Joshua Henry plays Gaston in ABC’s “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Celebration,” but viewers might not be totally familiar with the actor and singer. While this is one of his biggest on-screen roles to date, Henry is actually a veteran Broadway star with tons of credits to his name, including a stint in “Hamilton.”
You should know that Henry is thrilled to be playing a bad guy in “Beauty and the Beast.” “I do love a villain,” he told Playbill in an interview published Dec. 13. “I love playing villains because it’s so the opposite of me. I’m generally a pleasant, happy-going guy.”
He was also excited to be part of the production in order to bring Black representation to the musical. “As a Black actor playing this, I’m really grateful because I know that there are a lot of little Joshuas out there, a lot of chocolate Joshuas out there, who are thinking about their place in theatre and in TV and in film and music,” he told the outlet. “That’s what fuels me.”
Ahead, these are seven things to know about Henry, including his relationship with his adorable three kids and how he met his wife.
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Joshua Henry Is a Multi-Time Tony Nominee
Henry received his first Tony nomination for his role in 2010’s “Scottsboro Boys.” He was nominated again for 2014’s “Violet” and then again in 2018 for his role in the revival of “Carousel.”
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Joshua Henry Has Frequently Worked With Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Henry appeared in the off-broadway production of “In the Heights” – Lin Manuel-Miranda‘s first musical – in 2007 and joined the cast when the show was on Broadway. He later worked with Miranda again in the 2012 “Bring It On” musical and then joined the 2013 Vassar College workshop of “Hamilton.” He wasn’t part of the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton,” but he was cast as Aaron Burr in the Chicago production. He later joined the first national tour of the show as Burr. And in 2021, he appeared in Manuel’s directorial debut, “Tick, Tick . . . . Boom!” alongside Andrew Garfield and Vanessa Hudgens.
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Joshua Henry's Broadway Credits Are Deep.
Though he’s still a newer face in Hollywood, Henry has been a Broadway staple for a long time. In addition to his previously mentioned credits, this summer, Henry’s appeared in the all-star Broadway revival of “Into the Woods,” which also featured Sara Bareilles, Patina Miller, and Gavin Creel, playing Rapunzel’s Prince. His other credits include “Waitress,” “American Idiot,” “Porgy and Bess,” and “Shuffle Along.”
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Joshua Henry Just Released a New Single
Henry has also released his own solo music. On Dec. 13, he released a new song, “Can’t Nobody Tell Us Nothin.'” In 2021, he released a nine-track album titled “Grow.”
