Bobby Steggert (born March 2, 1981) is an American therapist and former actor of theatre, television and film.

Early life and education

He was born in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in, and the county seat of, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Frederick's population was 78,171 people as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Maryland, second-largest ...

. Steggert attended Frederick High School, and graduated in 1999 as

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States. The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...

of his class. Steggert graduated from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic, and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, as the School of the Arts at New York University, Tisch ...

in New York City, and studied a yearlong foundation course at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

in London, England.

Career

Steggert joined the cast of the television soap opera ''

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 ...

'', appearing as Sam Grey from March 2005 until his final appearance on December 20, 2005. After appearing in, among other Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, '' "Master Harold"...and the Boys'', ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'',

The New Group The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995. The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...

's ''The Music Teacher'' and ''

columbinus ''Columbinus'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a play written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli, with contributions by Josh Barrett, Sean McNall, Karl Miller, Michael Milligan and Will Rogers, created by the United States Theatre Project. The pla ...

'' at the

New York Theatre Workshop __NOTOC__ New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) is an Off-Broadway theater noted for its productions of new works. Located at 79 East 4th Street between Second Avenue and Bowery in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, it h ...

, Steggert starred as Jimmy Curry in the 2007 Broadway revival of the musical '' 110 in the Shade'', a role which garnered him an

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 ...

nomination. Steggert then appeared at the

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is a 120-seat Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Founded in 1981 by Barbara Zinn Krieger, the Vineyard states that its goal is "to give ...

in Manhattan as the male lead in the 2008 musical ''The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (Or, the Friends of Dr. Rushower)'', with libretto and drawings by

Ben Katchor Ben Katchor (born November 19, 1951) is an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for the comic strip '' Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer''. He has contributed comics and drawings to ''The Forward'', ''The New Yorker,'' ''Metropol ...

, music by

Mark Mulcahy Mark Mulcahy is an American musician. He was the front-man for the New Haven, Connecticut-based band Miracle Legion. The band earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region. Mulcahy soon formed Polaris, a house band for th ...

and directed by

Bob McGrath Robert Emmett McGrath (June 13, 1932 – December 4, 2022) was an American actor, singer, and children's author best known for playing original human character and music teacher Bob Johnson on the educational television series ''Sesame Street' ...

. For his role, he was nominated for both the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and the

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

for Distinguished Performance. He has appeared in numerous roles around the country. Highlights include the Dauphin in

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' Saint Joan'' and Juliet in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, '' The Cripple of Inishmaan'' at the

Milwaukee Repertory Theater Milwaukee Repertory Theater ("Milwaukee Rep") is a theater company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, the group is housed in the Associated Bank Theater Center, which includes the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, th ...

, and ''"Master Harold"...and the Boys'' and '' Speech and Debate'' at L.A. Theatre Works. His film credits include '' For Richer or Poorer'' (1997), directed by

Bryan Spicer Bryan Spicer (born April 9, 1964) is an American film and television director. As a television director some his credits include ''Castle'', '' 24'', ''House'', '' Heroes'', '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', '' Hawaii Five-0'', and '' Magnum P ...

; '' Kinsey'' (2004), directed by

Bill Condon William Condon (born October 22, 1955) is an American director and screenwriter. Condon is known for writing and/or directing numerous successful and acclaimed films including ''Gods and Monsters (film), Gods and Monsters'', ''Chicago (2002 fi ...

; ''

Game 6 ''Game 6'' (stylized as Game6) is a 2005 American comedy drama film directed by Michael Hoffman. It stars Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Bebe Neuwirth, Griffin Dunne, and Catherine O'Hara. The plot follows fictional playwright Nicky Rog ...

'' (2005), directed by Michael Hoffman; and '' The Namesake'' (2006), directed by

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company is Mirabai Films. Among her films are '' Mississippi Masala'', '' The Namesake'', the Golden Lion–winning '' Monsoon Wedding'', ...

. He appeared in a production of ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

'' at the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

in Washington, D.C., in April 2009. He later starred in the short-lived Broadway revival of the Kennedy Center's production of ''Ragtime'' in the role of Mother's Younger Brother. He then starred in the Off-Broadway production of '' Yank: A WWII Love Story'' at the

York Theatre Company 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 mission ...

in the spring of 2010. He starred in A. R. Gurney's ''The Grand Manner'' at

Lincoln Center Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT ...

in the summer of 2010, opposite Kate Burton,

Boyd Gaines Boyd Payne Gaines (born May 11, 1953) is an American actor. During his career, he has won four Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. Gaines is best known for playing Mark Royer on ''One Day at a Time (1975 TV series), One Day at a Time'' (1981 ...

and Brenda Wehle. Steggert starred as Will Bloom in the musical version of ''

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy drama film directed by Tim Burton. It is based on the 1998 novel '' Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions'' by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange ...

'' alongside

Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz (born January 30, 1967) is an American actor and singer known for his work in Broadway theatre. He is a two-time recipient of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performances in ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' and '' ...

and

Kate Baldwin Katherine Baldwin (born May 2, 1975) is an American singer and actress known for her work in musical theater. She received a Tony Award nomination for her work in the 2009 Broadway revival of ''Finian's Rainbow''. She also co-starred opposite Be ...

