Matthew Morrison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matthew Morrison
Morrison at the 2010 Peabody Awards
Born	Matthew James Morrison (1978-10-30) October 30, 1978 (age 46) Fort Ord, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor dancer singer
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Renee Puente ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Pop jazz soul pop standards
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Mercury 222 Records
Associated acts	Glee LMNT

Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer, and singer. He is most famous for playing Will Schuester on the TV show Glee from 2009 to 2015.

Matthew has also starred in many Broadway shows. These include Hairspray, The Light in the Piazza, and Finding Neverland. He was even nominated for a Tony Award for his role in The Light in the Piazza.

In 2020, he played the Grinch in NBC's live musical Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live!. He has also been a judge on TV dance shows like The Greatest Dancer and So You Think You Can Dance.

Matthew Morrison has released three solo music albums. These are Matthew Morrison (2011), Where It All Began (2013), and Disney Dreamin' with Matthew Morrison (2020).

Early Life and Education

Matthew Morrison was born in Fort Ord, California. His parents are Mary Louise and Thomas Morrison. He grew up in Chico, California. Matthew has Scottish and English family roots.

He loved theater from a young age. He was part of the Buena Park Youth theater. He also attended the Orange County High School of the Arts. While in high school, he performed in a musical with actress Jodie Sweetin.

Matthew studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. But he left after two years. He left to join the Broadway show Footloose. By his first year of college, he was already performing regularly on Broadway.

Career Highlights

Early Career and Boy Bands

In 1999, while still at NYU, Matthew appeared on TV shows like Late Show with David Letterman. He was part of a funny fake boy band called "Fresh Step." The choreographer for "Fresh Step" also worked on the Broadway musical Footloose. This helped Matthew get a role in Footloose later that year. He then left college to join the show.

Morrison with Glee co-star Jane Lynch

In 2001, Matthew joined the boy band LMNT. He was in the band for one year. He left before they recorded their only album. Matthew later said this year was "the worst year of my life." He felt embarrassed performing with them.

Broadway and TV Roles

Matthew briefly appeared in a show called The Rocky Horror Show in 2002. Then, he starred as Link Larkin in the original Broadway cast of Hairspray. He played this role from 2002 to 2004.

In 2005, Matthew starred in The Light in the Piazza on Broadway. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. He left that show in August 2005.

Matthew also started working in television. He guest-starred on shows like Ghost Whisperer, Numbers, and CSI: Miami. He had small roles in movies too, like Marci X (2003). In 2005, he was in the TV movie Once Upon a Mattress.

In 2007, he earned a Drama Desk Nomination for his role in the Off-Broadway show 10 Million Miles. That same year, he appeared in the films Dan in Real Life and Music and Lyrics. In 2008, he played Lieutenant Cable in South Pacific on Broadway.

Starring in Glee

Matthew Morrison became very well known for playing Will Schuester in the TV series Glee. The show first aired in May 2009. His character, Will Schuester, is a high school teacher who works to bring the school's glee club back to life. Matthew even directed one episode of the show in its third season.

Morrison (center) with LGBT activist couple Kevin and Don Norte at a PFLAG fundraiser in 2010

Music Albums and Other Projects

In January 2010, Matthew signed a solo music deal. His first album, Matthew Morrison, came out in May 2011. It included songs with famous artists like Elton John and Gwyneth Paltrow.

In March 2012, Matthew performed in a play called 8. This play was about the legal case that changed the ban on same-sex marriage in California. The performance was shown online to raise money for equal rights.

His second album, Where It All Began, was released in June 2013. This album featured show tunes and jazz standards.

Matthew returned to Broadway in 2015. He played J. M. Barrie in the musical Finding Neverland.

From 2019 to 2020, Matthew was a "dance captain" on the BBC One show The Greatest Dancer. In 2019, he also appeared in the TV horror series American Horror Story: 1984.

In December 2020, he starred as The Grinch in NBC's live musical production. In 2022, he was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. He later left the show and was replaced by actress Leah Remini.

In 2023, Matthew starred in the TV film A Paris Christmas Waltz. He is also set to appear in a thriller movie called From Embers. In 2024, he performed as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago in Japan.

Personal Life

Matthew Morrison was engaged to actress Chrishell Stause in 2006, but their relationship ended.

In 2011, he started dating Renee Puente. They got engaged in 2013 with help from Elton John. Matthew and Renee were married on October 18, 2014, in Maui.

They welcomed their first child, a son, on October 22, 2017. On March 16, 2021, Matthew announced they were expecting their second child after some miscarriages. Their daughter was born on June 28, 2021.

Discography

Matthew Morrison visiting Barnes & Noble for a CD release party, 2013

Studio Albums

EPs

Singles

Theatre Performances

Film and Television Roles

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Morrison para niños