Isaac Cole Powell

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Isaac Cole Powell
File:Isaac Powell - HS.jpg
Born (1994-12-30) December 30, 1994 (age 29)
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Education University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA)
Occupation
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active 2015–present

Isaac Cole Powell (born December 30, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He played the role of Daniel in the Broadway revival of the musical Once on This Island[1] and was cast as Tony in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story.[2]

Early life and career

Powell was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, the youngest of three children born to Terry and Will Powell, a three-time world CrossFit champion.[3] His father is Mixed Native American and African-American; his mother is Caucasian.[3] His sister, Jessica Powell, stars on TLC's My Big Fat Fabulous Life and is a Certified Personal Trainer at their father's fitness studio.[4][5] Powell began to act in middle school with the Community Theatre of Greensboro.[3] He attended Philip J. Weaver Academy, a performing arts high school, before transferring to a boarding program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) during his senior year of high school. He graduated from UNCSA with an acting degree in May 2017.[3][6]

While in college, Powell began to accumulate professional acting credits, playing Nikos in the musical Legally Blonde at the Barn Dinner Theatre.[7] After graduation, in the summer of 2017, he appeared in Newsies and Mamma Mia! with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera[8][9] and originated the title role in Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat at the Adirondack Theatre Festival in Glens Falls, New York.[3][10]

Powell played the role of Daniel in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, which began previews in November 2017 and opened officially in December. Jesse Green, writing in The New York Times called Powell's solo, "Some Girls," a "quietly sensitive rendering."[11] Robert Hofler, in TheWrap, wrote that Powell makes the song "the most poignant moment in this revival."[12] TheaterMania's review deemed Powell, "charismatic and silvery-voiced."[13] He recorded his role on the revival's cast album.[14]

Powell competed in May 2018 on the live Broadway game show, I Only Have Lies for You.[15] In the spring of 2018, he signed on with the New Pandemics modeling agency and modeled for Palomo Spain's and NIHL's fall 2019 lines at New York Fashion Week.[16][17][18] In W Magazine, Powell notes that "[M]odeling is a new thing ... I've been basically shooting all the gay publications, which is really, really great."[19] He models in addition to acting, and was featured in the final issue of Hello Mr.[20][21]

Powell played Tony, the protagonist, in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story.[2]

In November 2020, Powell was cast in Universal Pictures and director Stephen Chbosky's film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen as new character Rhys, a high school jock.[22]

Personal life

Powell is gay and came out at the age of 16.[16] In 2016, Powell met Broadway actor, Wesley Taylor, when Taylor was visiting University of North Carolina School of the Arts where Powell was a junior in the school's theatre program.[23] The two then began a relationship in 2017 and were engaged in May 2019. They ended their relationship in 2021.[citation needed]

Theatre credits

Year Title Role Theatre Director(s) Ref.
2017 Nikola Tesla Drops The Beat Nikola Tesla Adirondack Theatre Festival Marshall Pailet
Newsies Ensemble Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
(at the Benedum Center)
Richard J. Hinds
Mamma Mia! Barry Ivan
2017–19 Once on This Island Daniel Circle in the Square Theatre Michael Arden
2019–20 West Side Story Tony Broadway Theatre Ivo van Hove

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Just a Body Pastor Dave Short film
2019 XaveMePlease Xavier Short film
2021 Dear Evan Hansen Rhys
TBA Cat Person TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2018 Broadway.com #LiveatFive Himself 1 episode
2018 Murphy Brown Jack Episode: "A Lifetime of Achievement"
2018–2019 Indoor Boys Logan 6 episodes
2021 Modern Love Vince Episode: "A Life Plan for Two, Followed by One"
2021 American Horror Story: Double Feature Troy Lord 4 episodes
2022 American Horror Story: NYC Theo Graves 7 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Awards Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2019 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Once on This Island Nominated
2020 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance West Side Story Nominated

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 Rooney, David. "West Side Story Broadway Revival Cast Unveiled", The Hollywood Reporter, July 10, 2019
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 DeCwikiel-Kane, Dawn. "Greensboro native lands big role on Broadway", News & Record, August 6, 2017, accessed June 4, 2018
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  7. "Isaac Powell", Backstage, accessed July 13, 2019
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  11. Green, Jesse. "Review: Once on This Island, Revived and Ravishing", December 3, 2017
  12. 12.0 12.1 Hofler, Robert. "Once on This Island Broadway Review: A Middling Musical Revival About a Long-Suffering Woman", TheWrap, December 3, 2018
  13. Levitt, Hayley. "Once on This Island", TheaterMania.com, December 3, 2017
  14. Ahrens, Lynn and Stephen Flaherty. "Breaking Down the Once on This Island Revival Cast Album Track by Track", Playbill, May 23, 2018
  15. Hetrick, Adam. "Betsy Wolfe and Isaac Powell Are Upcoming Contestants on I Only Have Lies for You", Playbill, May 18, 2018
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External links