David Bedella

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Bedella
Born (1962-09-25) September 25, 1962 (age 58)
OccupationActor
Years active1980–present
Spouse(s)
Pressley Sutherland
(m. 1997)
[1]

David Bedella (born September 25, 1962) is an American actor. He is currently based in London and is best known for his Olivier award-winning roles in Jerry Springer – The Opera,[2] In The Heights[3] and & Juliet.[4]

Early life[]

Bedella was born in Gary, Indiana and graduated from Merrillville High School in 1980. After performing in Showboat‘81 at Opryland U.S.A. he began eight years of theatre in Chicago from 1982–1990 during which, in 1985, he won his first professional acting award, the Joseph Jefferson Award (Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical) for his performance in A Chorus Line.[citation needed] After several National Tours including Dreamgirls, Jesus Christ Superstar and 42nd St., he relocated to New York City in the autumn of 1990 and began what would be 11 years of regional and Broadway work which included Goodspeed Opera House in 1991 and a tour of La Cage aux Folles starring Gene Barry and Lee Roy Reams.

From 1992 to 1995, he played Caiaphas in the 20th anniversary national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Dennis DeYoung, Irene Cara and Syrita Wright. In 1995, he joined the original company of Smokey Joe’s Café on Broadway which he played, on and off, for five years before leaving to tour the United States with Diahann Carrol in Lerner and Lowe’s Almost Like Being in Love.

In 2001, he and his boyfriend at the time, Pressley Sutherland, relocated to the United Kingdom where Bedella began his London career.

His first West End show was the legendary and controversial Jerry Springer the Opera at The National Theatre, for which he won his first Olivier Award in 2004 for best actor in a musical. He went on to perform the lead roles in the Rocky Horror Show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Producers and eventually, the role for which he won the What’s On Stage and his second Olivier Award, Kevin Rosario in the London premiere of In The Heights in 2015.

For several years, Bedella has hosted his own live chat show, David Bedella And Friends (DBAF) which took the London Cabaret Society’s Best Long Running Cabaret Award, in 2015. The chat show began at the Alley Cat and moved to the St. James Theatre in Victoria, London, hosting an array of artists from stage and screen.

Bedella’s work is not limited to the stage but includes five television series for the BBC and three Hollywood feature films as well as voicing several characters on the series Thomas and Friends.

He has also performed in four pantomimes alongside Christopher Biggins, Bradley Walsh and for the last two years, has partnered the John Linehan (aka: May McFettridg) at the Belfast Grand Opera House in NI.

Career[]

In 2002, Bedella won his most famous role in Jerry Springer - The Opera, where he played both the Warm Up Man "Jonathan Wierus"(in the First Act) named after the 15th-century occultist Johann Weyer and Satan in the Second Act. For this role, Bedella received the 2004 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

After that Bedella appeared in a recurring role as the plastic surgeon in 2004 in the British hospital drama Holby City. He then went on to play the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and had a 16-month run playing Frank N Furter in the 2006–2007 UK tour of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show. During that period he also had minor roles in a number of movies, including Batman Begins, Red Light Runners and Alexander.

In 2008, he played the role of Alexander Molokov in a concert version of Chess at the Royal Albert Hall on May 12–13, 2008, and performed in the West End gala performance of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens at Soho Revue Bar.

Since 2009, Bedella has provided voices of some characters in the UK and US narrations of Thomas and Friends such as Carlos, Victor, , and . In 2012, he replaced fellow cast member Matt Wilkinson as Victor in the UK narration in Blue Mountain Mystery, though Wilkinson remains a cast member of the CGI series. In 2015, he replaced fellow cast member Keith Wickham as the Mayor of Sodor in the UK narration starting with season 19, and like Wilkinson, Wickham still provides voices for the show.

In 2009–2010 he reprised his role as Frank N. Furter in the UK tour cast of The Rocky Horror Show.

In October 2011, he appeared in a concert of the new musical Soho Cinders at the Queen's Theatre, London.

