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John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish born singer, actor, dancer, musical performer and media personality, best known on British television for his acting and presenting work for the BBC and for his television role of Captain Jack Harkness in the science fiction series Doctor Who and Torchwood. He has featured in and presented a wide variety of light entertainment shows, including Live & Kicking and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical talent shows Any Dream Will Do, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, and I'd Do Anything. He has also appeared on the celebrity ice skating show Dancing on Ice and as a guest act for the Royal Variety Performance. Barrowman was voted Stonewall's "Entertainer of the Year" in 2006.
[edit] Early lifeJohn Scot Barrowman was born in 1967 in Mount Vernon, Glasgow, the youngest of three siblings. Barrowman lived in Glasgow for the first eight years of his life;[1] His mother was a singer and worked as a clerk in a record shop,[2] and his father was employed by the Caterpillar heavy machinery company in the nearby village of Uddingston. In 1976, his father's company relocated the family to Aurora, Illinois in the United States, where his father managed the Caterpillar tractor factory. Barrowman recalls his family as loving, but his parents were strict, mindful of etiquette, yet polite and respectful towards others.[1] Comparing the two countries where he was raised, Barrowman concludes: "Scotland gave us, as a family, closeness; America gave us the get-up-and-go."[1] The family eventually settled in Joliet, Illinois, where Barrowman attended Joliet West High School in the heart of a "quintessentially middle-class conservative town".[3] Barrowman's high school music and English teachers changed the future course of his life, with his music tutor instilling in him the love of performing, and his English teacher, like John Keating from the film Dead Poets Society (1989), encouraging Barrowman to realize his true potential. His English teacher moved him into a Gifted Programme and coached Barrowman for the school's speech team. With the support of his teacher, Barrowman competed with other schools in statewide speech competitions, where he sharpened his skills reading scenes from plays.[3] As a freshman, Barrowman won parts in several musical productions and from 1983-1985 he performed in Hello, Dolly!, Oliver!, Camelot, Li'l Abner and Anything Goes. Looking back, he acknowledges that "without the support he received in high school, chances are that he would not now be appearing in royal command performances in the West End in front of the Royal Family or having Stephen Sondheim ask him to play opposite Carol Burnett."[4] Barrowman spent his senior year shoveling coal for an Illinois power company. His father arranged the job (and similar jobs for his brother and sister) to give Barrowman the experience of manual labour. He told his son: "If you want to do manual labor for the rest of your life you'll know that when you do it, it's a choice. But if you don't like it you'll understand the importance of educating yourself and being - if you decide what you want to do - being good at your craft or your skill." Barrowman worked for the power company for the entire summer, but disliked the job. Eventually he convinced them to move him to the storeroom.[5] He graduated from high school in 1985 and became a naturalized citizen of the US.[6] Barrowman moved to San Diego, California to study performing arts at the United States International University (USIU). As part of a transfer program, he returned to the United Kingdom in 1989 to study Shakespeare for six months,[6] maintaining dual citizenship in the UK and the US.[7] [edit] Theatre careerBarrowman's professional acting career began in London's West End in 1989, playing the role of Billy Crocker in Cole Porter's Anything Goes at the Prince Edward Theatre, alongside Elaine Paige as Reno Sweeney and Bernard Cribbens as Moonface Martin. He continued to appear in West End productions for the next decade, taking the title role of Domingo Hernandez in Matador at the Queen's Theatre in 1991; as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1992; as Claude in Hair at the Old Vic Theatre in 1993; as Chris in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1993; as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi Theatre from 1994-1995; and as Beast in Beauty and the Beast at the Dominion Theatre in 1999.[2] Barrowman was part of the musical Godspell in 1994, and was a soloist in two songs, "We Beseech Thee" and "On The Willows". He was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1998 for originating the role of Cal Chandler in The Fix,[8] a performance he repeated in Cameron Mackintosh's 1998 gala concert Hey, Mr Producer!. Barrowman played the role of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard in the West End and, briefly, on Broadway. His only other Broadway credit is in the role of Barry in the Stephen Sondheim revue Putting It Together (1999–2000) at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre alongside Carol Burnett, George Hearn and Bronson Pinchot. In a review of Putting It Together, theater critic Tom Samiljan noted Barrowman's "fine baritone voice and suave looks".[9] In 2002, Barrowman appeared as Bobby in Sondheim's Company in the Kennedy Center's Stephen Sondheim Celebration.