Derek Klena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Derek Klena
Klena at the 2022 Tony Awards
Born	Derek Anthony Klena (1991-10-03) October 3, 1991 (age 33) San Dimas, California, U.S.
Education	South Hills High School
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	2009-present
Known for	Anastasia Moulin Rouge! Jagged Little Pill
Spouse(s)	Elycia Scriven ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2

Derek Anthony Klena (born October 3, 1991) is an American actor and singer. He is famous for his work on Broadway, which is New York City's biggest stage for musicals and plays.

Derek has created many important roles in popular musicals. These include Nick Healy in Jagged Little Pill, Dmitry in Anastasia, and Michael in The Bridges of Madison County. He first became well-known in the Off-Broadway show Dogfight. Later, he made his Broadway debut as Fiyero in Wicked.

More recently, Derek played Christian in the Broadway show Moulin Rouge!. He also appeared in TV shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. In 2020, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Jagged Little Pill.

Derek Klena's Early Life and Career Beginnings

Derek Klena was born in San Dimas, California. He grew up in West Covina, California, with his two younger siblings. He went to South Hills High School. His brother, Dillon, is also an actor.

Derek attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He first studied theater but later changed his major to psychology. In his first year, he played baseball. However, he soon decided to focus seriously on acting.

Getting Started in Theater

From 2009 to 2011, Derek performed in local theaters in Southern California. He even tried out for American Idol during its ninth season. Around 2010, a show producer saw a video of Derek singing a song from the musical Catch Me If You Can'. This led to an audition for the show, though he didn't get the part.

However, this audition opened doors for him. He was then invited to try out for a new musical called Carrie. He took a break from UCLA in his junior year to be part of the 2012 Off-Broadway production of Carrie.

Derek Klena's Broadway Roles

Derek Klena has starred in many well-known Broadway musicals. He often creates the very first version of a character in a new show.

First Big Roles

He was the first actor to play Eddie Birdlace in the stage version of Dogfight. In 2013, he joined the 10th anniversary cast of Wicked on Broadway, playing the role of Fiyero. After that, he played Michael Johnson in the original Broadway musical The Bridges of Madison County.

In 2014, Derek was cast in a musical based on the 1982 movie Diner. This show was planned for Broadway but didn't end up moving there.

Starring in Anastasia and Jagged Little Pill

In 2016, Derek was chosen to play Dmitry in the original production of Anastasia. This musical is based on the animated movie. It first opened in Connecticut in March 2016 and then on Broadway in April 2017.

After a year with Anastasia, he left to join the original production of Jagged Little Pill. This musical uses the music of Alanis Morissette. The Broadway show opened in December 2019. Derek was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Nick Healy in this show. The musical paused in March 2020 and reopened in October 2021.

Recent Broadway Performances

In May 2022, Derek took over the role of Christian in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway. He left the show in January 2023 but returned in April for three months. In February 2023, he also starred as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard at the Kennedy Center.

Derek returned to Moulin Rouge! again on February 6, 2024, and stayed until July 21, 2024. He is also set to return to the role of Fiyero in Wicked for a short time from May 27 to June 8, 2025.

Derek lives in New York City. He married his longtime girlfriend, Elycia Scriven, in 2018. They welcomed their first child, a son named Dax Arthur Klena, on September 8, 2022.

Stage Performances

Here are some of the stage shows Derek Klena has been in:

Television Appearances

Derek Klena has also appeared in several television shows:

Awards and Nominations

Derek Klena has been recognized for his acting: