Erika Henningsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erika Henningsen
Henningsen in 2021
Born	Erika Leigh Henningsen (1992-08-13) August 13, 1992 (age 32) Moraga, California, U.S.
Education	University of Michigan (BFA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	2007–present
Spouse(s)	Kyle Selig ​ (m. 2023)​

Erika Leigh Henningsen (born August 13, 1992) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her work on Broadway. She was the first actress to play Cady Heron in the musical Mean Girls. For this role, she was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award.

Since 2024, she has been the voice of Princess Charlie Morningstar in the popular animated series Hazbin Hotel.

Early Life and School

Erika Henningsen was born and grew up in Moraga, California. She is the youngest of three sisters. From a young age, she loved talking and performing for people.

Her interest in acting sparked when she was seven years old. She performed a funny poem and loved hearing the audience laugh. At age 14, she was in a local show called Grey Gardens. After that, she knew she wanted a career in musical theatre.

Henningsen went to Campolindo High School and graduated in 2010. She then went to the University of Michigan. In 2014, she earned a BFA, which is a special college degree for artists. She also studied acting in London for a short time. She won an award for being a top student with great career potential.

Career Highlights

First Steps on Stage

In 2010, when she was 17, Henningsen got her first professional acting job. She played Penny Pingleton in the musical Hairspray in Oakland, California.

In 2014, she performed in a concert version of the musical Show Boat in New York City. The show was later shown on PBS television. She also starred as Beth in a new musical called Diner. The show was a big success in Washington, D.C..

Broadway Debut in Les Misérables

On March 3, 2015, Henningsen made her Broadway debut. She played the role of Fantine in the famous musical Les Misérables. It was a dream come true for her. She had played the same role in a college show just 11 months earlier.

At the time, she was the youngest actress ever to play Fantine on Broadway. She left the show in August 2015.

Starring in Mean Girls

In 2017, Henningsen landed the lead role of Cady Heron in the new musical Mean Girls. The musical was written by Tina Fey, who also wrote the popular movie. The show first opened in Washington, D.C., before moving to Broadway.

Mean Girls officially opened on Broadway on April 8, 2018. Henningsen received great reviews and a nomination for an Outer Critics Circle Award. While in the show, she filmed a video blog called "Too Grool for School". It gave fans a fun backstage look at the musical. She played Cady until February 2020.

Voice Acting and TV Shows

Henningsen is also a talented voice actress. In 2024, she began voicing the main character, Charlie Morningstar, in the animated musical series Hazbin Hotel. The show became very popular on Amazon Prime. She also had a guest role on its sister show, ... Boss.

From 2021 to 2024, she played Young Gloria in the comedy show Girls5eva. She also appeared in the Netflix comedy The Four Seasons, which was a number one hit when it came out in 2025.

Current Work

Henningsen is currently starring on Broadway as movie star Sandra Dee in the musical Just in Time.

Helping Others

Henningsen enjoys using her fame to help good causes. In college, she was a leader of a group that brought performing arts to kids in Michigan. The group was co-founded by her friend and future Mean Girls co-star, Ashley Park.

She works with an organization called Sing For Hope. It helps bring art and music to children in New York City. She has also supported groups that fight poverty and help animals find homes.

In 2019, she started a project to build a library for a school in Kenya. This was inspired by her Mean Girls character, Cady, who lived in Africa. She collected over 1,100 books from fans and shipped them to the school.

Personal Life

In 2018, Henningsen began dating Kyle Selig, who also starred in Mean Girls. They announced their engagement in 2021 and were married on May 22, 2023, in New York City.

Theatre Credits

Credits in bold show her work on Broadway.

Filmography

Television

Awards and Nominations