Jonathan Groff

At 39 years old, Jonathan Groff has this physical status:

Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer.

Groff came to fame in 2006 as a lead actor in Melchior Gabor's original Broadway production of Spring Awakening, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

In 2015, he returned to Broadway to appear as King George III in Hamilton, a performance for which he received a nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

He also appeared on the cast recording, which received the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Groff is also known for his television appearances, including Ian Todd in the Starz political drama Boss; lead actor Patrick Murray in HBO's Looking: The Movie; and the recurring role of Jesse St. James in the Fox musical comedy series Glee.

Kristoff appeared in Walt Disney Animation Studios' films Frozen and Frozen II. He played Kristoff.

Groff has appeared in Mindhunter, a Netflix period crime drama, since 2017.

Early life and education

Jonathan Drew Groff was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Julie (née Witmer), a physical education instructor, and Jim Groff, a harness horse trainer. David WebstaurantStore's President and COO, he has one older brother, David. On the fifth season of The Voice, he is the first cousin of singer James Wolpert. Groff is of German descent. Mennonite father and his paternal grandfather, J. Wade Groff, a Mennonite minister, was a leader of the United Nations. Groff's mother is Methodist, and Groff was raised in the Methodist faith. He grew up in Ronks, Pennsylvania, among Amish people who were not allowed to use electricity or drive vehicles.

Groff's roots in theater and acting began at an early age. Groff was three years old when he first fell in love with Julie Andrews' appearance as Mary Poppins, and as he grew up, he and his brother put on childhood home productions, such as a performance of The Wizard of Oz in his father's barn, where he played Dorothy. Groff cites Sutton Foster as one of his greatest influences and idols, and as a young aspiring actor, he'll wait outside the theatre door after her appearances to get her autograph. Groff began working in middle school and high school drama, and it was there that he was inspired to pursue a career in theater that he excelled.

Groff appeared in many community performances in his hometown of Lancaster during his youth. Charlie Brown, a seventeen-year-old boy, directed and appeared in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, a high school theatre festival at the Fulton Opera House, for which he received a community award. He appeared in The Sound of Music, Ragtime, Cyrano, Evita, My Fair Lady, Peter Pan, The Pirates of Penzance, and Rags at the Fulton Opera House, as well as appearing as Edgar in Bat Boy: The Musical and Ugly in Honk. At The Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

Groff graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 2003 and had intended to attend Carnegie Mellon University, but he delayed his admission for a year after being cast as Rolf in a Non-Equity national tour of The Sound of Music. Groff decided to travel to New York City rather than attending college and begin his career after the tour.

Personal life

Groff was diagnosed with melanoma in his early 20s and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. He has no social media pages, and he explained why: "I hate how much I look at my phone already with text messaging, and so I didn't want to add another feature to it." Groff purchased a house in Christiana, Pennsylvania, where he lives part time.

Groff came out as gay as a correspondent of Broadway.com during the National Equality March in October 2009. He related about being out, mourning the agony of being locked, and the knowledge that disclosing his sexuality could have negative ramifications on his career. He has also stated how much he loves being a role model for young people as an out actor, and has advocated for the importance of publishing coming out stories.

Groff was initially reluctant to take lead roles in the gay television series Looking, citing insecurity about being typecast in gay roles, but the process later made him so much more comfortable in my own skin." Groff, a Grand Marshal at the New York City Gay Pride parade on June 29, 2014.

Groff was honoured by the Point Horizon Award in April 2015 for a "trailblazer" who has assumed a leadership role as an advocate" for LGBTQIA people in the LGBTQIA community. He was given the Bayard Rustin Award in December 2015 by Equality Pennsylvania, which "recognizes a Pennsylvanian who is continuing the efforts to ensure that the LGBT community is represented, accepted, and celebrated in our culture." Groff was named Outright Entertainer of the Year in 2017, recognizing outstanding LGBTQ+ public figures.

Groff was romantically linked to actor Gavin Creel in 2009, as seen in this video. Groff was in a relationship with actor Zachary Quinto from 2010 to 2013. Groff dated New Zealand choreographer Corey Baker from 2018 to 2020.

Groff was involved in and out support of the organization throughout his career, beginning with a role in theater. Groff has long been a supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and he served as Event Chair for the charity's 14th Annual New York Benefit Gala in 2015. He has also contributed to the Point Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Actors Fund of America, The Hispanic Federation Emergency Assistance Fund, and Color of Change, among other charities in which he has been involved in benefit performances and fundraisers, including personal voicemails as his Frozen characters Kristoff and Sven for auction winners. Groff, a member of the Hamilton cast, helped with the development of the Equal Justice Initiative, Africa American Policy Forum, Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, Black AIDS Institute, The Unification Project, Until Independence, And When We All Vote.

