Larry Owens (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Larry Owens
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| Born |
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
| Known for | A Strange Loop |
Larry Owens is a talented American comedian, actor, writer, and singer. He is known for his work in theater and television. He won important awards like the Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award for his main role in the musical A Strange Loop. You might have seen him on TV shows such as Search Party, High Maintenance, Modern Love, and Abbott Elementary.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Larry Owens grew up in East Baltimore, Maryland. He loved watching the musical Hairspray. This show helped him realize he wanted to work in musical theater. He was also a big fan of Stephen Sondheim's work. Larry improved his acting skills at a performing arts camp called Stagedoor Manor.
He later studied acting and improv at the School at Steppenwolf. Some of his teachers were famous actors like Tarell Alvin McCraney, Amy Morton, and K. Todd Freeman.
In 2015, Larry moved to New York City to start his career. He volunteered at the Musical Theatre Factory. There, he met playwright Michael R. Jackson, who wrote the musical A Strange Loop.
Career Highlights
Theater Performances
Larry Owens has performed in several musical theater shows. These include Spamilton and Gigantic. He also appeared in Catherine Cohen's Cabernet Cabaret. He even hosted his own monthly show called Decolonize Your Mind with Karen Chee.
In 2019, Larry became very well-known for his role in A Strange Loop. This musical was written by Michael R. Jackson and performed off-Broadway. Critics praised his performance. Vinson Cunningham from The New Yorker said Larry performed the songs with "power, humor, and pathos." For his amazing acting, he won a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.
In July 2021, Larry performed his own solo show called Sondheimia. He presented this show at Feinstein's/54 Below.
Television Appearances
Larry Owens has also worked behind the scenes as a writer. He was a staff writer for the truTV game show Paid Off. On screen, he has acted in many popular TV shows.
He appeared in season four of High Maintenance. You might also recognize him from Search Party, Abbott Elementary, Dash & Lily, Life & Beth, and Modern Love. Larry also uses his voice acting talents in the Amazon animated series Fairfax.
Filmography
Stage Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Fat Camp | Darnell | American Theatre of Actors | Off-Broadway |
| 2014 | Grease | Roger | The Muny | |
| 2014 | Dreamgirls | Tiny Joe Dixon / TV Stage Manager / The Five Tuxedos / Film Executive / Security Guard / Ensemble | Gerding Theater at the Armory | |
| 2015 | Gigantic | Darnell | Vineyard Theatre | Off-Broadway |
| 2016–2017 | Spamilton | Sondheim / Little Orphan Annie | Triad Theatre | Off-Broadway |
| 2017–2018 | Puerto Rican Traveling Theater | Off-Broadway | ||
| 2019 | A Strange Loop | Usher | Playwrights Horizons | Off-Broadway |
| 2021 | Sondheimia | Protagonist | Feinstein's/54 Below | Solo show; also writer. |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Betty | Devereaux | 1 episode |
| 2020 | High Maintenance | Arnold | 1 episode |
| 2020 | The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America | Belize | Television movie |
| 2020 | Helpsters | Billy Bug | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Dash & Lily | Artsy Guide | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Modern Love | Toby Dooley | Episode: "How Do You Remember Me?" |
| 2021–2022 | Fairfax | Jules (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2021–2022 | Search Party | Idiot / Ritchie | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Life & Beth | Clark | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Ziwe | Pastor | Episode: "Critical Race Theory" |
| 2022–2023 | Abbott Elementary | Zach | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Harley Quinn | Music Meister (voice) | Episode: "It's a Swamp Thing" |
Film Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | To Dust | Stanley | |
| 2018 | A Chest of Drawers | Barnaby Cromwell | Short film |
| 2019 | Last Ferry | Shane | |
| 2021 | Puppet Me | Host | Short film |
| 2023 | Problemista | Craigslist | |
| 2023 | Dumb Money | Chris | |
| 2023 | Urkel Saves Santa: the Movie | Santa (voice) | Direct-to-Video |
| TBA | Silent Retreat | Eric | Post-production |
Awards and Nominations
Larry Owens has received several awards and nominations for his work, especially for A Strange Loop.
For A Strange Loop
2019
- Nominee, Antonyo Award for Best Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway
2020
- Nominee, Drama League, Distinguished Performance Award
- Winner, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
- Winner, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
- Winner, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
- Honoree, Obie Award, Special Citation to the Creative Team and Ensemble
