Shuler Hensley
SHULER HENSLEY, who wowed Broadway and London audiences as Jud Fry in the internationally acclaimed revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, is currently co-starring as "The Monster," Mel Brooks' hit new musical, Young Frankenstein, currently playing at the Hilton Theatre. Hensley brought his titanic talent to the silver screen in May 2004 with the release of Universal Pictures' epic action-adventure film Van Helsing. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Hensley's Oklahoma! co-star Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, the film featured Bram Stroker's legendary monster hunter, Van Helsing, and united Universal's greatest classic monsters - Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man - for the first time since the 1940s. Hensley portrayed the fabled monster created by author Mary Shelley's fictional Dr. Frankenstein. Most recently, he was seen in the feature film, The Legend of Zorro starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. His upcoming film projects include Opa! with Matthew Modine, shot on-location in Greece and the independent feature, Cheer the Brave. Hensley garnered the coveted Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Olivier, and Theatre World Awards for his showstopping -- and show-stealing -- portrayal of tormented farmhand Jud Fry in the groundbreaking revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! One of only two cast members "imported" to Broadway from the acclaimed London production directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Susan Stroman, Hensley has been hailed by critics as "compelling," (The New York Times), "magnificent," (Evening Standard), and "a name to watch" (Sunday Telegraph). As the Sunday Telegraph enthusiastically declared in response to Hensley's titanic "Lonely Room" solo, "He very nearly steals the show." Hensley's powerful performance in Oklahoma! quickly made him a favorite among drama critics and theater fans. But Hensley is no stranger to Broadway, having delivered another showstopping performance in October 2000 when he made his Broadway debut as Javert in the long-running musical Les Misérables. New York Post drama critic Clive Barnes praised Hensley's "powerful presence" as the ruthless Javert. He also co-starred as Kerchak, the head of the Gorilla Tribe, in Disney's Tarzan and starred Off-Broadway in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, a country-rock and blues musical about the lives and loves of a trailer park community. In 2002, renowned illustrator Al Hirschfeld immortalized the rising star with his own celebrity caricature. Another caricature of him is on display at Sardi's alongside portraits of other theater legends. A Marietta, Georgia native whose mother was the Artistic Director of The Georgia Ballet, Hensley has always had show business in his blood. He made his performance debut at the age of four in a production of The Nutcracker directed by his mother. At age nine, he became a member of The Atlanta Boys' Choir, one of the most renowned choirs in the United States. Hensley has also been driven by a lifelong love of sports due to the influence of his father, who was an All-American football player at Georgia Tech. He pursued his dual passions, attending the University of Georgia on a baseball scholarship and serving as a pitcher for the school's baseball team. During his tenure at the university, the very busy business major also performed with the school's concert choir and glee club. Finding it impossible to occupy the two extremely consuming worlds of theatre and sports, Hensley left the University of Georgia to pursue an acting career in New York. He studied opera at The Manhattan School of Music and attended graduate school at the prestigious Curtis School of Music, performing leading roles in Don Giovanni, La Boheme, The Magic Flute, and other beloved operas. Throughout his eclectic career, Hensley has also appeared as a guest soloist in numerous concerts including The Happy End Music by Kurt Weill at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, The American Songbook Tribute to Frank Loesser at Lincoln Center, and Juilliard's Richard Rodgers 100th birthday celebration featuring Bernadette Peters, Julie Andrews, Elaine Stritch, and other theatre legends. He also appeared in Regina, with Patti LuPone at the Kennedy Center and the premiere of The Thomashefsky Project, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas with Judy Kaye and Debra Winger. After completing his graduate studies, Hensley performed extensively with numerous regional theatres in the United States, amassing an eclectic list of musical theatre credits including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, and The Most Happy Fella. The versatile actor has also starred in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas Pirates of Penzance and Patience, and played Creon in Antigone at the prestigous Chattaqua Festival. Hensley's television appearances include the recurring role of Bob Arnovitz in NBC's popular comedy series Ed, the role of celebrated sports commentator Keith Jackson in the TNT movie Monday Night Mayhem, as well as numerous appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His film credits include the romantic comedy Someone Like You starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd, and the multi-award-winning independent film The Bread, My Sweet. In July 2001, he was invited to participate in the Sundance Theatre Festival's performance of Making It. Shuler Hensley resides in New York City and Atlanta with his wife Paula and their children, Skyler and Grayson. Bio as of November, 2007. American Theatre Wing programs, interviews and/or credits include: Downstage Center (audio) Shuler Hensley - November, 2007 - Listen Now. Internet Broadway Database Listing (IBDB.com) Website: www.shulerhensley.com