Robert Lopez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Lopez
Lopez in 2018
Born	(1975-02-23) February 23, 1975 (age 50) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Yale University (BA)
Occupation	Songwriter playwright
Spouse(s)	Kristen Anderson ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Robert Lopez (born February 23, 1975) is an American songwriter and playwright. He is famous for creating songs for musicals like The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. He also wrote songs for Disney movies such as Frozen, Frozen II, and Coco. He often works with his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Robert Lopez is one of only 21 people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. This special achievement is called an "EGOT". He was the youngest person ever to win all four awards. He is also the only person to win each of these awards more than once! He has won two Oscars, three Tonys, three Grammys, and four Emmys. He even broke his own record for winning all four awards the fastest, doing it in just 7 years and 8 months.

Early Life and Education

Robert Lopez was born in Manhattan, New York City. His father's family has roots in the Philippines. Robert grew up mostly in Greenwich Village, New York.

When he was six, he started taking piano lessons. He loved music from a young age. By age seven, he wrote his first song. At 11, he wrote his first opening song for a show. He later studied musical composition at other music schools.

Lopez went to Hunter College Elementary School and Hunter College High School. Then he attended Yale University, graduating in 1997. At Yale, he studied English and wrote three plays, two of which were musicals. He was also part of an a cappella singing group. He always hoped to make a living by writing musicals.

Career Highlights

Early Work and First Big Success

Lopez receiving his Tony Award in 2004

After college, Lopez moved back home. He wrote songs for a group called Theatreworks USA. This helped him earn enough money to get his own apartment. He also worked temporary jobs, like being a receptionist.

In 1998, he met another songwriter, Jeff Marx. They worked on a musical called Kermit, Prince of Denmark. It was a Muppet version of Hamlet. Even though it didn't get made, it won an award for its lyrics.

In 1999, Lopez and Marx started working on Avenue Q. This musical used puppets, like those on Sesame Street. But it was for grown-ups, dealing with adult ideas. The show was a huge hit on Broadway. It won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical. Lopez and Marx also won the Tony Award for Best Original Score for their music and lyrics.

Continued Success and Awards

In 2005, Lopez began a new musical project. He teamed up with Jeff Marx again, and with Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Stone and Parker are the creators of the TV show South Park. Their new musical, The Book of Mormon, opened on Broadway in 2011. It won many awards, including the 2011 Tony for Best Musical. Lopez won two more Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. The musical's album also won a Grammy Award in 2012.

Lopez also worked on songs for TV shows. In 2006, he and his brother, Billy, wrote songs for the Nickelodeon series Wonder Pets. They won a Daytime Emmy Award for their work in 2008. In 2007, Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, wrote songs for a musical version of the Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo. This show opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

In 2007, Lopez and Jeff Marx wrote songs for an episode of the TV show Scrubs called "My Musical". This episode was very popular. Lopez also wrote songs for other Disney shows like Phineas and Ferb. He even wrote a song for The Simpsons in 2012.

Disney Film Success

In 2011, Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, wrote seven songs for the Disney film Winnie the Pooh.

In 2013, they wrote songs for Disney Animation's movie Frozen. Their song "Let It Go" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. This made Robert Lopez the 12th person to achieve the EGOT. In 2015, they won another Grammy for "Let It Go".

Lopez and his wife also wrote the song "Remember Me" for the Disney/Pixar film Coco, released in 2017. This song won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Original Song. This made Lopez the first person to win two EGOTs!

More recently, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez wrote the theme music for the MCU show WandaVision, which started in 2021. They also wrote songs for its spin-off show, Agatha All Along.

Personal Life

Kristen and Robert Lopez interviewed on Dulce Osuna in 2019

Robert Lopez met his wife, Kristen Anderson, in 1999. They were both aspiring songwriters. They got married in 2003. They have two daughters, Katie and Annie. Both daughters even had voice parts in the movie Frozen. Katie voiced 5-year-old Anna, and Annie voiced a troll. As of 2014, they lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Works

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Robert Lopez para niños