Justin Cooley (born 2003) is an American actor. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Seth in the off-Broadway and Broadway theatre productions of Kimberly Akimbo in 2022 and 2023.[2][3]
Life and career
Cooley was born to Paul and Julie.[1] He grew up in Overland Park, Kansas,[4] where he attended Olathe East High School.[3] He was named outstanding actor in a lead role for the Blue Star Awards, a regional theatre competition for high school students, and became a finalist for the Jimmy Awards.[4] He enrolled at Texas Christian University, but received an offer to join the cast of Kimberly Akimbo and quickly deferred school for one semester to join the production off-Broadway as Seth.[4] Cooley earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, a Lucille Lortel Awards nomination for Outstanding Leading Performer in a Musical, an Outer Critics Circle Awards nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in the off-Broadway production.[2][5]
Cooley made his Broadway debut when Kimberly Akimbo moved to the Booth Theatre.[4] He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance.[3]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated | [2] |
| Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Leading Performer in a Musical | Nominated | [2] | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nominated | [5] | ||
| Theatre World Award | Honoree | [2] | |||
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | [3] | |
References
- ^ a b Adler, Eric (June 9, 2023). "'Trial by fire': How this 19-year-old went from Olathe East to Broadway to Tony Awards". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e Tauer, Kristen (December 5, 2022). "Justin Cooley Makes His Broadway Debut in 'Kimberly Akimbo'". Yahoo.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Gutierrez, Lisa (May 3, 2023). "Johnson County 19-year-old is up for a Tony Award for debut role in Broadway musical". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Paulson, Michael (April 26, 2023). "Meet the 19-Year-Old 'Kimberly Akimbo' Actor Who's Charming Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Gans, Andrew (April 26, 2022). "Nominees for 71st Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards Announced". Playbill.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
This page was last edited on 22 September 2023, at 16:32