George Hearn

George Hearn, born June 18, 1934, in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American actor and bass-baritone singer whose Broadway career spans from 1963 to 2012. Before pursuing the stage, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now known as Rhodes College, and subsequently trained as an actor under Irene Dailey, an actress who later became an acting coach. His early performance work was concentrated in traditional productions at the New York Shakespeare Festival and theaters at Lincoln Center.

Hearn's professional career began in 1963 when he took on the role of Sir Dinidan in a national tour of Camelot, standing by for Biff McGuire, who played King Arthur, alongside Jeannie Carson. His first significant notice came with the acclaimed 1969 musical 1776, in which he played John Dickinson, and he later appeared as the leading man opposite Liv Ullmann in the musical version of I Remember Mama in 1979. On March 4, 1980, he stepped into the title role of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, replacing Len Cariou opposite Dorothy Loudon. Later that same year, he and original star Angela Lansbury led the show's touring company and subsequently reprised their roles for a Showtime television production of the musical, a performance that earned Hearn an Emmy Award.

In 1983, Hearn created the role of Albin in the original Broadway production of La Cage aux Folles, with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music by Jerry Herman. The role included originating the song "I Am What I Am." His portrayal earned him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, and the Outer Critics' Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He also appeared in the West End production of La Cage aux Folles, which opened in May 1986, and received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for the role. In 1985, Hearn starred as Long John Silver in an Edmonton production of Pieces of Eight, a musical adaptation of Treasure Island with music by Jule Styne, though the production was never staged again.

Hearn went on to originate the role of Max von Mayerling in the Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard, for which he won his second Tony Award, this time for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1995. His recordings from this period include the 1994 Los Angeles Cast recording and the subsequent Broadway Cast Recording of Sunset Boulevard. He was nominated for a third Tony Award for his portrayal of Otto Frank in the 1997 Broadway revival of The Diary of Anne Frank. His other Broadway credits include Scandalous, Children and Art, Putting It Together, and Wicked, in which he played the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He first joined the Wicked company on July 20, 2004, remaining until May 29, 2005, and later returned for a limited two-week engagement from January 17 through February 1, 2006.

Beyond Broadway, Hearn starred in a 2008 production of The Visit, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, alongside Chita Rivera at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. The production ran from May 13 through June 22, 2008. His additional recordings include Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic, Mack and Mabel from the 1988 London Concert Cast, an I Remember Mama studio cast recording from 1985, Follies in Concert from 1985, and A Stephen Sondheim Evening from a 1983 concert cast. Hearn was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame on January 29, 2007. His spouses have included Susan Babel, Mary Harrell, with whom he has one son, Dixie Carter, and his current wife Leslie Simons, with whom he has two sons. He resides in Essex, New York.