Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald American actor, singer, clown, mime, juggler and acrobat Date of Birth: 26.11.1972 Country: USA

Biography of Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald

Christopher Cantwell Fitzgerald is an American actor, singer, clown, mime, juggler, and acrobat. He is best known for his role as Boq in the musical "Wicked" and as Igor in the production of "Young Frankenstein." His portrayal of Igor earned him the Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and a nomination for a Tony Award.

Fitzgerald was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to James Fitzgerald Jr., a realtor, and Victoria Field, an employee at the American Kennel Club. He received his higher education at Rollins College in Winter Park, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts.

Fitzgerald's acting career began in 1980 when he landed a role in a local production of the musical "Oliver!" at just eight years old. From then on, he regularly performed in community theater and various vaudeville shows. In 1998, at the age of 26, he played the lead role in his first Off-Broadway show, "Corpus Christi," which garnered significant attention. That same year, Fitzgerald also starred in "The Matchmaker" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and in the Off-Broadway production of "The Cripple of Inishmaan."

He went on to perform in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's musical "Wise Guys" and participated in the new production of "Babes in Arms" by the legendary producing company "Encores!" at New York City Center. In 2000, Fitzgerald landed one of the lead roles in Sondheim's musical "Saturday Night," which earned him his first major award nomination as an Outstanding Actor in a Musical from the Drama Desk.

In 2002, Fitzgerald opened the musical "Amour," based on a French story from 1943, although it only ran for two weeks. Once again, he received a nomination for the Drama Desk Award in the same category. On October 30, 2003, Fitzgerald played the role of Boq in "Wicked" for the first time. He continued in this role for a year and a half, leaving the production on January 9, 2005, with Jeffrey Kuhn taking over. His portrayal of Boq is considered one of his most successful roles, and he is often associated with the character.

In 2007, Mel Brooks launched his new project, "Young Frankenstein," and Fitzgerald was cast as Igor, the classic character of the mad scientist's assistant. Once again, he received several major award nominations for his performance. Fitzgerald reprised the role of Igor in touring productions of the show in Seattle, with his last performance in late November 2008. It was during his time working on "Young Frankenstein" that Fitzgerald became a father, as his spouse gave birth to their son, Charlie.

From January 21 to March 1, 2009, Fitzgerald played the lead role in the popular burlesque-style musical "Minsky's" in Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre, alongside his "Young Frankenstein" co-star, Beth Leavel. More recently, Fitzgerald took on the role of Og in the new Broadway production of "Finian's Rainbow" at the St. James Theatre, earning him another Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Tony Award nomination.

In addition to his stage work, Fitzgerald made his film debut in "Boiler Room" alongside Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck. He continues to act in various roles for both the big and small screens, but his stage performances have garnered him much greater recognition and acclaim.