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In 2022, he played Jack in the Netflix comedy Uncoupled.
In September 2022, De Shields began performing as Uncle Ben in Death of a Salesman on Broadway. In 2024, he was announced to play Old Deuteronomy in the musical Cats.
Awards and Honors
André De Shields has received many awards for his work.
- In 1982, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in Ain't Misbehavin'.
- He won several AUDELCO Recognition Awards for his directing and performances.
- In 2001, he won an Outer Critics Circle Award for his role in The Full Monty.
- He received an Obie Award in 2007 for his long and excellent career.
- In 2019, he won a Tony Award for playing Hermes in Hadestown. He also won a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for this role.
- In 2020, he won a Grammy Award for the Hadestown cast album.
- In 2023, he received the Distinguished Achievement In Musical Theater award from the Drama League Award.
See also
In Spanish: André De Shields para niños
