Phillipa Soo

Phillipa Soo

Soo performing at the White House in March 2016
Born Phillipa Soo
(1990-05-31) May 31, 1990[1]
Libertyville, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater Juilliard School (BFA, 2012)
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 2012–present
Partner(s) Steven Pasquale (2015-present)

Phillipa Soo (born May 31, 1990) is an American actress and singer.

Soo is perhaps best known for originating the role of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton, a performance for which she was nominated for the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[2][3][4] Soo also originated the role of Natasha Rostova in a number of New York productions of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 in 2012 and 2013.

Soo is set to next appear in the title role of the new musical Amélie, which begins performances on Broadway in March 2017.

Early life and education

Soo is of both Anglo-American and Chinese ethnicity. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Soo spoke about her upbringing: "my dad is first-generation, so his parents were from China, and my mom was born and raised in southern Illinois, and she was involved in the arts. My dad's a doctor. I was very much always encouraged [to pursue an acting career], but the mentality of 'get your education' was still there."[1]

Soo attended Libertyville High School from 2004 to 2008.[5] Soo graduated from The Juilliard School's acting program in 2012.[6]

Career

Theatre

After graduating from Juilliard in 2012, Soo was cast as Natasha Rostova in the Ars Nova production of Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, based on Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace; the show went on to transfer Off-Broadway to Kazino, a tent custom built for the show.

After seeing her in Great Comet, director Thomas Kail and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda asked her to take part in an early 2014 reading of the musical Hamilton, where she read as the leading female role, "Eliza" (Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton). Soo remained with the show through its Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. She received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, along with Laura Benanti, Carmen Cusack, Jessie Mueller, and winner Cynthia Erivo.[7] Soo played her last performance in Hamilton on July 9, 2016, and the role of Eliza Hamilton was taken over by Lexi Lawson.[8]

Soo is next scheduled to appear in the title role in the pre-Broadway engagement of Amélie at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from December 2016 to January 2017. Amélie will then begin preview performances on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on March 9, 2017, with an official opening date set for April 3.[9]

Film and television

In 2013 she was cast in a small recurring role in the NBC television series Smash as the character Lexi. She appeared in five episodes in the second season before the show's cancellation.[10] She had a small supporting role as Nia in the 2014 television pilot Dangerous Liaisons, but it did not get picked up to series. In 2016, Soo voiced various characters in the Disney movie Moana.

Personal life

Soo became engaged to actor Steven Pasquale in February 2016.[11]

Theatre credits

Year(s) Production Role Location Category
2012 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Natasha Rostova Ars Nova Off-Off-Broadway
2013–14 Kazino Meatpacking District Off-Broadway
2015 Hamilton Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton The Public Theater Off-Broadway
2015–16 Richard Rodgers Theatre Broadway
2016–17 Amélie Amélie Poulain Ahmanson Theatre Regional, Pre-Broadway
2017 Walter Kerr Theatre Broadway

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Keep The Change Karen Short film
Smash Lexi TV series, 5 episodes
2014 Dangerous Liaisons Nia Television film
2016 Moana Additional voices

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2013 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Nominated
2014 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Nominated
2015 Hamilton Won
Clarence Derwent Award Most Promising Female Performer Won
2016 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical Nominated
Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Won
Broadway.com Audience Award Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical Won
Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female) Won
Favorite Onstage Pair (with Lin-Manuel Miranda) Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 "Asian Actors Onstage: Lea Salonga, Phillipa Soo Sound Off on Broadway Representation, Cultural Perceptions".
  2. ↑ Windman, Matt (6 August 2015). "Phillipa Soo on starring in Broadway's sold-out smash 'Hamilton'". amNewYork. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  3. ↑ Nordstrom, Leigh (5 August 2015). "Phillipa Soo Soars in Broadway Hit 'Hamilton'". WWD. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Schulman, Michael (6 August 2015). "The Women of "Hamilton"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "ePawPrints | District 128". d128.org. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  6. ↑ Robbins, Caryn. "BWW Interview - Debut of the Month: HAMILTON's Phillipa Soo". Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  7. ↑ "See Full List of 2016 Tony Award Nominations", Playbill, May 2, 2016
  8. ↑ Dziemianowicz, Joe (July 6, 2016). "'Hamilton' names replacements for Leslie Odom Jr. & Phillipa Soo". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  9. ↑ Viagas, Robert. " Hamilton's Phillipa Soo Will Star in 'Amélie' Musical on Broadway" Playbill, June 17, 2016
  10. ↑ "Phillipa Soo". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  11. ↑ Khan, Jessica (16 February 2016). "Broadway's Steven Pasquale and Phillipa Soo Are Engaged!". Broadway World. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

External links


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