George Hearn facts for kids

George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer famous for his powerful bass-baritone voice. He is best known for his starring roles in Broadway musicals.

Hearn has played many famous characters on stage. These include Albin in La Cage aux Folles, the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard. He also played The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the popular musical Wicked.

For his amazing performances, Hearn has won two Tony Awards, which are like the Oscars for Broadway shows. He also won an Emmy Award for a TV version of Sweeney Todd.

Early Life and Training

George Hearn was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Before becoming an actor, he studied philosophy in college. He later decided to pursue a career in theater and trained with the acting coach Irene Dailey.

In his early career, Hearn performed in plays at the New York Shakespeare Festival and at Lincoln Center, a famous performing arts center in New York City.

A Career on Stage

Hearn's professional career started in 1963. He toured the country with the musical Camelot. People started to notice his talent when he appeared in the musical 1776 in 1969.

Becoming a Broadway Star

In 1980, Hearn took over the lead role in Stephen Sondheim's dark musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He starred opposite the famous actress Angela Lansbury. They later took the show on tour and filmed it for television. Hearn won an Emmy Award for his performance in the TV special.

In 1983, Hearn starred in the original Broadway production of La Cage aux Folles. He played Albin, a role that required him to sing the powerful song "I Am What I Am". For this role, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Later Roles and Success

Hearn and Angela Lansbury remained good friends. She invited him to be a guest star on her popular TV detective show, Murder, She Wrote, in the 1990s.

He won his second Tony Award for playing Max Von Mayerling in the musical Sunset Boulevard in 1995. He was also nominated for a Tony for playing Otto Frank in a 1997 revival of the play The Diary of Anne Frank.

In 2004, Hearn joined the cast of the hit musical Wicked on Broadway. He played the part of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In 2007, George Hearn was honored for his incredible career by being inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

George Hearn has been married to Leslie Simons since 1985. He has three sons. He currently lives in Essex, New York.

Famous Roles

Besides his work on Broadway, George Hearn has appeared in movies and on television. Here are some of his well-known roles.

On Stage

• 1776 (1969) as John Dickinson
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1980) as Sweeney Todd
• La Cage aux Folles (1983) as Albin
• Sunset Boulevard (1993) as Max von Mayerling
• The Diary of Anne Frank (1997) as Mr. Otto Frank
• Wicked (2004) as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

On Screen

• Sneakers (1992) as Gregor Ivanovich
• The Pagemaster (1994) as the voice of Captain Ahab
• All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) as the voice of Red
• Barney's Great Adventure (1998) as Grandpa
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991) in the episode "First Contact"
• The Golden Girls (1991) as the character Frank Nann
• Law & Order (1999) as Independent Counsel William Dell

Awards and Honors

George Hearn has won many awards for his acting and singing.

• Tony Awards
  • 1984: Won for Best Actor in a Musical (La Cage aux Folles)
  • 1995: Won for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Sunset Boulevard)
  • He was also nominated for three other Tony Awards.

• Primetime Emmy Award
  • 1985: Won for his performance in the TV version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

• Drama Desk Award
  • 1984: Won for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (La Cage aux Folles).