Hailey Kilgore

Hailey Frances Kilgore is an American actress and singer from Humble, Texas, who rose to prominence through her work on Broadway between 2017 and 2019. Adopted at birth by Rebecca and Eric Kilgore, she grew up in Portland, Oregon, and later in the Portland suburb of Happy Valley, where her family relocated during her grade school years.

Kilgore's early years included competitive pageantry, beginning at age nine. In 2012, she earned the title of National American Miss Oregon Pre-Teen and won the National NAM Spokesmodel competition. By 2015, she had claimed the Miss Oregon's Outstanding Teen title. That same year, she placed second in the Portland August Wilson Monologue Competition and advanced to the national competition, performing at the August Wilson Theatre in New York. She also served as a regular capo — a chant and song leader — for the Rose City Riveters, the supporter group for Portland Thorns FC.

Kilgore attended Clackamas High School for two years before transferring to the Clackamas Web Academy, where she graduated a year ahead of schedule. She participated in theatrical productions at Clackamas High School and took part in the Portland August Wilson Monologue Competition in both 2014 and 2015. Her professional stage debut came in the fall of 2015, when she played Rebecca Gibbs in Portland Center Stage's production of Our Town. She also appeared in Portland Center Stage's production of Ain't Misbehavin' that same year.

While enrolled as a first-year student at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, Kilgore was cast in the role that would define her early career: Ti Moune in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island. At 19 years old, her performance earned her a nomination for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, placing her among the youngest nominees in that category. She also received the Theatre World Award in 2018 in recognition of her work. Kilgore subsequently appeared on Broadway in Hadestown, extending her presence on the Broadway stage through 2019.