John Lloyd Young
Encyclopedia
John Lloyd Mills Young is an American actor and singer. In 2006, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli
in Broadway's Jersey Boys
. He is the only American actor to date to have received a Lead Actor in a Musical Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award
for a Broadway debut. Young sang lead vocals on the Grammy-award winning Jersey Boys
cast album, certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
.
, of Italian
descent on his mother's side and English
descent on his father's. After graduating high school in Plattsburgh, New York, Young spent a year as a Rotary Club International exchange student in Caracas, Venezuela. Young went on to graduate with honors in Theatre Arts from Brown University
. He spent his third year of college at the University of Salamanca
, Spain as a student of World and Art History and Spanish Language and Literature.
, Young worked his way up through the ranks of the theater scene with roles in numerous regional and off-Broadway
plays including the New York-area premiere of Michael Healey's The Drawer Boy with actor John Mahoney
; "Charlie" in Julia Jordan's The Summer of the Swans; "Moritz" in the Douglas Langworthy translation of Wedekind's Spring Awakening
; and "Claudio" in Rinne Groff
's The Five Hysterical Girls Theorem for the Target Margin Theatre.
He was named one of the Best Featured Actors in a Play by the New Jersey Star-Ledger as "Danny Saunders" in Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok's dramatic adaptation of Potok's famous book, The Chosen
, opposite Theodore Bikel
, directed by David Ellenstein.
He failed to land the part of Frankie Valli
in the pre-Broadway run of Jersey Boys
, but a year later and after several more auditions, he was asked to headline the show on Broadway
, where he played the role for over two years. During his tenure at Jersey Boys
which now has several companies playing worldwide, Young performed at the White House
, Carnegie Hall
, Radio City Music Hall
, the New York City Marathon
, New Year's Eve in Times Square, Yankee Stadium
, and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
. Young's run with Jersey Boys
concluded on 9 November 2007 followed shortly thereafter by a sold-out-in-a-day solo concert debut at Lincoln Center. In the summer of 2008, Young starred as Marius
in an all-star production of Les Misérables
at the Hollywood Bowl
in Los Angeles.
Now based in Los Angeles
, Young was the first guest star ever invited to appear on Glee
, as "Henri St. Pierre", the thumbless, cough-medicine-addicted woodshop teacher. The role was conceived over dinner between Glee creator, Nip/Tuck
s Ryan Murphy and Young's girlfriend-at-the-time, Glee star, Lea Michele
. Young received his script two days before shooting began.
Young's debut single "Love Believes" was released February 14, 2010 on iTunes
.
He debuted his visual art in May 2010 in "Food for Thought", a show benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles, at Willis Wonderland, the home of Young's friend, Grammy-winning songwriter, Allee Willis. Young's pieces are now a part of the collection at Hollywood's Hamilton-Selway Fine Art Gallery and Boca Raton, FL's Elaine Baker Gallery. His first art commission, "Table at Spago" (2011), hangs at the famed Beverly Hills, CA restaurant, Spago.
Young's extensive charity work includes frequent appearances with and support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
, amfAR
, Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang
and AIDS Project Los Angeles
.
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
in Broadway's Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
. He is the only American actor to date to have received a Lead Actor in a Musical Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
for a Broadway debut. Young sang lead vocals on the Grammy-award winning Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
cast album, certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
Early life
Young was born in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, of Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
descent on his mother's side and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
descent on his father's. After graduating high school in Plattsburgh, New York, Young spent a year as a Rotary Club International exchange student in Caracas, Venezuela. Young went on to graduate with honors in Theatre Arts from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. He spent his third year of college at the University of Salamanca
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European...
, Spain as a student of World and Art History and Spanish Language and Literature.
Career
After moving to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Young worked his way up through the ranks of the theater scene with roles in numerous regional and off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
plays including the New York-area premiere of Michael Healey's The Drawer Boy with actor John Mahoney
John Mahoney
John Mahoney is a British born American actor, known for playing Martin "Marty" Crane, the retired police officer, father of Kelsey Grammer's Dr...
; "Charlie" in Julia Jordan's The Summer of the Swans; "Moritz" in the Douglas Langworthy translation of Wedekind's Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
; and "Claudio" in Rinne Groff
Rinne Groff
-Biography:Groff was trained at Yale University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she currently teaches.A founding member of Elevator Repair Service Theater Company, she has been a part of the writing, staging, and performing of their shows since the company’s inception in...
's The Five Hysterical Girls Theorem for the Target Margin Theatre.
He was named one of the Best Featured Actors in a Play by the New Jersey Star-Ledger as "Danny Saunders" in Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok's dramatic adaptation of Potok's famous book, The Chosen
The Chosen
The Chosen may refer to:*The Chosen , a novel by Ricardo Pinto*The Chosen , a novel by Chaim Potok**The Chosen , a 1981 film based on Potok's novel*The Chosen , a novel by L. J. Smith...
, opposite Theodore Bikel
Theodore Bikel
Theodore Meir Bikel is a character actor, folk singer and musician. He made his film debut in The African Queen and was nominated for an Academy award for his supporting role as Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones ....
, directed by David Ellenstein.
He failed to land the part of Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
in the pre-Broadway run of Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
, but a year later and after several more auditions, he was asked to headline the show on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, where he played the role for over two years. During his tenure at Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
which now has several companies playing worldwide, Young performed at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
, the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
, New Year's Eve in Times Square, Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
. Young's run with Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
concluded on 9 November 2007 followed shortly thereafter by a sold-out-in-a-day solo concert debut at Lincoln Center. In the summer of 2008, Young starred as Marius
Marius
Marius may refer to:* Marius , a male given name, a Roman family name, and a modern surname** Gaius Marius, Roman general and statesman.* Marius , on the Moon* Marius Hills, on the Moon* Marius , written by Marcel Pagnol...
in an all-star production of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
in Los Angeles.
Now based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Young was the first guest star ever invited to appear on Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, as "Henri St. Pierre", the thumbless, cough-medicine-addicted woodshop teacher. The role was conceived over dinner between Glee creator, Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
s Ryan Murphy and Young's girlfriend-at-the-time, Glee star, Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
. Young received his script two days before shooting began.
Young's debut single "Love Believes" was released February 14, 2010 on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
He debuted his visual art in May 2010 in "Food for Thought", a show benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles, at Willis Wonderland, the home of Young's friend, Grammy-winning songwriter, Allee Willis. Young's pieces are now a part of the collection at Hollywood's Hamilton-Selway Fine Art Gallery and Boca Raton, FL's Elaine Baker Gallery. His first art commission, "Table at Spago" (2011), hangs at the famed Beverly Hills, CA restaurant, Spago.
Young's extensive charity work includes frequent appearances with and support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis . The Foundation provides information about cystic fibrosis and finances CF research that aims to improve the quality of life for people with the...
, amfAR
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
, Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang
Hole in the Wall Gang
The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang was a gang in the American Wild West, which took its name from the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming, where several outlaw gangs had their hideouts. The Gang was not simply one large organized gang of outlaws, but rather was made up of several separate...
and AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Project Los Angeles is a 5013 non-profit organization, "dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by AIDS disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy."...
.