Justin Blanchard
Encyclopedia
Justin Blanchard is an American
theatre
, film
, and television
actor
.
, and raised in San Antonio, Texas
. He began acting on the stage at age 16 at Texas Military Institute. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from New York University
Tisch School of the Arts
, where he studied in the CAP21
musical theater studio and the Experimental Theatre Wing. During his four years in these intense conservatory programs, Blanchard appeared in such plays and musicals as Tommy (rock opera)
, Romeo and Juliet
, The Merchant of Venice
, and Oedipus at Colonus
, among others.
He received his Master of Fines Arts degree in acting from the Brown
/Trinity Rep
Consortium, where he performed in numerous plays and musicals with Trinity Repertory Company
and Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep. At Trinity Rep, he was featured in Songs of Innocence/Songs of Experience, Hamlet
, A Christmas Carol
, As You Like It
, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Othello
, in addition to other productions. At the Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep, Blanchard was featured in the original cast of Stephen Karam's Speech & Debate
, which went on to become one of the "top ten most produced plays of 2009-2010" (Theatre Communications Group
).
on Broadway
. Journey's End received the 2007 Tony Award
, Drama Desk Award
, Outer Critics Circle Award
, Drama League Award
and a special citation from the New York Drama Critics Circle all for "Best Revival of a Play." In the pre-Broadway workshop of the revival of Zorba, Blanchard was featured in the role of Nikos, along with Antonio Banderas
as Zorba, Chita Rivera
as the Leader, Deanna Dunnigan as Madame Hortense and Alexandra Silber as The Widow. He has also performed in numerous off-Broadway and regional theatre productions.
Blanchard guest starred as Edgar Rabinowicz (a/k/a Agent Mayhem) in Svengali, an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. His other television appearances include All My Children
and commercials. He has been featured in several independent films, including The Middleman (directed by Heath Cullens), Over There (Mark Parees), Cilantro: Robot Wrangler (Brad Winderbaum) and Alyssa & Sara (Josh Wick). Justin is also a voice-over actor and is credited with recording audiobook versions of Romeo and Juliet
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
, as well as a podcast of The Lost Plays: The Will (J.M. Barrie
).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Education
Justin Blanchard was born in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and raised in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He began acting on the stage at age 16 at Texas Military Institute. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
, where he studied in the CAP21
Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21)
Collaborative Arts Project 21, known more commonly as CAP21, is a New York City professional musical theatre training conservatory and Off-Broadway theatre company. It has a large faculty and student body...
musical theater studio and the Experimental Theatre Wing. During his four years in these intense conservatory programs, Blanchard appeared in such plays and musicals as Tommy (rock opera)
Tommy (rock opera)
Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...
, Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, and Oedipus at Colonus
Oedipus at Colonus
Oedipus at Colonus is one of the three Theban plays of the Athenian tragedian Sophocles...
, among others.
He received his Master of Fines Arts degree in acting from the Brown
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 ,...
/Trinity Rep
Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company is a non-profit regional theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. The theater is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1963, the theater is "one of the most respected regional theatres in the country"...
Consortium, where he performed in numerous plays and musicals with Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company is a non-profit regional theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. The theater is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1963, the theater is "one of the most respected regional theatres in the country"...
and Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep. At Trinity Rep, he was featured in Songs of Innocence/Songs of Experience, Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, in addition to other productions. At the Brown/Trinity Playwrights Rep, Blanchard was featured in the original cast of Stephen Karam's Speech & Debate
Speech and Debate (play)
Speech & Debate is a play written by Stephen Karam, which played Off-Broadway at Roundabout Underground. It starred Gideon Glick, Sarah Steele, Jason Fuchs and Susan Blackwell. The play was originally performed as a workshop production at Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre in Providence,...
, which went on to become one of the "top ten most produced plays of 2009-2010" (Theatre Communications Group
Theatre Communications Group
Theatre Communications Group is an organization dedicated to the promotion of non-profit professional theatre in the United States. TCG has over 450 member theatres located in 47 states; 17,000 individual members; and a growing number of University, Funder, Business and Trustee Affiliates...
).
Career
Blanchard's professional career began immediately after graduation when he was featured as 2nd Lt. Hibbert in Journey's EndJourney's End
Journey's End is a 1928 drama, the seventh of English playwright R. C. Sherriff. It was first performed at the Apollo Theatre in London by the Incorporated Stage Society on 9 December 1928, starring a young Laurence Olivier, and soon moved to other West End theatres for a two-year run...
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...
. Journey's End received the 2007 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
, Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
, Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
, Drama League Award
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
and a special citation from the New York Drama Critics Circle all for "Best Revival of a Play." In the pre-Broadway workshop of the revival of Zorba, Blanchard was featured in the role of Nikos, along with Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
as Zorba, Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award...
as the Leader, Deanna Dunnigan as Madame Hortense and Alexandra Silber as The Widow. He has also performed in numerous off-Broadway and regional theatre productions.
