Drew Gehling

Drew Gehling, born Andrew Shearer Gehling on October 16, 1982, is an American stage and screen actor whose Broadway career spans from 2005 to 2022. He is recognized for originating the role of Dr. Jim Pomatter in the Broadway musical Waitress, for his work in Garry Marshall's Billy & Ray, and as the voice of Gord in the 2006 Rockstar Games video game Bully.

Gehling was raised in Sedgefield, North Carolina, where he began performing as a child with the Greensboro Children's Theatre and Livestock Players Youth Theatre. He went on to study at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Following his graduation, he was cast in Snow White: An Enchanting Musical at the Disneyland Resort before transitioning to the Broadway stage.

His Broadway debut came in Jersey Boys, in which he played Bob Gaudio. He subsequently took on the role of Warren Smith in the Broadway revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Off-Broadway credits during this period include A Minister's Wife and Anne of Green Gables. In 2016, Gehling originated the role of Jim Pomatter in Waitress on Broadway, remaining in the production until April 2, 2017, before returning to star alongside Betsy Wolfe beginning June 27, 2017. Between those two runs, in May and June of 2017, he portrayed Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco.

In July 2018, Gehling took on the dual roles of Dave Kovic and President Bill Mitchell in the new musical Dave at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. The production featured music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Benjamin and Thomas Meehan. He later starred in Almost Famous on Broadway. In March 2023, he joined the Off-Broadway cast of Little Shop of Horrors as Orin, and in June 2024 appeared in the Encores! production of Titanic as Edgar Beane. In August 2024, he joined the Broadway cast of & Juliet as William Shakespeare.

Beyond performing, Gehling has contributed to research on vocal health. In 2010, he lost most of his vocal range due to callouses on his vocal cords, an experience that led him to partner with Dr. Hayley Born on a research study examining the vocal health of professional and amateur singers. He conducted interviews with more than 100 singers for the project, and findings from his fieldwork were published in a 2014 article in the Journal of Voice. In his personal life, Gehling was previously married to performer and fellow Carnegie Mellon graduate Sara Jean Ford; they wed in 2009 and have one daughter, Anne Kelly Gehling.