. It ran for 98 performances from September 5 through December 29, 2013. Ben Brantley's ''New York Times'' review (October 6, 2013) said, "Mr. Steggert's singing exudes a radiant sincerity that transcends corn." He co-starred (as Will Ogden) with

Tyne Daly Ellen Tyne Daly (; born February 21, 1946) is an American actress whose six-decade career included many leading roles in movies and theater. She has won six Emmy Awards for her television work, a Tony Award, and is a 2011 American Theatre Hall of ...

in the premiere of

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," M ...

's '' Mothers and Sons'' at the Bucks County Playhouse in

New Hope, Pennsylvania New Hope is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. New Hope is located approximately north of Philadelphia, and lies on the west b ...

. It had a limited run of 14 performances from June 13 to 23, 2013. The cast was interviewed by Theatre Sensation's Kelli Curtin: "Bobby Steggert plays the character of Will in this play. Steggert describes his character as, "a modern gay man where being a husband to a man and having children is a viable option. My character represents the progress that has been made in society. My character is strong willed, steadfast in point of view and I admire that about him." According to Steggert, this play is important because it is about relationships and families. He states, "Twenty years ago a play like this would be classified as a 'gay drama.' Now a play that addresses issues faced by gay people is mainstream. The characters in this play are interesting because they are people and not because of their sexuality." Steggert is hopeful that people that see this play will "broaden their definition of family after seeing ''Mothers and Sons'' through observing the family on stage." ''Mothers and Sons'' ran on Broadway at the

John Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre, formerly the Theatre Masque and Masque Theater, is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 252 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York ...

from February 23, 2014, to June 22, 2014, with Steggert and Daly, joined by

Fred Weller Frederick Breithoff Weller (born April 18, 1966) is an American actor known for portraying Johnny Sandowski on ''Missing Persons,'' Shane Mungitt in ''Take Me Out'' and Marshall Mann on ''In Plain Sight''. Early life Weller was born in New Orl ...

, and original director Sheryl Kaller. In March 2016 Steggert starred Off-Broadway in the title role of Adam, in Anna Zeigler's ''Boy'' at the Clurman Theatre. Around 2016, Steggert "completely turned my back on an acting career that I had spent twenty years building." He earned a

Master's in Social Work The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a master's degree in the field of social work. It is a professional degree with specializations compared to Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). MSW promotes macro-, mezzo- and micro-aspects of professional social work ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

and trained as a therapist at the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy in their Gender and Sexuality Program. In an announcement of his retirement from acting, he stated, "if I ever return to acting, it will be with this knowledge (and I hope it reminds you of your own possibilities) — that the work does not stop when unemployed — that you are an artist every day, if you so choose — that art is an obligation, and that it must be lived, not simply offered to those who have paid the price of admission." Steggert returned from his acting break in 2024 when he was cast to play painter

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...

in the third season of

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

's series ''The Gilded Age'' (2022-).

Awards and nominations

For his role in ''

,'' Steggert was nominated for a 2010

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 ...

, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Drama League Award. For his role in '' Yank!,'' he received nominations for the Drama Desk Award (2010) and

New York Innovative Theatre Awards The New York Independent Theater Awards (also known as NYIT Awards and IT Awards) are accolades given annually by The League of Independent Theater to honor individuals and organizations who have achieved artistic excellence in Off-Off-Broadway ...

(2008). Prior to ''Ragtime,'' Steggert was nominated for an

in 2007 for his portrayal of Jimmy Curry in the Broadway revival of '' 110 in the Shade,'' and 2008

and

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 ...

nominations for his starring role in ''The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island.''

Discography

* ''What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up'' by Scott Alan, sings the song ''Over The Mountains'' (2010) * ''Big Fish: Original Broadway Cast Recording'' as Will Bloom. Music and lyrics by

Andrew Lippa Andrew Lippa (born December 22, 1964) is an American composer, lyricist, libretto, book writer, performer, and theatrical producer, producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. Early life Lippa was born in Leeds, E ...

(2014) * ''Ahrens and Flaherty: Nice Fighting You - A 30th Anniversary Celebration Live at 54 BELOW'' (2014), performing ''Larger Than Life'' from

My Favorite Year ''My Favorite Year'' is a 1982 American comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Richard Benjamin and written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo from a story written by Palumbo. The film tells the story of a young comedy wr ...

, ''The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square'' from

and, with

Annaleigh Ashford Annaleigh Ashford (née Swanson; born June 25, 1985) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her early roles on Broadway include in the musicals '' Wicked'' (2007), '' Legally Blonde'' (2007), and ''Hair'' (2010). She received the Tony Award ...

, ''Close, but No Cigar'' from an unproduced musical version of Bedazzled. * ''Yank!: Original Cast Recording'' as Stu

Personal life

In September 2013, ''

Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...

'' magazine reported that Steggert is

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

References

External links

* * *
Bobby Steggert profile

Bobby Steggert at Broadway.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steggert, Bobby 1981 births 20th-century American LGBTQ people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American singers Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art American expatriates in England American gay actors American gay musicians American LGBTQ singers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male soap opera actors Living people Male actors from Maryland Male actors from New York City People from Frederick, Maryland Singers from Maryland Singers from New York City Tisch School of the Arts alumni