Roger Bart (born September 29, 1962) is an American actor. He won 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 ...

and a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for his performance as

Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of ...

in the 1999 revival of '' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown''. Bart received his second

nomination for playing Carmen Ghia in the original production of '' The Producers'' and his third for his performance as "Doc" Brown in '' Back to the Future: The Musical''. His other accolades include a SAG Award and three

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

nominations. In 2007, he began a three-year stint as Frederick Frankenstein in the Broadway and touring production of '' Young Frankenstein''. Bart performed the song " Go the Distance" from the 1997 animated film ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

'', which was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

and a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

Early life and education

Bart was born in

Norwalk, Connecticut Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The city, part of the New York metropolitan area, New York Metropolitan Area, is the List of municipalities of Connecticut by population, sixth-most populous city in Connecticut ...

, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist

Peter Bart Peter Benton Bart (born July 24, 1932) is an American journalist and film producer, writing a column for ''Deadline Hollywood'' since 2015. He is best known for his lengthy tenure (1989–2009) as the editor in chief of ''Variety'', an enterta ...

. He graduated from Bernards High School in 1980 and was later inducted into the school's hall of fame. He earned his BFA in Acting from

Mason Gross School of the Arts Mason Gross School of the Arts ("Mason Gross" or "MGSA") is the arts conservatory at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mason Gross offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, design, dance, filmmaking, music, and theater. Ma ...

at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in 1985. Bart was close friends with Jonathan Larson: both worked as waiters between theater jobs and frequently hung out at each other's workplaces. He participated in early presentations of Larson's work including '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'' and '' Rent''; the main character "Roger" from ''Rent'' is named after him.

Career

He made his Broadway debut in '' Big River'' as Tom Sawyer in 1985. Additional theatre credits include Jonathan in the

Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer and conductor. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Alan Menken, numerous accolades including winning eight Academy Awards, a Tony Awards, Tony ...

/ Tim Rice musical ''

King David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...

'', Harlequin in '' Triumph of Love'', Snoopy in the Broadway revival of '' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' (for which he won the

and a Tony), Carmen Ghia and later Leo Bloom in '' The Producers'' (earning Drama Desk and Tony nominations), and '' The Frogs'' at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

, which reunited him with fellow ''Producers'' star

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. Since 1975, he has been Nathan Lane on screen and stage, on stage and screen in both comedic and dramatic roles. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Na ...

and

Susan Stroman Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, and performer. Her notable theater productions include ''Oklahoma!'', ''The Music Man'', ''Crazy for You (musical), Crazy for You'', ''Contact (musical), Co ...

. In 1996 and 1997, Bart appeared as Bud Frump in the USA national tour of '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''. On television, Bart played

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...

's son on '' The George Carlin Show'' (1994), and on '' Bram & Alice'' (2002) he portrayed Bram's assistant, Paul Newman. He became widely known to viewers with his portrayal of George Williams, the unhinged homicidal pharmacist in love with

Bree Van de Kamp Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. She was played by actress Marcia Cross, who received multiple awards and nominations for her portrayal, including a ...

(

Marcia Cross Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an American actress. She acted in daytime soap operas such as ''The Edge of Night'', ''Another World (TV series), Another World'', and ''One Life to Live'' before moving to primetime television with a ...

), on ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...

'', which earned him a SAG Award. Bart provided the singing voice for teenage

in Disney's ''

'', as well as the singing voice of Scamp in '' Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure''. He was featured in the 2004 remake of '' The Stepford Wives'' with

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''WarGames'' (1983) as a teen government hacker, and ''Ladyhawke (film), Ladyhawke'' (1985), a medieval fantasy alongside Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. He play ...

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Christopher Walken on stage and screen, His work on stage and screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Walken, accolades includin ...

and Glenn Close, and in '' The Producers'' (2005), in which he reprised his role of "common-law assistant" Carmen Ghia. In December 2006, Bart played Howard "The Weasel" Montague in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries ''

The Lost Room ''The Lost Room'' is a 2006 supernatural television miniseries that aired on the Syfy Channel in the United States. The series revolves around the titular room and some of the everyday items from that room which possess unusual powers. The show ...

''. In 2007, he starred as Stuart in '' Hostel: Part II'', the sequel to 2005's ''

Hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...

'', and had supporting roles in '' American Gangster'' and '' Spy School''. In 2008, he appeared in '' Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay'', the sequel to 2004's '' Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'', and '' The Midnight Meat Train''. Bart also originated the lead role of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the musical adaptation of

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

' '' Young Frankenstein'', which opened on Broadway in November 2007, following a run in Seattle. He reprised the role alongside former Broadway co-stars Shuler Hensley and Cory English in the United States national tour that launched in September 2009. He ended his run on August 8, 2010, and was succeeded by

Christopher Ryan Christopher Papazoglou (born 25 January 1950), known professionally as Christopher Ryan, is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Mike The Cool Person in the BBC comedy series '' The Young Ones'', Dave Hedgehog in the BBC comedy se ...

. Bart originally portrayed the role of Igor in the original workshop read-through. Brad Oscar and Bart reprised their roles as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, respectively, in a production of ''The Producers'' at Starlight Theatre in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. The show ran from August 23–29, 2010. In 2011, Bart was cast in the recurring role of Mason Treadwell on the ABC drama series ''

Revenge Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...

''. In 2013, Bart was cast in the recurring role of Roger Riskin on the Showtime drama series ''

Episodes Episodes may refer to: * Episode, a part of a dramatic work * Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011 * Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal ...

''. Bart was originally set to play the dual role of Charles Frohman and Captain James Hook in the 2014 A.R.T. pre-Broadway production of '' Finding Neverland''. He was ultimately replaced by Michael McGrath. In 2016, Bart returned to Broadway in the musical '' Disaster!'' In 2017, Bart was cast in the recurring role of Vice Principal Nero on the second season of the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

comedy-drama series ''

A Series of Unfortunate Events ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen Children's literature, children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings List of A ...

''. In 2018, Bart was cast in the main role of Judge Wilson on the Freeform drama series ''Good Trouble'', the spin-off of '' The Fosters.'' In 2019, Bart was cast as Hades in the world premiere of Disney's musical, ''

''. That same year, he was announced to play Dr. Emmett Brown in the musical adaptation of ''

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985 ...

''. After playing the role at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring Theatre (structure), theatre that plays host to touring Musical theatre, musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed buil ...

and West End's Adelphi Theatre, he reprised the part in the Broadway production. In 2021, Bart cameoed in the film adaptation of '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'', 30 years after performing in the original show with Jonathan Larson. A character in the film played by Joshua Henry is named "Roger" after him, and is loosely inspired by Bart.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * *
Roger Bart and Brad Oscar
– ''Downstage Center'' interview at

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

.org
Roger Bart Discusses Producers and "Housewives"
at

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bart, Roger 1962 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers Living people Jewish American male actors Jewish American singers Male actors from Norwalk, Connecticut Male actors from New Jersey American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors Drama Desk Award winners Mason Gross School of the Arts alumni Bernards High School alumni People from Bernardsville, New Jersey American people of Austrian-Jewish descent Tony Award winners American male pop singers 21st-century American Jews Actors from Somerset County, New Jersey