Groff has appeared in various charitable activities for theater companies, including the 52nd Street Project, the Tectonic Theater Project, Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Playwrights Horizons, and others. Groff has taught master classes in acting and musical theatre for young actors with the New York Film Academy, Broadway Workshop, Temple University, Young Actors' Theatre Camp, and the National YoungArts Foundation, among others; he has expressed an interest in encouraging youth theater.

Groff appeared in a virtual event for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party on October 3, 2020. Groff, along with the rest of the original Hamilton cast, took part in a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election on October 16, 2020. Groff and fellow Hamilton cast member Sasha Hutchings hosted a virtual holiday concert fundraiser on December 13, 2020 to help support Jon Ossoff's campaign and Raphael Warnock's campaign in the Georgia Senate Runoff elections.

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Acting career

Groff began serving at the Chelsea Grill in New York City before receiving his Actors' Equity Association card in 2005, in 2005, where he appeared Nick Piazza. He made his Broadway debut in 2005 as an understudy for the lead role (played by Christopher Hanke), swing, and dance captain for Joseph Brooks' film In My Life, 2005, opening on October 20 and concluding on December 11, 2005. Critics also blasted the performance, with a Broadway.com review claiming that it was "unquestionably the most bizarre, misguided Broadway musical of the millennium."

In 2006, Groff first appeared in Melchior Gabor's lead role in the Broadway revival of Spring Awakening. The musical tells the tale of repressed teenagers in late nineteenth century Germany discovering their sexuality, and is directed by Michael Mayer. Groff was first cast in a spring Awakening workshop at Baruch College with Lea Michele, John Gallagher Jr., and the rest of the original cast, and the company then transferred to the Atlantic Theatre Company for its first off-Broadway run from May 19 to August 5, 2006, before transferring to Broadway. Groff performed the role from its debut on December 10, 2006, to May 18, 2008, when he and co-star and best friend Lea Michele left the company. The musical received 11 nominations and eight awards, including Best Musical at the 61st Tony Awards, earning eleven nominations and eight, including Best Musical. The musical was also named for Best Musical Show Album, a Grammy Award that was not given to vocalists at the time. The show was described as "brave new musical, haunting, and electrifying by turns," according to Charles Isherwood of The New York Times, who praised Groff's "ardency and thoughtfulness." "Michele, Groff, and Gallagher's performances dominate the young ensemble," Variety said. Groff has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award, a Drama League Award, and the Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role. He was given the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.

Groff appeared in ten episodes of ABC soap opera One Life to Live in 2007. Due to the Virginia Tech shooting in April 2007, his character's storyline about a school shooting was shortened. Groff was cast in the FX film Pretty/Handsome, directed and written by Ryan Murphy, in November 2007, but the series was not picked up.

Groff appeared in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair, a pop culture during the Vietnam War that was directed by Diane Paulus from July 22 to August 31, 2008. "Mr. Groff, who was memorably distraught by teenage ferociousness in the musical Spring Awakening's career, is even more affecting here, as he opens a growing map of uncertainty and affirmation," theater critic Ben Brantley wrote in his review of Hair. Groff decided not to reprise his role in the Broadway production but rather to make his film debut. Michael Lang appeared in Ang Lee's comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock, about the 1969 Woodstock Festival. While reviewers praised Groff's "creative, angelic fervor" by Rolling Stone, the film was still "underwhelming."

Groff appeared in the off-Broadway version of Prayer for My Enemy, a Craig Lucas script, from November 14 to December 21, 2008. Bartlett Sher directed the production, which was also on display at Playwrights Horizons. In The New York Times, Ben Brantley wrote that the play is "muddleheaded" and "disconnected," but Groff "exudes the vivacious aura of homeless youth." Groff appeared in The Singing Forest, another Craig Lucas play, from April 10 to May 17, 2009, alongside Olympia Dukakis at the Public Theater. Critics characterized the play as "convoluted" in plot, but Groff's strong performances thank him for his "natural emotional transparency [that] helps bring layers to Gray." Groff received an Obie Award for both of his appearances.

From August 11 to 30, 2009, Groff appeared as Dionysus in the play The Bacchae opposite Anthony Mackie; it was directed by JoAnne Akalaitis and produced as a part of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park. "Groff is remarkably efficient as the Stranger, Dionysus' human guise," the Hollywood Reporter noted, but "in the moments when he must be the emperor and announce his full wrath," Groff is less fruitful despite an earnest effort."

Groff became a regular guest star on Fox's acclaimed musical comedy-drama Glee as Jesse St. James, the lead actor in Rachel Berry's coveted glee club Vocal Adrenaline and love interest play, played by Lea Michele, beginning in 2010. He appeared in a total of fifteen episodes during the series's first, second, third, and sixth seasons. Groff appeared on four of Glee's soundtrack albums and made a special appearance in the concert tour Glee Live!

