Christian Borle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christian Borle
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Borle at Animate! Columbus in 2025
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Christian Dominique Borle
October 1, 1973 |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1995-present |
| Known for | Falsettos Something Rotten! Legally Blonde Smash Hazbin Hotel |
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Christian Dominique Borle (born October 1, 1973) is an American actor and singer famous for his work on Broadway and television. He has won two Tony Awards, which are like the Oscars for live theater.
He won his first Tony for playing the pirate Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. His second was for playing a hilarious version of William Shakespeare in the musical Something Rotten!. You might also know him as Emmett in Legally Blonde, Bert in Mary Poppins, or Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. On TV, he starred in the musical show Smash and voices the villain Vox in the animated series Hazbin Hotel.
Contents
From Art to Acting
Christian Borle was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father, Andre, was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Growing up, Christian loved Star Wars and drawing. He dreamed of becoming a comic book artist.
His path changed when he was a student at Shady Side Academy. A friend talked him into trying out for a school play. Christian discovered he had a passion for acting. He went on to study drama at Carnegie Mellon University and graduated in 1995. After college, he moved to New York City to start his career. His first job was working as an elf at Macy's Santaland during Christmas.
Career on Stage and Screen
Broadway Beginnings
Borle's first big roles were in touring productions of West Side Story and Footloose. In 2000, he made his debut on Broadway in a new version of Jesus Christ Superstar. He later joined the Broadway cast of Footloose.
In 2003, he took over the role of Jimmy Smith in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. There, he starred alongside actress Sutton Foster, whom he later married.
A major breakthrough came in 2005 with the hit musical Spamalot. It was a silly show based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Borle played several funny characters, including Prince Herbert and Not Dead Fred. His performance earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination.
Becoming a Broadway Star
In 2007, Borle created the role of Emmett Forrest in the Broadway musical Legally Blonde. The show was based on the popular movie. For this role, he was nominated for his first Tony Award.
From 2009 to 2010, he played Bert, the friendly chimney sweep, in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. He then showed his serious acting skills in a famous play called Angels in America.
Winning Tony Awards
Borle's career reached new heights in 2012. He starred in a play called Peter and the Starcatcher, which tells the origin story of Peter Pan. He played the villain, Black Stache (who later becomes Captain Hook). His performance was so funny and creative that he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
In 2015, he starred in Something Rotten!, a musical comedy about two brothers trying to write a hit play in Shakespeare's time. Borle played a rock-star version of William Shakespeare. He was hilarious in the role and won his second Tony Award.
He also earned another Tony nomination for playing Marvin in the 2016 revival of the musical Falsettos.
Famous Roles on TV and Film
Besides theater, Borle has appeared in many TV shows and movies. From 2012 to 2013, he was one of the main stars of the NBC show Smash. The series was about the creation of a Broadway musical.
He also appeared in live TV musicals for NBC. He played Max Detweiler in The Sound of Music Live! (2013) and both Mr. Smee and Mr. Darling in Peter Pan Live! (2014).
In 2017, he returned to Broadway to play the famous candy maker Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Recent Work
From 2019 to 2022, Borle played the funny and scary dentist Orin Scrivello in the musical Little Shop of Horrors.
In 2022, he starred in the musical Some Like It Hot on Broadway. For his work on the show's cast album, he won a Grammy Award in 2024.
Most recently, he has gained new fans as the voice of the villainous TV demon Vox in the popular adult animated series Hazbin Hotel. In 2024, he also starred as Jim Bakker in the Broadway musical Tammy Faye.
Personal Life
Borle met actress Sutton Foster while they were in college. They were married from 2006 to 2009. They have remained friends and have continued to support each other's work.
Selected Works
Here are some of Christian Borle's most well-known roles.
Theater
- Spamalot (2005) as Prince Herbert and others
- Legally Blonde (2007) as Emmett Forrest
- Mary Poppins (2009) as Bert
- Peter and the Starcatcher (2012) as Black Stache
- Something Rotten! (2015) as William Shakespeare
- Falsettos (2016) as Marvin
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2017) as Willy Wonka
- Little Shop of Horrors (2019) as Orin Scrivello
- Some Like It Hot (2022) as Joe/Josephine
Television
- Smash (2012–13) as Tom Levitt
- The Sound of Music Live! (2013) as Max Detweiler
- Peter Pan Live! (2014) as Smee / George Darling
- The Good Wife (2013–15) as Carter Schmidt
- Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016) as Carl
- Younger (2018) as Don Ridley
- Prodigal Son (2021) as Friar Pete
- Hazbin Hotel (2024) as the voice of Vox
Major Awards
- 2005: Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Male for Spamalot
- 2012: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Peter and the Starcatcher
- 2015: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Something Rotten!
- 2015: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for Something Rotten!
- 2020: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for Little Shop of Horrors
- 2024: Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for Some Like It Hot
See also
In Spanish: Christian Borle para niños
