Gavin Lee (born 15 October 1971) is an English actor who has appeared on the stage in musical theatre, notably as Bert in the musical '' Mary Poppins'', in both the West End and on

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 Stree ...

, and as

Squidward Tentacles Squidward Q. Tentacles is a fictional character voiced by actor Rodger Bumpass in the Nickelodeon animated series, animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Squidward was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen ...

in the original Broadway cast of ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical''.

Early life

Lee is an alumnus of the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts after which he has been involved in various musicals as a performer and choreographer.

Career

Lee appeared in the dance play '' Contact'' in the West End at the Queen's Theatre, opening in October 2002. In 2004, Lee auditioned to be the

Bert Bert or BERT may refer to: Persons, characters, or animals known as Bert *Bert (name), commonly an abbreviated forename and sometimes a surname *Bert, a character in the poem "Bert the Wombat" by The Wiggles; from their 1992 album Here Comes a Son ...

understudy in the London production of '' Mary Poppins,'' but won the role outright. He originated the role of Bert in the original West End production. He also starred as Bert in the

production of ''Mary Poppins''. He was chosen for the Broadway role because of his critically acclaimed performance as Bert in the West End production. He departed the Broadway production after nearly two years to launch the US National Tour, but returned to the Broadway production in August 2010 until January 2013. Lee was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical at the 2005

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

and the 2005 Theatregoer's Choice Awards for originating the West End role of Bert. For his Broadway performance, Lee was nominated for the 2006

Outer Critics Circle Awards 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 newspa ...

(Outstanding Actor in a Musical) and the 2007

Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did n ...

. He also won the 2007 Drama Desk Award for Featured Actor in a Musical and an award for Outstanding Broadway Debut at the 63rd annual Theatre World Awards. In August 2007, Lee was added to

Sardi's Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City. Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the carica ...

caricature gallery with other Broadway actors. In June 2008, Lee performed in a concert version of ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' at Carnegie Hall as Frank Schultz. He has performed as part of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

'' film adaptation, appearing as one of the singers/dancers in the "Masquerade" scene. Lee and former London co-star

Laura Michelle Kelly Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an English actress and singer, best known for originating the roles of Mary Poppins in ''Mary Poppins'' in the West End, for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and S ...

performed as Bert and Mary Poppins in the ''America Celebrates 4 July at Fords Theatre'' in front of President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

and First Lady Michelle Obama on 6 June 2010. The special aired on 2 July 2010 on ABC. Lee again reunited with Kelly when he returned to the role of Bert in the Broadway production of ''Mary Poppins'' on 24 August 2010. He took over the role of Jerry Travers in the West End production of ''

Top Hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditional ...

'' beginning 5 February 2013. He joined the Broadway revival of '' Les Miserables'' as Thenardier beginning 3 March 2015. Lee played

in '' SpongeBob SquarePants, the Broadway Musical''. The stage musical premiered at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, and ran from June to July 2016. Lee reprised his role as Squidward for the Broadway run of the musical, starting with November 2017 previews at the Palace Theatre and remaining until it closed in September 2018. Lee was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Squidward. In June 2019, he appeared at

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...

Millburn, New Jersey Millburn is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 20,149, reflecting an increase of 384 (+1.9%) from the 19,765 counted in the 2000 Census, which had ...

, taking on the role of Lumiere in

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

. He reprised the role in the 2021 UK tour. The production then transferred to the West End's

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

for a limited engagement beginning June 2022. On February 17, 2020, he performed the Manhattan Concert Productions' 50th-anniversary celebration of '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' at ''

David Geffen Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designe ...

'', ''

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 milli ...

''. He played the Butler. Lee returned to the Paper Mill Playhouse to play Max Detweiler in its production of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

'' from December 2–January 1, 2023.

Personal life

Lee is married to Emily Harvey, an American actress who was playing the role of Mme Firmin in London's ''

'' during his own run in London in ''Mary Poppins''. They have 3 children.

Theatre appearances

Cast recordings

* '' Mary Poppins'' * '' A Saint She Ain't'' * '' Zip Goes a Million'' * '' Saturday Night'' * '' SpongeBob SquarePants (musical)''

Filmography

* '' Beyond the Sea'' * ''

Television

* '' White Collar'' – Alan Woodford (5 episodes) * ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in l ...

'' – Jake Alister (Season 2, Episode 18 "Killer Song", 2011)"Killer Song"
tv.com, retrieved 14 April 2019 * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' – Dennis Griscomb (2 episodes) * '' The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!'' – Squidward Tentacles (reprising his role from the Broadway musical) * '' Little America'' – Henry (Season 1, Episode 4)

Awards and nominations

Tony Awards

Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony

Drama Desk Awards

Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony

Laurence Olivier Awards

Note: The year given is the year of the ceremony

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Gavin 1971 births Drama Desk Award winners English male musical theatre actors Living people Alumni of Bird College Theatre World Award winners