Blanchard guest starred as Edgar Rabinowicz (a/k/a Agent Mayhem) in Svengali, an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. His other television appearances include All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
and commercials. He has been featured in several independent films, including The Middleman (directed by Heath Cullens), Over There (Mark Parees), Cilantro: Robot Wrangler (Brad Winderbaum) and Alyssa & Sara (Josh Wick). Justin is also a voice-over actor and is credited with recording audiobook versions of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, as well as a podcast of The Lost Plays: The Will (J.M. Barrie
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
).
| Production | Role | Venue | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey's End | 2nd LT Hibbert | Broadway | Belasco Theatre | Directed by David Grindley Swept all awards in 2007 for "Best Revival of a Play," including: Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... Drama League Award Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing... New York Drama Critics Circle - Special Citation |
| Zorba | Nikos | Pre-Broadway | Workshop | Performance included: Antonio Banderas Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer... as Zorba Chita Rivera Chita Rivera Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award... as the Leader Deanna Dunnigan as Madame Hortense Alexandra Silber as The Widow David Leveaux David Leveaux David Leveaux is a British theatre director who has been nominated for five Tony Awards as director of both plays and musicals... - Director Fran and Barry Weissler - Producers Music by John Kander John Kander John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander... and lyrics by Fred Ebb Fred Ebb Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera.... Based on the book by Joseph Stein Joseph Stein Joseph Stein was an American playwright best known for writing the books for such musicals as Fiddler on the Roof and Zorba.-Biography:... |
| Henry V | Henry V | Off-Broadway | New York Classical Theatre | Directed by Stephen Burdman Featured production in the 2011 NYC River to River Festival |
| The Witch of Edmonton | Frank Thorney | Off-Broadway | Red Bull Theater Co. | Directed by Jesse Berger Reviews |
| Macbeth | Malcolm | Off-Broadway | Theatre for a New Audience | Directed by Arin Arbus Reviews |
| VERITAS | Stan | Off-Broadway | HERE ARTS | Directed by Ryan J. Davis 2010 FringeNYC New York International Fringe Festival The New York International Fringe Festival, or FringeNYC, is a Fringe theater festival and one of the largest multi-arts events in North America. It takes place over the course of two weeks every August, spread across several neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan, notably the Lower East Side, the... Overall Excellence Award for "Best Ensemble" The play by Stan Richardson is about the Secret Court of 1920 Secret Court of 1920 The Secret Court of 1920 was an ad hoc disciplinary tribunal of 5 administrators at Harvard University formed to investigate charges of homosexual activity among the student population... at Harvard University Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... |
| Hamlet: Prince of Denmark | Hamlet | Off-Broadway | New York Classical Theatre | Directed by Stephen Burdman Performed in the World Financial Center |
| Sense and Sensibility | Willoughby | Regional | Actors Theatre of Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville is a performing arts theater located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1964 by Louisville native Ewel Cornett, local producer Richard Block and actor Ken Jenkins of Scrubs fame, and was designated the "State Theater of Kentucky" in 1974. It is run as a... |
Directed by Jon Jory Jon Jory Jon Jory is a theatrical director instrumental in the development of the Actors Theatre of Louisville; he is also widely rumored to be the writer behind the pseudonym Jane Martin.... Reviews |
| Vania & Sonio & Masha & Spike | Spike | Regional | McCarter Theater (Reading) | Directed by Christopher Durang |
| Civil War Christmas | Chester | Regional | Long Wharf Theatre Long Wharf Theatre Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared.... |
Directed by Tina Landau World premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel's Paula Vogel Paula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:... play |
| Argonautika | Hylas | Regional | Berkeley Repertory Theatre Berkeley Repertory Theatre Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It was founded in 1968, as the East Bay’s first resident professional theatre. Michael Leibert was the founding artistic director, who was then succeeded by Sharon Ott in 1984. The company runs seven... McCarter Theatre McCarter Theatre McCarter Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. It is one of the most active cultural centers in the nation, offering over 200 performances of theater, dance, music and special events each year... Shakespeare Theatre Washington D.C. Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. Their self professed mission "is to present classic theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights’ language and intentions while viewing their... |
World premiere directed by Tony Award-winner Mary Zimmerman Mary Zimmerman Mary Zimmerman is an American theatre director and playwright, born in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Career:Zimmerman is a member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company and is an Artistic Associate of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. She received her BS, MA and PhD from Northwestern University, where... |
| A Christmas Carol | Marley | Regional | McCarter Theatre McCarter Theatre McCarter Theatre is a not-for-profit, professional company on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. It is one of the most active cultural centers in the nation, offering over 200 performances of theater, dance, music and special events each year... |
Directed by Michael Unger |
| As You Like It | Orlando | Regional | Hangar Theatre | Directed by Kevin Moriarty |
| Hamlet | Laertes | Regional | Trinity Repertory Company Trinity Repertory Company Trinity Repertory Company is a non-profit regional theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. The theater is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1963, the theater is "one of the most respected regional theatres in the country"... Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis |
Directed (Trinity Rep) by Brian McEleney Directed (St. Louis Shakespeare) by Bruce Longworth |
| Law & Order: Special Victims' Unit (Svengali) | Edgar Rabinowicz (a/k/a Agent Mayhem) |
Television | NBC | Clip |
| Mystery of Matter:Marie Curie | Andre DeBierne | Television | PBS | |
| The Middle Man | Luke | Film | Short | Directed by Heath Cullens 2007 LA Shorts Festival |
| Over There | Dominick | Film | Short | Directed by Marc Parees |
| Cilantro: Robot Wrangler | Cilantro | Film | Short | Directed by Brad Winderbaum |
| Alyssa & Sara | Aaron | Film | Short | Directed by Josh Wick |