Rory O'Malley | |
|---|---|
 O'Malley at 13th Annual Broadway Barks Benefit in 2011 | |
| Born | (1980-12-23)December 23, 1980 (age 44) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | The Book of Mormon,Hamilton |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | roryomalley |
Rory James O'Malley (born December 23, 1980) is an American actor, best known for his performance as Elder McKinley inThe Book of Mormon, for which he was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical at the65th Tony Awards in 2011. He is a co-founder of thegay rights activist groupBroadway Impact.
Rory O'Malley was born inCleveland, Ohio; he grew up with his single mother, who is of Irish ancestry.[1] They areCatholic.[2] He graduated fromSaint Ignatius High School in Cleveland. O'Malley is a 1997YoungArts alumnus.[3] In 2003, he received hisBachelors of Fine Arts in acting fromCarnegie Mellon University.[4] O'Malley became good friends with actorsJosh Gad andLeslie Odom Jr. at Carnegie Mellon University.
O'Malley had a smallcameo appearance inOn the Run in 2004. His best-known screen appearance was in the 2006 film adaptation ofDreamgirls.[5] He also performed the song "Cadillac Car" on the soundtrack,Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture.[6]
In 2018, he became a series regular onLifetime'sAmerican Princess.[7]
O'Malley starred asCharlie Brown in the 2004 Falcon Theatre production ofSnoopy! The Musical, which ran from June 24 to July 18, 2004, in Los Angeles.[8] He starred asRichie Cunningham in the 2006 Los Angeles premiere ofHappy Days, as well as the 2007Goodspeed Opera House production.[9][10][11] In October 2008, he appeared alongside Colin Donnell andLaura Osnes in the thenBroadway-bound musicalPride and Prejudice as Charles Bingley, at theEastman Theatre inRochester, New York.[12]
O'Malley's first appearance on Broadway was in the musicalThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, replacing actors in the roles of Leaf Coneybear, William Barfee, and Douglas Panch.[13] Regionally, he has appeared inKiss of the Spider Woman as Valentín Arregui, aMarxist revolutionary; inCharley's Aunt as Charley Wykeham, andSanta Claus Is Coming to Motown asKris Kringle.[14] His first appearanceOff-Broadway was the 2009 revival ofNewsical, directed byMark Waldrop.[14]
He originated the role of Elder McKinley in the musicalThe Book of Mormon, which opened on Broadway on March 24, 2011.[15][16][17]The New York Times reviewer wrote, "But allow me to single out my personal favorites. 'Turn It Off' is a hilarious chorus-line piece about repression, performed by the (all-maleMormon) missionaries and destined to make a star of its lead singer and dancer, Rory O'Malley (whose character is repressed in his own special way)."[18] For this role, O'Malley was nominated for the 2011Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical,[19] and was also nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical at the65th Tony Awards.[20] On July 18, 2011, O'Malley participated in a reading ofGeorge Bernard Shaw's play,Fanny's First Play, a satire of theater critics, at thePlayers Club inManhattan, New York City.[21] He appeared as Frank Hoover inLittle Miss Sunshine at the Off-BroadwaySecond Stage Theatre from October 2013 to December 2013.[22] O'Malley also participated in theDustin Lance Black play8, a chronicle reenactment of the federalcase that overturned California'sProposition 8.[23] He replacedJonathan Groff in the role ofKing George III in the original Broadway production ofHamilton from April 11, 2016, through January 16, 2017,[24] performing the role on the national tour following his nine-month stint on Broadway.
O'Malley is the creator and host of the podcastLiving the Dream with Rory O'Malley, where he talks to fellow industry people about the reality of being an actor. He created it after joining theHamilton cast; he realized that young fans of the show were seeing an unrealistic and cultivated depiction of the life of a Broadway actor. The podcast is currently on an indefinite hold, but O'Malley has expressed plans to resume making it.
O'Malley is the host of theGeffen Playhouse'sUnscripted.