[10] He reurned to the role of Billy Crocker in Trevor Nunn's 2003 West End revival of Anything Goes,[11][12] and appeared in West End non-musical dramas, such as his role as Wyndham Brandon in Rope at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester in 1993, and he starred as Lieutenant Jack Ross opposite Rob Lowe in the 2005 production of A Few Good Men. Barrowman starred in pantomime productions of Cinderella at the New Wimbledon Theatre (Christmas 2005–6) and in Jack and the Beanstalk at Cardiff's New Theatre (Christmas 2006–7). He played the title role in Aladdin at the Birmingham Hippodrome over Christmas 2007–8[13] and as a guest act for the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in 2008.[14] Barrowman played the lead in the Robin Hood pantomime at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the 2008-2009 season.[15] He presented Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday party in London's Hyde Park on September 14, 2008. Guests included Idina Menzel, Denise Van Outen, Elaine Paige, Lee Mead and the stars of I'd Do Anything. On September 14, 2009 John Barrowman took over from Roger Allam as Zaza/Albin in the West End revival of La Cage aux Folle, at the Playhouse Theatre.[16] [edit] Television and filmBarrowman's television career began with several appearances in short-lived prime-time soap operas. Barrowman first starred as Peter Fairchild in Central Park West (1995)[17] a show American film critic Ken Tucker calls "a tale of ritzy, ditsy New York City careerists--some struggling to make it, others plotting to retain their status and power."[18] Television critic David Hiltbrand called Barrowman's character a "Prince Charming...a virtuous, hardworking assistant DA who keeps getting distracted by women who swoon in his path."[19] Tucker noted Barrowman's character of Peter Fairchild to be "physically an eye-widening cross between John Kennedy Jr. and Hugh Grant".[18] The show lasted for two seasons on CBS, from September 1995 to June 1996. Next, Barrowman appeared as Peter Williams in Titans (2000) alongside Yasmine Bleeth on NBC. According to writer Joanna Bober, in Titans, Barrowman plays a "ruthless mogul" who gains "control of the family's private aviation company (a fleet of 'Titans') from his semi-retired father" while increasing the profitability of the company amidst a series of soap opera intrigues.[20] Titans lasted one season and was canceled after airing 11 episodes. Barrowman was also considered for the role of Will in the popular US series Will and Grace, but the producers felt he was "too straight" and the role eventually went to Eric McCormack instead, who is actually heterosexual. Commenting on the decision, Barrowman remarked, "The sad thing is it's run by gay men and women."[21] He later expressed contempt for the idea that all gay men act the same way.[22] Barrowman appeared as Ben Carpenter in the low-budget film Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002). His musical abilities are featured in several film roles: As Jack in the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely (2004), singing a duet with Kevin Kline on the song Night and Day;[11] And, in the role of the lead tenor Stormtrooper in The Producers (2005), singing Springtime for Hitler. Barrowman co-presented and performed in the BBC One series The Sound of Musicals (2006).[23] [edit] Doctor Who and TorchwoodBarrowman is best known in the UK for his role in the BBC's science fiction drama Doctor Who. When the series was revived in 2005, Barrowman came on board as recurring guest character Captain Jack Harkness, an omnisexual time traveller from the 51st century. His first appearance as Harkness was in the two-part story "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances", going on to appear in the next three episodes, "Boom Town", "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways". The character of Captain Jack Harkness became so popular, he was given his own show. Torchwood, a Doctor Who spin-off series featuring a team of alien hunters based in modern day Cardiff, premiered in 2006. Ken Tucker describes Barrowman's role on Torchwood as "dashing" and "celestially promiscuous", and "like Tom Cruise with suspenders, but minus the Scientology." On the show, Captain Jack Harkness "tracks down--and occasionally beds--ETs with the help of his quartet of bedazzled groupies--slash--Experts in Their Fields: One's a doctor, one's a cop, one's a scientist, and one...makes tea piping hot. It's like the Justice League of Extended-Pinkie Nerds."[24] Both Doctor Who and Torchwood became popular in the United States on the BBC America network. Barrowman continued to guest star in Doctor Who in 2007, appearing in "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums", "Last of the Time Lords" and the two-part 2008 series finale, "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" and again reprised the role of Captain Jack Harkness in the "Doctor Who: Tonight's the Night" special.[25] Also in 2007, Barrowman participated in a Doctor Who special of the BBC's The Weakest Link.[26] Torchwood began filming its third series in August 2008. [edit] BBC presenterFrom 1993-1994, Barrowman reported on technology news as the host of the Electric Circus segment in Live & Kicking, a children's Saturday morning variety show on the BBC.