In Concert!

Michele appeared at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles and in New York City's Radio City Music Hall.

Groff made his West End debut in the London revival of Deathtrap, a play written by Ira Levin and directed by Matthew Warchus at the No.l Coward Theatre from August 21, 2010 to January 15, 2011. Clifford Anderson, a young brilliant playwright, appeared alongside Simon Russell Bale as Sidney Bruhl, his professor. Groff's performance was lauded by a critical audience, according to the Spectator, but the "relationship between student and professor [to be] unconvincing."

Groff appeared in The Submission by Jeff Talbott's off-Broadway world premiere with MCC Theater. Walter Bobbie produced the show, which was staged by Walter Bobbie and appeared at the Lucille Lortel Theatre from September 8 to October 22, 2011. Danny Larsen, a white playwright who submits his play under the pen name of an African-American woman, was portrayed by the actor, as well as Rutina Wesley, who played an actor he recruits to play the writer. The performance received mostly favorable feedback, with The New York Times praising the script for its "self-awareness" but also finding it "too theatrical" and lacking "real emotion." Groff's performance had been lauded by many, but critics also referred to his as "exceptional," "deft," and "disarming" in their praises.

Groff starred in the second and final seasons of the Starz political drama series Boss from August to October 2012. Due to low ratings, the series was not renewed for a third season. In the Center Theatre Group production of John Logan's play Red, Groff played Ken, an artist's assistant, opposite Alfred Molina. Matthew Warchus produced the show from August 1 to September 9, 2012. Groff and Molina revived their roles for six more performances of the play, this time through L.A. Theatre Works and directed by Rosalind Ayres. "He is every bit as effective in revealing [his character's] nuanceds of [his character," Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times lauded Groff's "admirable clarity" and wrote that "he is every bit as effective in revealing [his character's] subtle nuances."

Groff appeared in C.O.G., a comedy-drama film version based on David Sedaris' book of essays. Groff plays David, a young repressed gay man who moves to Oregon in search of a new cause, in the film. The film, directed and written by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2013 and received mixed, but mostly positive feedback, with critics citing a "meandering" plot. "Groff has an inherent sweetness and likability about him whatever he does," RogerEbert.com's Dan Callahan characterized Groff's performance, "Groff has an inherent sweetness and likability about him," he says, and "he's a yearning to his role that gradually turns this semi-amusing tale of a fish out of water into a complex and often surprising drama." In a one-night only Shakespeare in the Park gala production of the comedy opera The Pirates of Penzance, Groff portrayed Frederic, a pirate apprentice. Ted Sperling of the Delacorte Theater, as well as other members of the cast, including Kevin Kline, Martin Short, and Glenn Close.

In Disney's animated film Frozen, Groff starred Kristoff, a rugged mountain man and love interest to Anna, and his reindeer Sven. The film premiered on November 19, 2013 and later received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature. Following the film's tremendous commercial success and its recognition as the nation's best-grossing animation film and the highest-grossing film of all time, Groff reprised his role in the short film sequel Frozen Fever, which premiered on March 13, 2015.

Patrick Murray, a gay video game developer, appeared in HBO's comedy-drama series Looking, which was created by Michael Lannan from 2014 to 2015. The first HBO series to center on gay people, the movie depicted a group of gay friends in San Francisco and was lauded for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and experiences. The series was cancelled after two seasons on March 23, 2015, due to poor viewership, with the network allowing a television film to finish the tale. On July 23, 2016, the film premiered on HBO. Groff's performance was well received by commentators, with one commentator from The New York Times praising Groff's "excellent" appearance "inconsistencies, and operatically scaled mistakes.

In Larry Murphy's film adaptation of Larry Kramer's autobiographical play of the same name, Groff portrayed Craig Donner in the 1980s. The Normal Heart was released on May 25, 2014, and received the Critics' Choice Award for Outstanding Television Movie and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Film.

Groff performed on the London stage on May 19, 2015, as J. Pierrepont Finch in a one-night performance of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Royal Festival Hall with Cynthia Erivo. Groff was "truly brilliant" and "exudes a warmth and comic intelligence that makes him impossible not to follow," according to a BritishTheatre.com reviewer.

Groff also starred in an Encores!

Gordon Schwinn, a composer who suffers from arteriovenous malformation based on the real-life composer William Finn, has been involved in the production of the musical A New Brain. The production, which ran from June 24 to July 25, 2015, was showcased as part of the New York City Center's Encores! Groff appeared alongside Aaron Lazar, Dan Fogler, and Ana Gasteyer in an off-center staged concert series, which was produced by James Lapine. "Though the musical is uneven, Groff gracefully holds the show together with his supple voice and low-key charm," one New York Post writer says.

