Anthony Rapp
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
His website's address is www.anthonyrapp.com
"Anthony Rapp wants to win a Tony award. He knows snagging Broadway's highest honor could do wonders for his career, but he has another, more political reason for wanting to hear his name called when the awards are given out this year. 'Think of the visibility", he says excitedly, picturing the ceremony in his head. 'Millions of people watching me lean over and kiss the man I'm seeing--on the lips. That's a great image that I'd want to leave people with.'" --From "Star '96" by Peter Galvin in The Advocate, April 30, 1996
Biography
Best known for his musical theatre work, actor/singer Anthony Rapp originated leading roles in "Rent" and "If/Then" but also enjoyed screen time in "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987), "Road Trip" (2000) and "Star Trek: Discovery" (CBS All Access, 2017-). Born in Chicago, IL in 1971, Rapp was already an experienced performer by the time he reached junior high, having appeared in a regional production of "Evita" and short-lived Broadway musical "The Little Prince and the Aviator." Rapp continued to pursue a stage career, studying at the Interlochen Arts Camp and bagging key parts in numerous off-Broadway shows. But after first appearing on screen as Daryl in Chris Columbus' comedy "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987), he also began to rack up numerous film and TV credits, including indie thriller "Far from Home" (1989), paranormal horror "Grave Secrets" (1989) and TV movie "Sky High" (1990). He then appeared alongside several future A-listers as prep school bully McGoo in "School Ties" (1992) and intellectual Tony in Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" (1993). Having played Ben in the Broadway version of "Six Degrees of Separation," Rapp then assumed the role for its 1993 big-screen adaptation before landing his career-defining part, struggling documentarian Mark Cohen in the provocative stage musical "Rent." Following a brief appearance as storm-chaser Tony in "Twister" (1996), Rapp played a young gay man on a voyage of self-discovery in "David Searching" (1997), the same year he identified as 'queer' in an interview with Out magazine, and a gay photographer in 1920s-based farce "Man of the Century" (1999). Rapp then played songwriter Van Dyke Parks in "The Beach Boys: An American Family" (ABC, 2000), villainous teaching assistant Jacob in broad comedy "Road Trip" (2000) and aspiring physicist Bender in the Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind" (2001). After releasing his first solo album, Look Around, in 2000, Rapp showcased his vocal talent on screen, firstly in real estate musical "Open House" (2004) and secondly when reprising his signature role in the movie adaptation of "Rent" (2005). Rapp then enjoyed supporting parts in ensemble drama "Happy Endings" (2005) and gritty drug tale "Blackbird" (2007), landed the recurring part of Larry Kellogg in "Kidnapped" (NBC, 2006-07) and adapted his 2006 memoir, Without You, into a touring stage musical. After taking the lead in indie drama "Scaring the Fish" (2009), Rapp played Natalie Portman's best friend Simon in "The Other Woman" (2009), home invasion victim Connor in "Junction" (2010) and Zander in the musical episode of "Psych" (USA Network, 2006-2014). He then originated the role of Lucas in Tony-nominated musical "If/Then" before guesting as Dr. Thurman Drexler in medical drama "The Knick" (Cinemax, 2014-15) and Diane's accountant Glenn in spin-off "The Good Fight" (CBS, 2017-). After playing high school drama teacher Logan in "Opening Night" (2016), Rapp starred as grieving father Brad and groom-to-be Daniel in LGBT dramas "bwoy" (2016) and "Do You Take This Man" (2016), respectively. He was then cast in "Star Trek: Discovery" (CBS All Access, 2017-) as the franchise's first openly gay character, Lieutenant Paul Stamets. That high-profile casting was somewhat overshadowed in October of that year, when Rapp revealed during an interview with Buzzfeed News that in 1986, when he was 14, then-26-year-old actor Kevin Spacey attempted to physically initiate sex with the underage actor in the bedroom of Spacey's home during a party. The news, in the midst of a series of Hollywood-centric sexual abuse and harassment scandals started by the downfall of producer Harvey Weinstein, caused Netflix to indefinitely suspend production on the final season of Spacey's series "House of Cards" (Netflix 2013-18).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Life Events