In 2012, he played Arnold in Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

Bedella made his pantomime debut as Blackheart, in Robinson Crusoe and at the New Theatre, Cardiff with Christopher Biggins, Paul Zerdin, Lucy Sinclair, Alexander Delemere, Stephanie Siadatan and Gary Jerry in the season of 2011–2012.

In 2013, he appeared in By Any Means, and in 2014, he starred as popstar Frankie Parsons in the Inside No. 9 episode "Last Gasp".

On 16 January 2015, it was confirmed that Bedella would be joining Mel Brooks's The Producers as Roger De Bris.[5]

He reprised his role as Frank N Furter in the Rocky Horror Show in London with the show's writer Richard O'Brien.

In 2017, he recorded two songs for the album Wit & Whimsy – Songs by Alexander S. Bermange (one solo and one featuring all of the album's 23 artists), which reached No. 1 in the iTunes comedy album chart.

From 2015–2017 Bedella starred in the role of Kevin Rosario in the Tony Award-winning In The Heights at the in London, for which he won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor In A Musical.

In 2018, Bedella returned to Chicago as part of the cast of the U.S. premiere of Nell Gwynn at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

In 2019, he originated the role of Lance in the original musical & Juliet, based on the story of Romeo & Juliet. The musical made its world debut at the Manchester Opera House and further transferred to London's Shaftesbury Theatre. Bedella subsequently won the 2020 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor In A Musical for his performance. This marked his second win in this category and third Olivier win overall.

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Alexander Scribe Cadmus
2005 Batman Begins Maitre D
2009 Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails Victor (voice) Direct-to-video
2010 Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue
2011 Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels
2012 Thomas & Friends: Blue Mountain Mystery Victor / Cuban Man (voice)
2013 Thomas & Friends: King of the Railway Victor (voice)
2013 Resting Harry Boe Short Film
2016 Thomas & Friends: The Great Race Victor / Carlos (voice) Direct-to-video
2016 Punk Strut: The Movie Walter Wall Jr.
2017 Thomas & Friends: Journey Beyond Sodor Victor (voice) Direct-to-video; uncredited
2017 This Is Axiom Sam Short Film
2018 A Reel Life Precious Stone

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Days That Shook the World Voiceover Artist (voice) Credited as David Bedalla
2004–2005 Holby City Carlos Fashola 19 episodes
2005 Jerry Springer: The Opera Warm-up Man / Satan TV Movie
2005 Blessed Restaurant Owner-Quentin Episode: "Just Looking (Stereophonics)"
2009 Great Performances Alexander Molokov Episode: "Chess in Concert"
2009 Thomas & Friends: Splish, Splash, Splosh! Victor TV Movie
2009–2020 Thomas & Friends Victor (voice) 54 episodes
2013 By Any Means Luis Velasquez Episode: "Episode #1.3"
2014 Inside No. 9 Frankie J. Parsons Episode: "Last Gasp"
2016 Resting Bernard Episode: "Fucked"
2018 Deep State Tilson 2 episodes
2018 Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan President Charles Bachler 2 episodes

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2004 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor in a Musical Jerry Springer - The Opera Won [6]
WhatsOnStage Award Best Actor in a Musical Nominated [7]
2016 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical In The Heights Won [3]
WhatsOnStage Award Best Supporting Actor in a Musical Won [8]
2020 Laurence Olivier Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical & Juliet Won [9]

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.theatre.com/buzz/155543/david-bedella-on-jumping-from-jerry-springer-to-billy-flynn-in-londons-chicago/
  2. ^ "Jerry Springer: The Opera". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 April 2009.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Olivier Winners 2016". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  4. ^ "https://twitter.com/olivierawards/status/1320483554359468033". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-10-25. External link in |title= (help)
  5. ^ "David Bedella and Phill Jupitus join the cast of The Producers". January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  6. ^ "Olivier Winners 2004". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  7. ^ "Whatsonstage Awards 2004 |". WestEndTheatre.com – London Theatre Tickets. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  8. ^ "Whatsonstage Awards – Winners 2016 |". WestEndTheatre.com – London Theatre Tickets. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  9. ^ "Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard – Theatre's Biggest Night". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-26.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""