| Justin Cooley | |
|---|---|
| Born | (2003-06-23) June 23, 2003 (age 21) |
| Occupation | Actor |
Justin Cooley (born June 23, 2003) is an American actor. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Seth in the off-Broadway and Broadway theatre productions of Kimberly Akimbo in 2022 and 2023.
Life and career
Cooley was born to Paul and Julie. He grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, where he attended Olathe East High School. He was named outstanding actor in a lead role for the Blue Star Awards, a regional theatre competition for high school students, and became a finalist for the Jimmy Awards. He enrolled at Texas Christian University, but received an offer to join the cast of Kimberly Akimbo and quickly deferred school for one semester to join the production off-Broadway as Seth. Cooley earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, a Lucille Lortel Awards nomination for Outstanding Leading Performer in a Musical, an Outer Critics Circle Awards nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in the off-Broadway production.
Cooley made his Broadway debut when Kimberly Akimbo moved to the Booth Theatre. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance.
Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Kimberly Akimbo | Seth | Atlantic Theater Company | Off-Broadway premiere |
| 2022–24 | Booth Theater | Broadway |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated | |
| Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Leading Performer in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nominated | |||
| Theatre World Award | Honoree | ||||
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
References
- ^ Adler, Eric (June 9, 2023). "'Trial by fire': How this 19-year-old went from Olathe East to Broadway to Tony Awards". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tauer, Kristen (December 5, 2022). "Justin Cooley Makes His Broadway Debut in 'Kimberly Akimbo'". Yahoo.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Gutierrez, Lisa (May 3, 2023). "Johnson County 19-year-old is up for a Tony Award for debut role in Broadway musical". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (April 26, 2023). "Meet the 19-Year-Old 'Kimberly Akimbo' Actor Who's Charming Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (April 26, 2022). "Nominees for 71st Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards Announced". Playbill.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.