André Robin De Shields was born on January 12, 1946, in Dundalk, Maryland. He is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer. André has won many awards like the Emmy Award, Grammy Award, and Tony Award.
He has been in the original Broadway casts of many musicals. Some of these include The Full Monty, Warp!, and The Wiz. One of his most famous roles was as Hermes in the Broadway musical Hadestown. For this role, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical in 2019. André also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2020 for his performance in Hadestown.
André has also appeared on television. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in the 1982 NBC broadcast of Ain’t Misbehavin’.
André was born in Maryland and grew up in Baltimore. He was one of eleven children. His father died when André was 17 years old. André graduated from Baltimore City College in 1964. He later earned his B.A. in English literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1970. In 1991, André received his M.A. in African American studies from New York University.
André started his career in the 1969 Chicago production of Hair. He performed in many Off-Off-Broadway shows in New York City during the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. Some of these were at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.
In 1973, André made his Broadway debut in the show Warp! He then appeared in The Wiz in 1975. André also choreographed two Bette Midler musicals.
In 1978, André performed in the musical revue Ain’t Misbehavin’ on Broadway. This show ran for over 1,600 performances. André received a Drama Desk nomination for his performance.
Throughout his career, André has appeared in many other Broadway shows and regional theater productions. He received Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his performances in Play On! in 1997 and The Full Monty in 2000.
In addition to his stage work, André has been in several television shows including Another World, Cosby, Sex and the City, and Law & Order. He appeared in the Netflix comedy/musical/variety special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch in 2019.
André is also known for his roles in films. He appeared in the Netflix film tick, tick… BOOM! in 2021 and the Netflix comedy series Uncoupled in 2022.
André De Shields is openly gay. He has been living with HIV for over 40 years. André prefers to be described as “a Black man who is queer” or “a Black man who loves other men.”
In March 2024, André was announced to be playing Old Deuteronomy in the musical Cats at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.
André Robin De Shields is a talented performer with a long and successful career in theater, television, and film. He continues to inspire audiences with his artistry and resilience.