Groff appeared in Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit musical Hamilton directed by Thomas Kail on March 3, 2015, replacing Brian d'Arcy James in the role of King George III. Groff appeared in the remainder of the show's off-Broadway production at the Public Theater through May 3, 2015, and he reprised his part in the Richard Rodgers Theatre from July 13, 2015 to April 9, 2016. Groff's appearance "delicious" was described by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, who wrote "His is the voice of vintage British pop, performed in a slow, ironic, condescending vein to a remote population he describes as savages." Hamilton received eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and eight Drama Desk Awards, as a result of its high critical and commercial success. Groff, as well as the rest of the cast, received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for being a featured performer on the original Broadway cast recording. He was also nominated for the Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as the king.

Groff appeared in the Netflix crime drama Mindhunter, created by Joe Penhall and executive produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron in October 2017. Groff portrays Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Holden Ford, a serial killer profiler in the Behavioral Science Unit, who is interviewed and investigating real-life serial murders and murder cases in the series. His appearance is based on the true story of John E. Douglas, one of the first criminal profilers in FBI history. In the second season of the series, Groff and co-stars, Holt McCallany and Anna Torv, appeared alongside Duncan Guthy. The series and Groff's performance were critically lauded. "Netflix's best drama," RogerEbert.com said, and Collider said Groff's appearance was "particularly touching as Holden" and that "Groff has always had a knack for making his characters empathetic." Groff received a Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his role. Season three has been postponed indefinitely as Fincher, the show's producer and producer, has chosen other causes, although it may be able to revisit the project one day.

Groff appeared in "The 36 Questions That Lead to Love" and a 1998 psychological report on emotional closeness in July 2017. With the titular set of 36 questions, Two-Up Productions released the three-act podcast following an unhappy husband and wife trying to save their marriage.

Groff appeared in Sondheim's one-night only symphonic concert performance on July 23, 2017, at the Hollywood Bowl. Groff starred as the titular character in The Bobby Darin Story, a three-day concert and biographical retelling of 1950s singing legend Bobby Darin's life from January 20 to April 22, 2018, directed by Alex Timbers, located in off-Broadway, on 92nd Street, Y. Groff "moves with the simplicity and slyness of Darin," the performance received a high critical response, with Michael Ridel writing in the New York Post.

Groff appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre from September 17, 2019 to January 19, 2020, as Seymour Krelborn, a florist who raises a passion for human flesh, alongside Christian Borle and Tammy Blanchard. The revival, directed by Michael Mayer, received rave reviews; The Hollywood Reporter outlined that Groff was "never-better... funny, endearing, and in high voice" and that he "disappears to be cast in a role he was never meant to play" and that he "disappears to be the one he was born to play." Groff was nominated for the Best Musical Theater Album as part of the cast recording of Little Shop of Horrors. Groff received both a Lucille Lortel Award nomination and a Drama League Award for his work, as well as an Outer Critics Circle award.

Groff reprised his role in Frozen II in November 2019, performing a solo song titled "Lost in the Woods" in the movie. Frozen II debuted in January 2020, becoming the first-grossing animated film of all time. In the 2017 short Olaf's Frozen Adventure and the video game Kingdom Hearts III, Groff also reinterpreted the role.

In the Disney+ film version, Groff's Broadway appearance of King George III in Hamilton was included. The film of the musical received a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture of a Musical or Comedy in 2021. Groff was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in the Disney+ live stage recording for his role in the film. His appearance went viral due to his ability to spit spit while singing. Groff would be cast in Invincible as Rick Sheridan, an Amazon Prime Video adult animated superhero series based on Robert Kirkman's comic books, with the first episodes set to be released on March 26, 2021.

Groff would appear in The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment of The Matrix franchise, with Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portraying former Agent Smith (replacing Hugo Weaving). On December 22, 2021, it was available in theaters and on HBO Max.

Following the fifteen-year reunion of Spring Awakening's original Broadway cast members, Groff announced that it would be executive producing a concert film. On May 3, 2022, HBO's documentary Spring Awakening: Those You've Never Know premiered on HBO.

Groff will appear in Netflix's live action/animation hybrid series Lost Ollie directed by Peter Ramsey, based on William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg's book Ollie's Odyssey. On August 24, 2022, Netflix premiered the series. Groff plays Ollie, a lost toy looking for the boy who has lost him.

Groff will appear in Molly and the Moon, a film starring Kristen Bell and Frozen co-star Kristen Bell in November 2020. Groff had been cast in M. Night Shyamalan's horror film Knock at the Cabin, which was released in March 2022. Franklin Shepard will appear in an off-Broadway revival of the musical Merrily We Roll Along at New York Theatre Workshop.

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