Anthony Rapp Biography

Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American stage and film actor and singer best known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent in 1996 and later for reprising the role in the film version and the Broadway Tour of Rent in 2009. He also performed the role of Charlie Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Early life

Rapp was born in Joliet, Illinois, the son of Mary Lee (ne Baird) and Douglas Rapp. After his parents' divorce, he was raised by his mother, a trained nurse.

Rapp attended high school at Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois and theatre camp at Interlochen Arts Camp. In junior high school, Rapp won numerous awards for his singing. His brother is playwright, novelist, and filmmaker Adam Rapp.

Career

Rapp first performed on Broadway in 1981 in the flop The Little Prince and the Aviator, a musical based on Antoine de Saint-Exupry's novel The Little Prince. The show closed during previews. He also appeared in the 1987 movie Adventures in Babysitting, which was directed by Chris Columbus. Columbus would later direct Rapp in the film version of Rent. He has appeared in several movies and Broadway shows, most notably as intellectuals. His notable work includes such films as Dazed and Confused, A Beautiful Mind, School Ties, Road Trip, Six Degrees of Separation (stage and film versions), An American Family, Danny Roane: First Time Director and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Rapp is probably best known for playing Mark Cohen in the off-Broadway and original Broadway casts of Jonathan Larson's musical Rent. For his audition for the musical, Rapp sang R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", and received his callback in September 1994. He reprised that role in the film adaptation, which was released on November 23, 2005.

In 2000, Rapp released a solo CD, entitled Look Around. He returned to Rent on July 30, 2007, for a six-week run, along with original cast member Adam Pascal. Rapp and Adam Pascal continued in their return to Broadway's Rent through October 7 at the Nederlander Theatre.

Rapp and Pascal, along with fellow original cast member Gwen Stewart, reprised their roles of Mark and Roger in a national tour of Rent beginning January 6, 2009.

As of fall 2013, Rapp is currently in previews of "IF/THEN," along with fellow [i]Rent[/i] alum Idina Menzel. The play is currently playing at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, and will go to Broadway in Spring 2014.

Work

Theatre

• The Little Prince and the Aviator (1981)
• Precious Sons
• Six Degrees of Separation (1990)
• Sophistry (play) (1993)
• Rent (New York Theater Workshop, 1994)
• Rent (1996, 2007, 2009, 2010)
• You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999)
• Nocturne (Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2001)
• Henry V (2002)
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2003)
• Little Shop of Horrors (2004)
• Feeling Electric (2005)
• Anthony Rapp's "Without You"? (City Theatre, 2008)
• Anthony Rapp's "Without You"? (Edinburgh Fringe Festival & Menier Chocolate Factory, 2012)
• Pop! (City Theatre, 2012)
• If/Then (Richard Rogers Theater, 2014)

Television

• Sky High (1990)
• Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker (1994)    
• The Lazarus Man (1996)
• The X-Files (1997)
• The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004)
• Kidnapped (2006)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2012)

Filmography

• Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
• Grave Secrets (1989)
• Far From Home (1989)
• School Ties (1992)
• Dazed and Confused (1993)
• Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
• Twister (1996 film) (1996)
• The Mantis Murder (1996)
• David Searching (1997)
• Man of the Century (1999)
• Road Trip (2000)
• Cruise Control (2001)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• Paradisco (2002)
• Open House (2004)
• Rent (2005)
• Winter Passing (2005)
• Danny Roane: First Time Director (2006)
• Scaring the Fish (2006)
• Blackbird (2007)
• Let Them Chirp Awhile (2007)
• The Other Woman (2009 film) (2011)
• Junction (2011)

Discography

• Look Around (2000)

Autobiography