Philip Quast facts for kids

Philip Mark Quast (born 30 July 1957) is a famous Australian actor and singer. He is known for his deep bass-baritone singing voice. Quast has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical three times. This made him the first actor ever to win three times in that category.

Many people know him best for playing Inspector Javert in the musical Les Misérables. He performed this role on stage and in the special concert version, Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert.

He has also starred in many other famous musicals. He played Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park with George, Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and George Banks in Mary Poppins. Quast is also known for his work in movies and on TV shows like Brides of Christ and the children's program Play School.

Early Life and School

Philip Quast was born in 1957 in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia. He grew up on a turkey farm with his two siblings. In 1979, he graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), a top acting school in Australia.

Acting Career

Starting on Stage

After finishing school, Quast started his career at the State Theatre Company of South Australia. In the 1980s, he acted in many plays, including works by William Shakespeare like Pericles, Prince of Tyre and As You Like It.

His big break came in 1987 when he was cast as Inspector Javert in the first Australian production of Les Misérables. He won awards for his performance and later played the same role in London's famous West End.

Quast has said he was very nervous when he first auditioned for the part. He couldn't read music well and even walked off the stage. But the show's creator, Claude-Michel Schönberg, called him back and gave him the role.

Success in London

In London, Quast continued to have great success. He starred in the musical Sunday in the Park with George. For this role, he won his first Laurence Olivier Award, which is a very important theatre award in Britain. He had to learn how to paint and sketch for the part.

During the 1990s, he worked with the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. He acted in plays like Macbeth and Love's Labour's Lost. He also returned to Australia to star in the musical The Secret Garden.

Television and Film Roles

Besides theatre, Quast has appeared in many TV shows and movies. For 17 years, he was a presenter on the Australian children's show Play School.

He acted in Australian TV dramas like The Young Doctors and Sons and Daughters. He also appeared in British shows, including Ultraviolet and Midsomer Murders.

His movie roles include playing Saddam Hussein in The Devil's Double and appearing in the war movie Hacksaw Ridge. He also acted alongside Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford in the film Truth.

More Famous Stage Roles

Throughout the 2000s, Quast continued to star in major musicals. He played Juan Peron in Evita and Emile de Becque in South Pacific. His role in South Pacific earned him his third Laurence Olivier Award.

In 2010, he played Mr. Banks in the Australian production of Mary Poppins. He won both a Green Room Award and a Helpmann Award for this performance.

In 2014, he made his New York stage debut as Judge Turpin in a special concert of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He performed with famous actors like Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel.

Personal Life

Quast is married to his wife, Carol, and they have three sons. He is known for being very humble and does not like the idea of being a celebrity. He sends his awards to his parents' house instead of keeping them himself.

Besides acting, he teaches at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), where he once studied. He has a strong passion for fishing. Quast has said he no longer plans to act in musicals because of the demanding schedule, but he wants to continue working in TV and film.

Awards and Recognition

Quast has won many awards for his work in theatre. Here are some of his major wins:

• Mo Awards: Male Musical Theatre Performer of the Year (1988, 1993)
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical:
  • 1991: for Sunday in the Park with George
  • 1998: for The Fix
  • 2002: for South Pacific
• Helpmann Award: Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Mary Poppins (2011)
• Member of the Order of Australia: In 2022, he was honored for his service to the arts as a performer and teacher.

Selected Works

Famous Stage Roles

• Les Misérables as Inspector Javert
• Sunday in the Park with George as Georges Seurat / George
• The Secret Garden as Dr. Neville Craven and later as Archibald Craven
• South Pacific as Emile de Becque
• Evita as Juan Peron
• Mary Poppins as George Banks
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as Judge Turpin
• Waiting for Godot as Pozzo

Film and Television

See also

In Spanish: Philip Quast para niños