Advisers note: O’Malley is a family friend of the writer
Since the early 1900s, Broadway has been producing some of the most famous and successful musicals, plays, one-person acts and other performing art forms. Some of the most famous include “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Misérables,” “Wicked,” “Hamilton“ and “The Book of Mormon.”
Rory O’Malley has been in both on- and off-Broadway shows and on television. Some of his most notable roles include his Tony-nominated rendition of Elder McKinley in “The Book of Mormon,” King George III in “Hamilton,” Dave in “Dreamgirls” and Elwood in “Central Park.”
The Oracle sat down with O’Malley to ask him questions about his career and experiences through his acting and activism journeys.
When did you first know you wanted to be an actor?
Rory O’Malley [RO]: I remember being backstage before the curtain opened and thinking this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, which is very strange for an 8-year-old, but I just loved it and knew that I wanted to pursue it and I asked my mom if she would enroll me in a children’s theater locally in Cleveland. I spent the next 10 years doing children’s theater, regional theater and any theater that came my way. It gave me my social connections and all of my friends — who I’m still friends today — because when you do theater in high school, that becomes your family.
What were some of the hardest parts of becoming a professional actor? What are some of the hardest things you have had to learn?
[RO]: There is nothing harder than dealing with rejection and it takes a little while to even start that process because you think in high school when you don’t get the role that you wanted or when you don’t get in a certain play, that’s the most rejection you could possibly feel. But when you get out into the real world of business, you are dealing with rejection on a nearly daily basis … That’s the secret to being an actor in this business, because it’s not always the people who are the most talented; it’s the people who are able to deal with that kind of rejection.
Describe your experiences with Broadway. What were your first auditions like? How did they go?
I remember when I first moved to New York; I went to my first audition, and after I was done singing, I was so excited and so energetic. The casting director said, “Well, that was loud.” I didn’t get it. But I was very excited and just happy to finally be in rooms where I could audition for Broadway shows … The first show I was in was called “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” I knew that I had to move to New York to try and be in it. Within a few months of moving to New York, I actually got the opportunity to be in the show and that’s not very normal. But I think that it goes to show that if you see something that you know is right for you, you do have to put yourself in a position where you can let it into your life.
How did “The Book of Mormon” come to you? How did you hear about it? What was the audition process like?
[RO]: I actually never auditioned for “The Book of Mormon.” I was working at a financial firm as a temp and I got a call that Matt and Trey, the guys who wrote South Park, were doing a new musical about Mormons, and they need the whitest people on the planet, and they heard that I was one of the whitest people in the world. They brought me on to play this character, Elder McKinley, who was the head of the mission in Africa. It was a life-changing experience.
In 2016, you replaced Jonathan Groff as King George in “Hamilton.” What were some of the hardest parts when you were taking over the role?
[RO]: Playing the king really changed me as a person because I had to decide that I was worthy to walk on stage and have the royal presence to be able to command an audience. Just wearing a crown and a cape and walking down the center was a bit of a challenge at first. I’m just this kid from Cleveland as far as I’m concerned. And so it took a minute for me to really step into those shoes and wear that crown.
Along with being an actor, you are also an LGBTQ+ activist and co-founder of Broadway Impact. Tell me about the causes this group has fought for and what you have learned from all those experiences.
[RO]: I am very proud to have been a co-founder of Broadway Impact and all of my work for the gay community and for specifically for marriage equality… I will never forget Nov. 4, 2008. It was such an incredible moment when Obama was elected … But on the same night, Prop 8 passed in California and took away the right for gay couples to get married in California … So we started Broadway Impact to change that, and we had rallies and letter-writing campaigns and lots of different actions. But then we did something called “8.“ We made a play written by Oscar-winning Dustin Lance Black, and he wrote this play for us, and it was produced with the American Foundation for Equal Rights. We put on a show on Broadway that starred a bunch of amazing stars like Morgan Freeman. I’m so proud of it, and now I am married to my husband, and we have our child … I feel like we responded and ran our leg of the race to bring marriage equality about, and I don’t want anyone in our community to take it for granted.
Do you have any advice for actors trying to get into the Broadway world or activists trying to make a difference?
[RO]: If you love being an actor, if you love being an artist, just do it. Find ways to perform, find ways to write, to direct. Do it on your own. You don’t need to have permission from anyone. It’s not always going to be for money. It’s not always going to be the thing that feeds you, but that doesn’t mean it can’t feed your soul.
