Robert John Spencer (born February 12, 1969), known as J. Robert Spencer, is an American musical theatre and television actor, who was nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for his work in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical ''

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing her illness has on her fam ...

''.

Education

He graduated cum laude in 1991 from the

Shenandoah University Shenandoah University is a private university in Winchester, Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students across more than 200 areas of study in six schools and colleges. Shenandoah University is one of five Unit ...

musical theatre program, and received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts in 2009.BWW News Des
"NEXT TO NORMAL'S J. Robert Spencer Receives Honorary Degree From Shenandoah Univ"
, broadwayworld.com, November 24, 2012

Acting career

His Broadway debut was as a "swing" in the musical ''

Side Show A sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival or fair etc. Sideshow or Side Show may also refer to: Brands and computing * Windows SideShow, a Microsoft technology for Windows Vista * Sideshow Collectibles, a Ca ...

'' in 1997. He appeared in the musical ''Weird Romance'' in April 2004 at the

York Theatre The York Theatre Company is an Off-Broadway theatre company based on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Established in 1969, The York is the only theater in New York City, and one of the few in the world, whose two-fold missio ...

, New York, and the musical ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'' in April 2005 at the York Theatre. He went on to star as "Nick Massi" in the original Broadway cast of the musical ''

Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and breakup of the 1960s rock 'n' roll group The Four Seasons. The mus ...

'' (2005). He starred in the Broadway musical ''

'', for which he received a

nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. He was also in the Arena Stage production (2008) and received a

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They are ...

nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Non-Resident Production. He departed from the production on May 16, 2010 and was succeeded by original Off-Broadway cast member

Brian d'Arcy James Brian d'Arcy James (born June 29, 1968) is an American actor and musician. He is known primarily for his Broadway roles, including Shrek in '' Shrek the Musical'', Nick Bottom in '' Something Rotten!'', King George III in '' Hamilton'', and T ...

. Spencer starred as

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

in the 2014

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual event held each summer from 2004 to 2019 in New York City's midtown theater district. It mounted more than 30 new musicals each year, more than half selected through an open-submission, double- ...

production of

Bayonets of Angst ''Bayonets of Angst'' is a musical comedy about the American Civil War written by Rick Kunzi and Adam Barnosky. Production history In 2013, ''Bayonets of Angst'' was a finalist in the Ken Davenport Ten Minute Play Contest. The premiere producti ...

, a bluegrass musical comedy about the Civil War. Spencer was awarded a New York Musical Theatre Festival Award for Excellence for "Outstanding Individual Performance." He also has formed his own company, "7 Spencer Productions", for which he produces, writes, directs and acts in his own low-budget movies.Henderson, Kath
Q&A: J. Robert Spencer
broadway.com, April 13, 2009 As a voice actor, Spencer was the voice of Seita in the anime movie, ''

Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 Japanese Anime, animated war film written and directed by Isao Takahata, and produced by Studio Ghibli. It is based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical Grave of the Fireflies (short story), short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka ...

''. For television he has appeared on ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'', ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...

'', and ''

Girls Behaving Badly ''Girls Behaving Badly'' is an American reality comedy television show that aired on the Oxygen cable channel, and was also syndicated to television stations across the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Television. The show, described b ...

''.

Personal life

Spencer is married to actress Jenny-Lynn Suckling, and they have two children.

Filmography

TV Series

* ''

'' – Lt. Mason * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' – Joseph Soltice

Short

* ''High Expectations'' – Worthington * ''The Quest'' – Narrator

Movies

* ''

Amon Saga is an anime OVA released in 1986. The OVA is based on a manga from 1984 which was written by Baku Yumemakura and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. It was released by Manga Entertainment in 2001. World The world of ''Amon Saga'' is a medieval o ...

'' – Mabo, Messenger (voices) * ''Farm Girl in New York'' – Alan * ''

'' – Seita (Central Park Media Dub) (voice) * ''Heterosexuals'' – Larry * ''Lost on Purpose'' – Loan Officer Don * ''Night of the Dog'' – Bob * ''The Ascension'' – Hitchhiker Bob * '' The Vanilla Series'' – Masao Sera (voice)

Broadway Credits

References

External links

* * * *
J. Robert Spencer: “NEXT TO NORMAL is a perfect piece”
– interview in todoMUSICALES.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, J. Robert 1969 births Living people American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors American male television actors Place of birth missing (living people)