Patrick Page facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patrick Page
Patrick Page in 2002
Born	John Patrick Page (1962-04-27) April 27, 1962 (age 63) Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Education	Allan Hancock College Whitman College (BA)
Occupation	Actor singer playwright
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Paige Davis ​ (m. 2001)​

John Patrick Page (born April 27, 1962) is an American actor, low bass singer, and playwright. He is known for his deep voice and for playing many interesting characters on stage. Patrick Page started his career in classical theater, especially performing plays by William Shakespeare. He became famous for creating roles in big Broadway musicals. These include playing the Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Hades in Hadestown. His role as Hades earned him a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a nomination for a Tony Award.

Early Life and Learning

John Patrick Page was born in Spokane, Washington. He grew up mostly in Monmouth, Oregon. His father, Robert Page, taught theater at Western Oregon University. Patrick loved Shakespeare from a young age. This passion grew when his father performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. His mother, Geri, worked at Oregon State University.

As a teenager, Patrick became very interested in magic. In 1978, he won a magic competition. In 1979, he was named the best teenage stage magician by a group called the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Patrick went to Central High School in Independence, Oregon, graduating in 1980. In high school, he was active in theater, speech, and debate. He was the first person to win the national championship title twice in speech, in 1979 and 1980. He then studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Later, he graduated with honors from Whitman College in 1985. He was chosen to give the farewell speech for his class. At Whitman, he was twice named the best competitive speaker in the nation.

Career Highlights

Patrick Page's early acting career was mainly in Utah and Oregon. He spent six seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. There, he helped create the new Randall L. Jones Theatre. He also performed often with the Pioneer Theatre Company. After that, he spent several seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Eventually, he moved to New York to act in more shows.

Broadway and Famous Roles

Patrick Page has played many roles on Broadway. He was the first to play The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. He also played Scar in The Lion King and Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He performed these roles in national tours and later on Broadway. He also played Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol. He was Decius Brutus in Julius Caesar alongside Denzel Washington.

His performance as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons in 2008 was highly praised. The Wall Street Journal called it one of the best theater performances that year.

Patrick is also known as a leading classical actor in America. He is connected with the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., and the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. In 2006, he won the Helen Hayes Award for his role as Iago in Othello. A critic from Washington Post called his Iago one of the best Shakespeare performances ever. He also played the main role in Macbeth and Claudius in Hamlet. In 2023, he starred as King Lear at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

At the Old Globe Theatre, his role as Cyrano De Bergerac won several awards. He also played Malvolio in Twelfth Night. Patrick has performed in many top regional theaters across America. He has played many famous classical characters like Cyrano, Hamlet, Richard II, Richard III, and Macbeth.

Patrick Page is also a playwright. In 2004, his play Swansong was named one of the top ten plays of the year. It was performed at the Kennedy Center and Off-Broadway. He also wrote other one-man shows and a popular version of A Christmas Carol. Patrick also teaches acting at various universities and privately in New York City. He has directed plays like Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.

Later Theatre and Screen Roles

Patrick Page created the roles of Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin in the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. This show featured music by Bono and The Edge. His performance received great reviews. For this role, he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. He left Spider-Man in 2012 to star in a new Broadway production of Cyrano De Bergerac.

From March to June 2013, Patrick played the main role in Shakespeare Theatre Company's Coriolanus. He also appeared in the Broadway play A Time to Kill in 2013. In 2014, he was in the play Casa Valentina. He was the first to play Frollo in the U.S. premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also performed in Cymbeline and the Spring Awakening revival.

Since 2016, Patrick Page has played Hades in productions of Hadestown. He performed this role Off-Broadway, in Canada, and in London. He reprised the role on Broadway starting in March 2019. This role earned him a nomination for a Tony Award. His singing in this role includes very low notes. He left Hadestown on Broadway in December 2022 after six years. He reprised the role for his West End debut in February and March 2025. A filmed version of the West End production, featuring the original Broadway cast, was recorded in early 2025.

Patrick Page also appeared in the 2022 musical film Spirited as Jacob Marley, alongside Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. In 2024, he began a national tour of All the Devils are Here. This is a one-man show where he explores villains from Shakespeare's plays. He also voiced Satan in the Helluva Boss episode “Mastermind” in 2024. He voices the Magic Mirror in Disney's 2025 film Snow White.

Personal Life and Advocacy

Patrick Page was married to actress Liisa Ivary from 1989 to 1991. In 2001, he married actress and TV personality Paige Davis. They have been together for many years.

Patrick Page is a strong supporter of mental health awareness. He has spoken openly about his experiences with managing his well-being. He has shared that it took time to find the right ways to manage his health. He also experiences hearing loss. He advocates for adding closed captions to live musicals. He also supports increasing the recording volumes of soundtracks for better accessibility.

Acting Roles

Film

Television

Theatre

Podcasts

Awards and Recognitions

Patrick Page has received many awards throughout his career. These include a Grammy Award, a Helen Hayes Award, and a Princess Grace Award. He also received the Utah Governors Medal for the Arts and the Whitman College Young Alumni Award. He was nominated for a Tony Award.

See also

In Spanish: Patrick Page para niños