Todd Graff

Todd Graff is an American actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker born on October 22, 1959, in New York City. His father, Jerome Lawrence Graff, was a musician, and his mother, Judith Clarice Graff, worked as a piano teacher and choirmaster. His sister is actress Ilene Graff.

Graff's performing career began in childhood. He contributed vocals to the original-cast albums of Sesame Street in 1970 and its follow-up Sesame Street 2 in 1971. In 1975 he joined the cast of the PBS children's series The Electric Company, taking over the role of Jesse, a member of the Short Circus, from Stephen Gustafson and remaining with the production through the end of its run in 1977. He also attended Stagedoor Manor, a performing arts summer camp in upstate New York, as both a camper and a counselor.

His Broadway career brought him to the stage in 1983, when he appeared in Baby, playing the role of Danny. The performance earned him a Theatre World Award in 1984 and a Tony Award nomination that same year for Featured Actor in a Musical. In 1987 he appeared Off-Broadway in the musical Birds of Paradise, playing the role of Homer.

Graff subsequently built a parallel career in film as both an actor and a writer. His acting credits include the science fiction films The Abyss (1989) and Strange Days (1995), as well as the black comedy Death to Smoochy (2002) and Dominick and Eugene. His screenwriting credits include Used People, The Vanishing, Angie, and The Beautician and the Beast.

He moved into directing with the musical comedy film Camp (2003), which earned him a Grand Jury Prize nomination at the Sundance Film Festival. He followed that with Bandslam (2009), which he also co-wrote, and Joyful Noise (2012). In 2006 he directed the stage musical 13, written by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish, at the Mark Taper Forum. He later developed the Apple TV miniseries The Crowded Room, which premiered in 2023.