Alex Sharp

Not to be confused with Alex Sharpe.
Alex Sharp

Sharp signing autographs at the stage door of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Born Alexander Ian Sharp
(1989-02-02) 2 February 1989
Westminster, London, England[1]
Education Bachelor of Fine Arts
Alma mater Juilliard School
Occupation Actor
Years active 2014–present
Home town Devon, England
Signature

Alexander Ian "Alex" Sharp (born 2 February 1989) is a Tony Award-winning English actor best known for originating the role of Christopher Boone in the Broadway Production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.[2][3]

After graduating from the Juilliard School in the summer of 2014, he made his Broadway and acting debut in the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the autumn.[2] For his role as the autistic teenager Christopher Boone, he was awarded the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.[4][5] As of September 2015, he is the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Early life and education

Sharp was born in Westminster, London, and was raised in Devon, England by his mother, a teacher, and his father, who worked in real estate.[6][7] He has a sister, Nicole.[8] His father retired at the age of 35 and the family traveled extensively until Alex was seven years old.[7] His mother homeschooled him with both "rigorous and unorthodox" lessons. Upon his return to Devon, he was unable to adjust easily to a traditional school environment, and eventually left England at age 18.[7][9]

Sharp wanted to be an actor from an early age.[9] According to the Irish Mirror, his acting debut was at age 4 when he appeared in A Touch of Frost for 10 pounds.[10] According to The Daily Beast, at age 7, he made his acting debut as Piglet in Winnie-the-Pooh.[9] He performed in many school plays, building up to an amateur operetta role and pantomime. He also did extensive regional theater work at the Northcott Theater in Exeter.[9] Sharp studied Performing Arts at Yeovil College in Yeovil, Somerset and attended Sidmouth College in Devon.[11][10]

When the subprime mortgage crisis peaked, Sharp came to the United States and leveraged the housing market for quick profits with a friend. At times, he traveled to Latin America to pursue physical activities.[7]

When working on a house in Connecticut, Sharp decided that he wanted to become an actor. He asked a friend what the best theatre schools were, and the friend told him Yale and Juilliard. Sharp decided on Juilliard due to its location in the middle of Manhattan, and he auditioned with a scene from Hamlet. Against school rules, he also performed a scene from a play that he had written, claiming that it was the work of a little-known English playwright.[7] He was accepted to Juilliard and attended the Drama Division's Group 43, which included Wallis Currie-Wood.[12] During his time at Juilliard, he wrote and directed a school play that was an adaptation of A Clockwork Orange.[7] He graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2014.[13]

Career

After graduating from the Juilliard School in the summer of 2014, he made his Broadway and acting debut in the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the autumn.[14] For his role as the autistic teenager Christopher Boone, he was awarded the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.[15][16] As of August 2015, he is the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[17] Sharp's final performance of Curious Incident was 13 September 2015.[18][19][20]

He is set to star in an upcoming John Cameron Mitchell film, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, alongside Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, and Ruth Wilson.[21]

Personal life

Since 2014, he has been in a relationship with Juilliard classmate, actress Wallis Currie-Wood.[22]

Theatre credits

Year Title Role Location Category
2014-15 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Christopher Boone Ethel Barrymore Theatre Broadway

Filmography

Year Title Role Director
2017 To the Bone Marti Noxon
2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Enn John Cameron Mitchell

Awards and nominations

In 2015, he broke Harvey Fierstein's record as the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. In addition to winning the Tony Award in 2015,[23] he also won an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play,[24] a Theatre World Award in recognition of his broadway debut.[25] and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.[16] He also received a nomination for the distinguished performance award at the 2015 Drama League Awards.[26] In addition he was nominated for the 2015 Fred and Adele Astaire Awards Outstanding Male Dancer for his work in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.[27] He also won the 2014 Logo TV NewNowNext Awards for Best New Broadway Lead Actor.[28]

Year Association Category Title of work Result
2015 Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play[24] The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Won
Drama Desk Awards Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play[16] Won
Theatre World Award Theatre World Award Won
Tony Awards Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play Won
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Award Nominated
Fred and Adele Astaire Awards Outstanding Male Dancer Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Alexander Ian Sharp". England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008. FamilySearch. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Alexander Sharp makes his Broadway debut in 'Curious Incident'". Nj.com. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Sharp, Alexander Ian (30 July 2013). "A Clockwork Orange (the play)". Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Clement, Olivia (11 May 2015). "'Curious Incident' Top Winner at Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. ↑ Gans, Andrew and Michael Gioia (31 May 2015). "Drama Desk Award Winners Announced; Hamilton Wins Seven Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Gioia, Michael (4 September 2014). "From Painting Houses to Painting the Town: How Alexander Sharp Was Plucked From Obscurity to Star on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Keegan, Rebecca (4 October 2014). "Actor Alexander Sharp's curious beginning to a promising career". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Full Text of Tony Winners' Acceptance Speeches: Updating LIVE". Broadway World. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Teeman, Tim (7 December 2014). "The Brit Who Stormed Broadway". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  10. 1 2 Pocklington, Rebecca (8 June 2015). "'Holy f*** I just won a Tony': Meet unknown Brit who beat Bradley Cooper to top spot". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Sweet, W. G. (10 June 2015). "Tony Award winner Alex Sharp issues rallying cry to save Yeovil College performing arts courses". Western Gazette. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Juilliard Drama Announces 2013-2014 Season". The Juilliard School. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Alexander Sharp". LinkedIn. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Alexander Sharp makes his Broadway debut in 'Curious Incident'". Nj.com. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  15. ↑ Clement, Olivia (11 May 2015). "'Curious Incident' Top Winner at Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Gans, Andrew and Michael Gioia (31 May 2015). "Drama Desk Award Winners Announced; Hamilton Wins Seven Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  17. ↑ Sims, David (8 June 2015). "Fun Home's Success Defines the 2015 Tony Awards". The Atlantic. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  18. ↑ Lloyd Webber, Imogen (28 July 2015). "Tyler Lea Will Replace Alex Sharp in Tony-Winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Broadway". Broadway.com. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "Tony Winner Alex Sharp on His 'Complicated' Feelings About Saying Goodbye to Curious Incident". Broadway.com. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  20. ↑ Heller, Scott (28 July 2015). "Matthew Broderick Cast in 'Sylvia'; Alex Sharp to Leave 'Curious Incident'". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Lloyd Webber, Imogen (15 September 2015). "Odds & Ends: Alex Sharp Set to Star Opposite Nicole Kidman in John Cameron Mitchell Movie & More". Broadway.com. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  22. ↑ Friedman, Roger (6 October 2014). "Broadway Barks: Brit Import "Curious Incident" Opens to Raves with 25 Year First Timer in Lead". Showbiz411. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  23. ↑ Viagas, Robert (7 June 2015). "Fun Home, Curious Incident, Kelli O'Hara, Helen Mirren, Michael Cerveris, Alex Sharp Top 69th Annual Tony Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Outer Critic Circle Awards 2015 (FULL LIST): 'Curious Incident' Wins Big". Variety. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  25. ↑ Viagas, Robert (5 May 2015). "71st Annual Theatre World Award Announced Today – Chita Rivera Earns Lifetime Achievement Honor". Playbill. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  26. ↑ "The 81st Annual Drama League Awards". The Drama League. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  27. ↑ "2015 Fred and Adele Astaire Award Nominations Announced". Theater Mania. 4 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "Winners". Logo. 2015.

External links

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