Cole Escola

Cole Escola (born November 25, 1986) is an American comedian, actor, singer, and playwright. They are best known for their cabaret work and appearances on the television series '' Difficult People'' (2015–2017), '' At Home with Amy Sedaris'' (2017–2020), '' Search Party'' (2020–2021), and '' Big Mouth'' (2022), as well as for writing and starring in the play '' Oh, Mary!'' which opened on Broadway in 2024. Escola received two nominations for two Tony Awards for their work on ''Oh, Mary!'', winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. They were also named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Early life

Escola was born and raised in Clatskanie, Oregon. They are of Finnish and Norwegian descent. When they were six, their father chased the entire family out of their mobile home with a gun,Sharkey, M. (June 11, 2015)
"Comedy School with Cole Escola"
''Out''. Retrieved September 18, 2017.Vincentelli, Elisabeth (July 6, 2017)
"He's Got a Good Wig on His Shoulders: Meet Cole Escola,"
''The New York Times''. Retrieved September 18, 2017.Goodman, Elyssa (July 18, 2017)
"Is America Ready for Cole Escola?"
''Vice''. Retrieved September 18, 2017. after which Escola, their mother, and their brother subsequently lived in government housing. Their sister was not living with them at this time. Escola participated in community theater and starred in high school productions of ''Fiddler on the Roof'', ''Les Misérables'', and ''Little Shop of Horrors''.Rowe, Amy (August 8, 2017)
"A glimpse into rising comedy and 'Difficult People' star Cole Escola's way of life"
''New York Daily News''. Retrieved September 18, 2017. After graduating from R. A. Long High School in 2005, Escola moved to New York City to study humanities at Marymount Manhattan College, dropping out after one year.Paulu, Tom (June 15, 2009)
"R.A. Long grad stars in new LOGO TV comedy series"
'' The Daily News'' (Longview). Retrieved September 18, 2017. They subsequently performed at children's birthday parties and worked at the Scholastic bookstore.

Career

Stage

From 2008 to 2012, Escola was a regular guest performer in the ''Our Hit Parade'' cabaret series, and later began performing monthly solo shows at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre. They appeared in Scott Wittman's 2012 cabaret show ''Jukebox Jackie'' at La MaMa and played an unborn fetus in Bridget Everett's 2014 cabaret show ''Rock Bottom'' at Joe's Pub. In a sketch called ''Queers in History'', Escola strutted "jauntily across the stage wearing a newsboy cap and underwear." On June 14, 2017, Escola's hour-long solo show ''Help! I'm Stuck'' premiered at Joe's Pub, where it has since played numerous sold-out engagements.

In 2013, Escola played Roland Maule in the Two River Theater revival of Noël Coward's '' Present Laughter''.

In 2024, Escola wrote and starred in their play '' Oh, Mary!'' at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, in which they played First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. It was directed by Sam Pinkleton and also starred Conrad Ricamora and James Scully. The show transferred to Broadway in July 2024, marking Escola's Broadway debut as an actor and playwright. At the 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Escola was awarded the John Gassner Award for ''Oh, Mary!''. The piece was a 2025 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Escola won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 2025, for their performance in ''Oh, Mary!,'' becoming the first non-binary performer to do so''.''

In October 2024, Escola was included in the ''TIME'' 100 Next list of the world's most influential rising leaders.

Television

In 2008, Escola met fellow comedian Jeffery Self in New York; bonding over a shared love of theater and 1990s sitcoms, they began creating surreal, semi-scripted YouTube videos under the moniker "Very Good Looking (VGL) Gay Boys." The sketches, in which Escola often played the demented comic foil to Self's straight man, received over 100,000 views, prompting coverage in '' New York'' magazine and a development deal from Logo TV. '' Jeffery & Cole Casserole'' premiered on Logo on June 19, 2009; it ran for two seasons and has been deemed as a "cult classic" by ''Vice'' magazine. Escola and Self also wrote the screenplay for an as-yet-unproduced comedy in which two friends "have to go through a lot to redeem their free sandwich."

From 2015 to 2017, Escola played Matthew on the Hulu television series '' Difficult People'', a role that series creator Julie Klausner wrote with them in mind. They have appeared in recurring roles on '' Mozart in the Jungle'', '' Girlboss'', and '' At Home with Amy Sedaris'', in which they play Sedaris' neighbor, Chassie Tucker. In 2020, Escola appeared as Chip (The Twink) on the HBO Max original '' Search Party''. Chip became a season regular in season 4. Escola voiced The Secret Keeper on the Cartoon Network animated series '' Craig of the Creek'' in the episode "Secret in a Bottle". In 2021, Escola voiced a gargoyle in an episode of '' What We Do in the Shadows''.

Personal life

In 2022, Escola came out as non-binary.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Escola, Cole
1986 births
20th-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American LGBTQ people
American gay actors
American gay musicians
American LGBTQ comedians
American LGBTQ singers
American non-binary actors
American people of Finnish descent
American people of Norwegian descent
American voice actors
Comedians from Oregon
Gay comedians
LGBTQ people from Oregon
Living people
Non-binary comedians
Non-binary gay people
People from Clatskanie, Oregon
Theatre World Award winners
Tony Award winners
Writers Guild of America Award winners