1978
Had first role playing the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz" at Island Lake Camp
1981
Made professional debut at age nine in a road tour production of "Evita"
1982
Toured with Yul Brynner in "The King and I"
1982
At age 10, appeared in Broadway musical "The Little Prince and the Aviator"
1986
At age 14, played second lead in the Broadway production of George Furth's stage memoir "Precious Sons," with Ed Harris and Judith Ivey
1987
Made feature film debut in "Adventures in Babysitting"
1989
Starred in the Disney-produced TV-movie, "Sky High"; aired as part of NBC's "The Magical World of Disney"
1990
Originated the role of Ben on the New York stage in John Guare's "Six Degrees of Separation"
1991
Co-founded Mr. and Mrs. Smith Productions, a theater company
1992
Appeared Off-Broadway in "Sophistry" and "The Destiny of Me"
1992
Played a substantial feature supporting role in the film, "School Ties"
1993
Recreated his stage role of Ben in the film version of "Six Degrees of Separation"
1993
Directed the New York production of "Ursula's Permanent"; co-wrote with his brother Adam
1994
First TV-movie as an adult, a supporting role in Showtime's "Assault at West Point"
1994
Acted in his brother Adam's play, "Prosthetics and the $25,000 Pyramid," at the Workhouse Theatre
1994
Starred as Mark Cohen in Jonathan Larson's musical "Rent" in a limited Workshop production at the New York Theatre Workshop
1996
Reprised role of Mark Cohen in the Off-Broadway production of "Rent"; moved with the show to Broadway
1997
Starred as a filmmaker in the independent film, "David Searching"
1998
Reprised his role of Mark in the London production of "Rent"
1999
Had featured role as a photographer in "Man of the Century"
2000
Played supporting role in the ABC miniseries, "The Beach Boys: An American Family"
2000
Made cabaret performing debut at Fez in NYC (October)
2000
Co-starred in the feature comedy, "Road Trip"
2001
Appeared as one of the friends and colleagues of math genius John Forbes Nash in the biopic, "A Beautiful Mind"
2001
Starred in West Coast premiere of brother Adam's play, "Nocture," at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
2005
Reprised the role of Mark Cohen for the big-screen adaptation of Jonathan Larson's Tony-winning musical, "Rent"
2006
Had a supporting role in NBC's short-lived series, "Kidnapped"
2008
Performed the Autobiographical, "Without You," at the Pittsburgh City Theatre
2010
Performed "Without You" at the New York Musical Theatre Festival
2012
Co-starred in crime thriller "Hostage"
2015
Had a recurring role on "The Knick"
2017
Cast as Paul Stamets in "Star Trek: Discovery" (CBS All Access, 2017-)
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
His website's address is www.anthonyrapp.com
"Anthony Rapp wants to win a Tony award. He knows snagging Broadway's highest honor could do wonders for his career, but he has another, more political reason for wanting to hear his name called when the awards are given out this year. 'Think of the visibility", he says excitedly, picturing the ceremony in his head. 'Millions of people watching me lean over and kiss the man I'm seeing--on the lips. That's a great image that I'd want to leave people with.'" --From "Star '96" by Peter Galvin in The Advocate, April 30, 1996
"I just want to keep working. I want to be respected and sought after. I want to be in a position where my name will help get something produced." --Rapp quoted in "How the Show Goes On" by Peter Galvin in Interview, June 1996
"I think I'm primarily homosexual--certainly politically, and I guess socially. But, I don't consider myself 100% gay--it's a scale. The word queer is all-encompassing: I feel like "gay" invalidates, in a way, the girlfriends that I have had as an avoidance of accepting my "true" self--which I don't think that was the case. I think I've been genuinely in love or in lust with girls and guys--they both were and are true." --Rapp quoted on his offical website (www.anthonyrapp.com)
"No matter how he labels himself, Rapp's career is thriving. 'Being queer certainly doesn't seem to have cost me anything in theatre in New York, and I've done films since I've come out", he says. 'Frankly, if people aren't going to cast me because I'm queer, then I don't want to work with them.'" --From "No People Like Show People" by Christine Champagne, Metrosource, Fall 1996
