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 helping create the musicals The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. He also co-wrote songs for popular Disney movies like Frozen, Frozen II, and Coco 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 group of awards is called an "EGOT". He is the youngest person ever to achieve an EGOT. What's even more amazing is that he is the only person to win all four awards more than once! He has won two Oscars, three Tonys, three Grammys, and four Emmys.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Robert Lopez was born in Manhattan, New York City. His father had Filipino roots. Robert spent most of his childhood in Greenwich Village, a neighborhood in New York City.

When he was six, he started piano lessons by chance. His family was renting an apartment with a piano, and his mom asked if he wanted to learn. He said yes! By age seven, he saw his first Broadway show and wrote his first song. At age 11, he wrote his first opening song for a show.

Lopez went to Hunter College High School and then to Yale University. He graduated from Yale in 1997. While at Yale, he wrote three plays, two of which were musicals. He knew he wanted to make a living writing musicals and focused on that goal.

Career Highlights

Starting Out and Big Success (1998–2004)

After college, Lopez moved back home. For four years, he worked temporary jobs, like writing songs for Theatreworks USA, until he could afford his own place.

In 1998, he met another songwriter, Jeff Marx. They worked on a musical called Kermit, Prince of Denmark, which was a Muppet version of Hamlet. Even though it won an award, The Jim Henson Company didn't produce it because they felt it wasn't "kid-friendly."

In 1999, Lopez and Marx started working on Avenue Q. This musical used puppets, like those on Sesame Street, but it explored themes for adults. The show was a huge hit on Broadway in 2003. It won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Lopez and Marx won the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

Becoming a Star (2005–2011)

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

Lopez also worked on music for children's 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, he and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, created a musical version of the Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo for Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

In 2007, Lopez and Jeff Marx wrote four songs for a special musical episode of the TV show Scrubs. This episode was even named one of the best TV episodes of all time!

Lopez also wrote songs for other animated shows, like Phineas and Ferb and The Simpsons.

Continued Success (2011–Present)

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

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

Lopez and his wife also wrote the musical number "Moving Pictures" for the 87th Academy Awards show.

In 2017, the Disney/Pixar film Coco featured their song "Remember Me". This song won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Original Song. This made Lopez the first person to win a second EGOT!

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

Personal Life

Kristen and Robert Lopez interviewed on Dulce Osuna in 2019

Robert Lopez met his wife, Kristen Anderson, in 1999 at a musical theater workshop. They married in 2003. They have two daughters, Katie and Annie. Both of their daughters even had voice parts in the movie Frozen! Katie voiced 5-year-old Anna, and Annie voiced a troll. As of 2014, they live in Park Slope, a neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Works by Robert Lopez

Film

Television

Theatre

Images for kids

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  Lopez receiving his Tony Award in 2004

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Robert Lopez para niños