Amber Gray

Amber Gray is an American actress originally from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, who trained at Boston University, where she earned a BFA in acting, and at New York University, where she earned an MFA in acting. A self-described military brat, she spent her early childhood across Europe and the United States.

Gray began her screen career in 2007 with an appearance in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Haystack," playing a character named Raye. In 2009, she worked as a photographer on an episode of Canada's Top Model titled "Bright Lights: No Pity." Her stage career gained significant momentum in 2012 when she first took on the role of Countess Hélène Bezukhova in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at the Off-Off-Broadway Ars Nova Theater. She continued with the production as it moved to Kazino Meatpacking in 2013, Kazino Times Square in 2014, and finally to Broadway in late 2016. Her performance as Hélène earned her a Theatre World Award in 2017.

In 2014, Gray portrayed Zoe in An Octoroon at Soho Repertory Theatre, a contemporary play that draws on the 1859 melodrama The Octoroon to examine America's history of slavery and ongoing racism. She discussed the role's emotional difficulty in an interview with The New York Times, citing its many intense racial scenes. The production subsequently moved to Theatre for a New Audience in 2015, and Gray remained with it throughout.

Also in 2016, Gray originated the role of Persephone in New York Theatre Workshop's production of Hadestown, the musical based on Anaïs Mitchell's album of the same name and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The production was directed by Rachel Chavkin, with whom Gray had previously collaborated on Great Comet. She reprised the role at the Edmonton Citadel Theatre and the London National Theatre before bringing it to Broadway, where she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. The Broadway cast recording earned the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Gray was also scheduled to reprise the role for her West End debut in February and March 2025.

In 2021, Gray appeared in the Amazon limited series The Underground Railroad as Gloria Valentine. In 2024, she played the role of Ajax on the concept album Warriors, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis. In April 2025, it was announced that Gray would star in the world premiere of a musical adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. That June, it was announced she would appear as Elmire in a new production of Tartuffe at New York Theatre Workshop, alongside Matthew Broderick, Bianca Del Rio, and Francis Jue. Her Broadway credits also include Macbeth and The Rocky Horror Show.

Gray's partner is Galen Hamilton, whom she began dating in 2011. They have two children.