O'Malley is an active supporter of gay rights, establishing the activism groupBroadway Impact in 2009 withGavin Creel and Jenny Kanelos.[25] O'Malley said in late 2010: "Since its first year, Broadway Impact has held massive rallies for equality in New York City, made thousands of calls through phone banks and even organized 25 buses to Washington, D.C. so that 1,400 people could attend theNational Equality March for free. This year we were honored to receive the 2010Human Rights Campaign Community Award and even participated in theING New York City Marathon as a charity team. Our team of 12 runners, including myself, raised $38,440 for Broadway Impact!"[26]
On August 15, 2010, O'Malley performed in the benefit concert Sing for the Cure, at Don't Tell Mama in New York City.[27] He was also featured in a Broadway Impact fundraiser on November 2, 2010, hosted by Gavin Creel.[28] Another concert, also benefiting Broadway Impact was held on July 25, 2010.[29] O'Malley participated in the Broadway Sings for Pride concert in June 2011.[30] On July 9, 2011, he joinedMary Tyler Moore,Bernadette Peters and others in the 2011Broadway Barks adopt-a-thon.[31] In the same year, he was named a Givenik Ambassador.[32] In 2012, he and his spouse Gerold Schroeder were featured in aGAP ad, cheek to cheek, with the caption "BE ONE."[33]
In October 2020, O'Malley joined many other Broadway stars in a virtual voter education and letter-writing party sponsored byVoteRiders to raise awareness about voter ID requirements.[34]
A gay man, O'Malleycame out at the age of 19.[35] On July 21, 2013, O'Malley announced his engagement to boyfriend Gerold Schroeder viaFacebook,[36][non-primary source needed] and they married on September 28, 2014.[37][non-primary source needed][38] Gerold Schroeder is one of three sons of Peter Schroeder, a partner in the law firm Norris Choplin Schroeder inIndianapolis, Indiana.[39] Via posts onInstagram, Facebook, andTwitter, O'Malley announced on November 22, 2018, "after more than two years of paperwork, home studies, joy, heartache, and grace" he and Schroeder had adopted a newborn baby boy. Their son Jimmy O'Malley's adoption was finalized on September 7, 2019.[40]
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Swing | Circle in the Square Theatre |
| 2007 | Happy Days | Richie Cunningham | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 2009–10 | Newsical | Performer | 47th Street Theatre |
| 2011 | She Loves Me | Arpad Laszlo | Stephen Sondheim Theatre |
| 2011–13 | The Book of Mormon | Elder McKinley /Moroni | Eugene O'Neill Theatre |
| 2011 | 8 | Ryan Kendall | Eugene O'Neill Theatre |
| 2013 | Nobody Loves You | Chazz / Dominic / Evan | Second Stage Theatre |
| 2013 | Little Miss Sunshine | Frank Ginsberg | Second Stage Theatre |
| 2016–17 | Hamilton | King George III | Richard Rodgers Theatre |
| 2017–18 | Angelica Company National Tour | ||
| 2021–22 | Pantages Theatre | ||
| 2022–23 | Philip Company North American Tour | ||
| 2023 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer | James Earl Jones Theatre |
| 2024 | Reefer Madness | Jack Stone/Jesus Christ | 25th Anniversary Los Angeles Revival |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | Dave | |
| 2007 | Live! | Red Sox Hat Student | |
| 2016 | Mother's Day | Customer at Book Signing | |
| 2023 | Jess Plus None | Peter | |
| 2024 | Lost & Found in Cleveland | Hugh Robinson |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Mad TV | Tommy | Episode #1.19 |
| 2012 | Nurse Jackie | Dave Tyler | Episode: "Day of the Iguana" |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Craig | Episode: "Twenty-Five Acts" |
| 2013 | 1600 Penn | Tour Guide | Episode: "Skip the Tour" |
| 2014 | Partners | Michael | 10 episodes |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Ren Calder | Episode: "Old Spice" |
| 2015 | South Park | Steven Seagal's singing voice, Brian Boyant (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Jarl | Episode: "Josh's Ex-Girlfriend Is Crazy." |
| 2018–2021 | Bob's Burgers | Various voices | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | American Princess | Brian Dooley | Main cast, 10 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Modern Family | Ptolemy | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | American Dad! | The Riddle Lord (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2020 | Grace and Frankie | Jordy | Episode: "The Short Rib" |
| 2020–2022 | Central Park | Elwood / Dog Seeker 2 (voice) | 21 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Chicago Party Aunt | Daniel Whiddington (voice) | 16 episodes |
| 2022 | Family Guy | Police Detective No. 2 (voice) | Episode: "Lawyer Guy" |
| 2023 | Not Dead Yet | Ben | Episode: "Not Scattered Yet" |
| 2025 | High Potential | Brett Lewis | Episode: “Chutes and Murders” |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | The Book of Mormon | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Replacement (Male) | Hamilton | Nominated |
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