Anthony Rapp

Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of '' Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, he reprised it in the film version of the show and the show's United States tour in 2009. He also performed Charlie Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' and originated the role of Lucas in the musical ''If/Then'' in 2014. From 2017 to 2024, he played Commander Paul Stamets on the television series '' Star Trek: Discovery''.

Rapp is also known for accusing actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct in 2017 during the #MeToo movement over an alleged event from 1986. The same allegation generated an unsuccessful civil case in 2022 where a jury found Spacey not liable.

Early life

Rapp was born on October 26, 1971, in Chicago, Illinois to Mary Lee (née Baird) and Douglas Rapp and raised in nearby Joliet. After his parents' divorce in 1974, he was raised by his mother, a nurse. His older brother is playwright, novelist and filmmaker Adam Rapp. He also has an older sister.

Rapp participated in community theater as a child and won awards for his singing in junior high school. He attended Joliet West High School and theatre camp at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. He moved to New York in 1989 to attend New York University as a film student, but dropped out after a semester.

Career

Rapp first performed on Broadway in 1981 in '' The Little Prince and the Aviator'', a musical based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's novel ''The Little Prince''. It closed during previews. He made his screen debut in the ensemble of the 1987 film ''Adventures in Babysitting'', directed by Chris Columbus, who later directed Rapp in the film version of '' Rent''. Rapp has appeared in several movies and Broadway shows. His notable roles include such films as '' Dazed and Confused'', '' A Beautiful Mind'', ''School Ties'', ''Road Trip'', ''Six Degrees of Separation'' (stage and film versions), '' The Beach Boys: An American Family'', and '' Danny Roane: First Time Director''.

Rapp played Mark Cohen in the off-Broadway and original Broadway casts of Jonathan Larson's musical '' Rent''. For his audition, he sang R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", and received his callback in September 1994. After offering him the role, Jonathan Larson wrote new songs for the production with Rapp's voice in mind. Rapp reprised the role in the film adaptation, released on November 23, 2005. He returned to the stage version with original cast member Adam Pascal, from July 30 to October 7, 2007. Rapp, Pascal and fellow original cast member Gwen Stewart also participated in a national tour of ''Rent'' beginning January 6, 2009.

Rapp released a solo CD, '' Look Around'', in 2000. In 2006, he published a memoir about ''Rent'' and his relationship with his mother, '' Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent'', which he spent six years writing. Rapp developed a one-man stage show with music based on the memoir beginning in 2007, later performing it at such locations as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A recording of the show was released on December 11, 2012, by PS Classics.

In 2005, Rapp played The Doctor in the world premiere of ''Feeling Electric'' (later the Broadway musical ''Next to Normal'') at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. During ''Next to Normals Off-Broadway run in 2008, he worked as assistant director to Michael Greif, who had directed him in ''Rent'', and wrote the introduction to the published script.

Rapp played Lucas in ''If/Then'', starring fellow ''Rent'' alum Idina Menzel. It opened at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., began previews on Broadway on March 5, 2014, and opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theater on March 30. In July, Rapp had to miss performances due to a knee injury and surgery. It closed on March 22, 2015. Rapp reprised the role in the 2015-2016 National Tour with Menzel and the rest of the main Broadway cast.

Rapp also appeared in " Psych: The Musical", an episode of the TV series ''Psych'', which premiered on USA Network on December 15, 2013. In 2016, Rapp was cast in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, the first openly gay character in the ''Star Trek'' television series. It was Rapp's first television regular role; while he had watched some ''Star Trek'' as a child, he watched "curated lists" of episodes from the multiple series to prepare for the role.

Personal life

Rapp had a close relationship with his mother, who was battling cancer during the beginning of the off-Broadway and Broadway transfer of ''Rent''. He visited her on weekends. She died at age 55 in 1997. He credits her for instilling values of justice and respect in him.

In 2012, ''Metro Weekly'' referred to Rapp as "one of the first openly gay men on Broadway". He came out to his mother at 18, and by her death in 1997 she had grown comfortable with it. In a 1997 interview with ''Oasis'' magazine, he explained his sexual identity as "queer" rather than "gay":

He has also identified as "bisexual" and "four-and-a-half" on the Kinsey scale. He has cited working with Larry Kramer as a young man (in Kramer's play '' The Destiny of Me'') for his commitment to activism and "liv ngan open life".

Rapp is a "die hard" Chicago Cubs fan and co-hosts the baseball podcast ''The Clubhouse''. At the Cubs game on August 29, 2016, he threw the first pitch and sang the Star Spangled Banner. He enjoys playing poker and video games.

In November 2019, Rapp announced his engagement to his partner, Ken Ithiphol. They have two children, both born via surrogacy.

Accusations against Kevin Spacey

In October 2017, Rapp alleged in an interview with ''BuzzFeed'' that actor Kevin Spacey made an unwanted sexual advance toward him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. At the time, Rapp and Spacey were both appearing in Broadway shows – Rapp in ''Precious Sons'', Spacey in ''Long Day's Journey into Night'' – and Spacey invited Rapp to a party at his home. Rapp said that at the end of the evening, an apparently drunk Spacey "picked imup like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold", placed him on the bed, and held him down while tightening his grip on him. "He was trying to seduce me", Rapp said. "I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually." Rapp added that he met with a lawyer to discuss possible legal action, but was told there was no case worth pursuing. He had previously discussed the incident in a 2001 interview with ''The Advocate'', but Spacey's name was redacted from publication to avoid legal disputes and public outing. Rapp claimed he was inspired to come forward in 2017 after the effects of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations with the support of his family, boyfriend, and representatives; however, text message evidence shown during Rapp's trial against Spacey showed that Rapp had reported his allegation about Spacey to ''BuzzFeed'' before Lupita Nyong'o, whom Rapp previously credited for inspiring him to come forward.

In response, Spacey posted on Twitter that he did not remember the encounter but said that he was "beyond horrified to hear his story", and offered Rapp the "sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior". After the ''BuzzFeed'' article, at least 14 other people came forward to accuse Spacey of sexual misconduct, ultimately leading to him losing his starring role on ''House of Cards'' and involvement in other projects. Rapp faced harassment and criticism for the accusation. On September 9, 2020, he sued Spacey for sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress under the Child Victims Act, which extended New York's statute of limitations for civil suits related to child sexual abuse. Rapp sought $40 million in damages. Joining Rapp in the suit against Spacey was a man who requested to remain anonymous who accused Spacey of sexually abusing him in 1983, when he was 14 and Spacey was 23. On October 20, 2022, a jury found Spacey not liable.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Discography

Video games

Bibliography

* '' Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent'' (Simon & Schuster, 2006)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Anthony Rapp sings
at The Booksmith in San Francisco

"Out Out Damn Spot" Fanlisting

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapp, Anthony
1971 births
20th-century American LGBTQ people
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American memoirists
American bisexual male actors
American bisexual musicians
American bisexual writers
American LGBTQ singers
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male non-fiction writers
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American queer male actors
Bisexual male writers
Bisexual memoirists
Bisexual singers
LGBTQ people from Illinois
Living people
Male actors from Joliet, Illinois
Musicians from Joliet, Illinois
New York University alumni
Queer memoirists
Queer singers
Singers from Illinois
Writers from Joliet, Illinois