[2] He later appeared on another children's television game show, The Movie Game. In the late 1990s, Barrowman was one of the regular presenters on Five's Company, Five channel's afternoon show. Barrowman saluting in the style of Captain Jack Harkness from a float at the 2007 London Gay Pride parade. Between 10 and 14 April, 2006, Barrowman presented ITV's morning talk show This Morning whilst Phillip Schofield took an Easter break.[27] Barrowman read bedtime stories on the CBeebies channel between 1 May and 5 May, 2006. That summer, Barrowman was on a Judges panel alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, and Zoe Tyler on BBC One's music talent show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?.[28] In the same year, Barrowman made two television appearances on New Year's Eve: He talked about spirituality and civil partnerships on BBC Television's Heaven & Earth, hosted by Gloria Hunniford;[29] And, he appeared as a guest on Graham Norton's one-off BBC Television programme, The Big Finish,[29] teaming up with Craig Revel Horwood and Louis Walsh to take a lighthearted look at news stories in 2006. On 11 and 18 February 2007, Barrowman guest-presented two editions of Elaine Paige on Sunday, a pre-recorded BBC Radio 2 weekly musical theatre and film music showcase.[30] On 11 February 2007, he co-presented coverage of the BAFTA Film Awards, along with Ruby Wax for E!: Entertainment Television.[31] In 2007 Barrowman was a judge in the BBC One TV series Any Dream Will Do to find a new star to play the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in London's West End, won on 9 June by Lee Mead, of whom he said: "Lee won because he is polished, professional and close to perfection in what he does. He goes on stage and commands it, and one of the best qualities about him is that he doesn't analyse the song too much. He just gets out there and does it. I'm happy to give over my West End leading man's shoes for a while, to allow him to fill them."[32] On a post-final party video posted at Andrew Lloyd Webber's website, Barrowman commented "The West End had need of Lee Mead".[33] He has also guested on BBC Two comedy panel quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Series 19, Episode 5), challenging host Simon Amstell to a "gay-off", Al Murray's Happy Hour, The Charlotte Church Show, and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. On Friday 27 July 2007 Barrowman guest hosted The Friday Night Project, on Channel 4, with Justin-Lee Collins and Alan Carr.[34] In 2008 Barrowman presented a primetime BBC game show called The Kids Are All Right in which a team of 4 adults tried to win money by beating a gang of seven super bright kids.[35][36] On Saturday 16 February 2008, and Saturday 23 February 2008, he presented the National Lottery Draw. On the 1st of March 2008, Barrowman appeared on the panel of the Eurovision Song Contest selection show, Eurovision: Your Decision on BBC 1, alongside Carrie Grant and Sir Terry Wogan. On the 29 April, 30 April, 2008 and the 1 May 2008 he presented This Morning. Beginning in June 2008, he featured as a judge on the Canadian version of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. As of April 2009, Barrowman hosts Tonight's the Night on BBC. [37] Barrowman also presented "Animals at Work", a children's television show on CBBC about animals that perform jobs. [edit] Other rolesOn 25 March 2008, Barrowman made a guest appearance in episode 22 of the BBC's comedy-drama show Hotel Babylon.[38] Speculation that Barrowman might join the cast of Desperate Housewives arose in 2009.[39] [edit] Personal lifeDuring a production of Rope at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1991, Barrowman met his partner Scott Gill.[40] In late 2005, Barrowman said he had no plans to marry.[41] However, a year later, Barrowman and Gill became civil partners on December 27, 2006. Barrowman and Gill do not want to call their relationship a marriage: "We're just going to sign the civil register. We're not going to have any ceremony because I'm not a supporter of the word marriage for a gay partnership."[22][42][43] Barrowman explains: "Why would I want a 'marriage' from a belief system that hates me?"[41] A small ceremony was held in Cardiff with friends and family.[44] The guests included the cast of Torchwood, and Russell T Davies, the Doctor Who and Torchwood executive producer.[40][45] Barrowman is bidialectal. He learned an American accent after school children picked on his Scottish accent when he moved to the U.S.[46] His accent is often called Mid-Atlantic.[6] On the The Friday Night Project, Barrowman said that he still speaks in a Scottish accent when he is with his parents,[citation needed] which can be seen in the first episode of the BBC One documentary programme, The Making of Me (2008).[47] According to David Tennant's video diary of filming Doctor Who Series 3, Barrowman had a dog named Tegan after the Fifth Doctor's companion Tegan Jovanka, as well as another dog named Lewis. Tegan (the dog) was euthanized in October 2007.[48] On 27 February 2008, Barrowman and Gill adopted another dog, a Jack Russell, whom they named Captain Jack.[49] Barrowman's memoir and autobiography, Anything Goes, was published in 2008 by Michael O'Mara Books.[50] His sister, English professor and journalist Carole Barrowman, helped write the book using her brother's dictations.[51] In 2009, Barrowman published I Am What I Am,[52] his second memoir detailing his recent television work and musings on fame. In the book, Barrowman reveals that when he was just beginning his acting career, management sent a gay producer to talk to him. The producer told Barrowman that he should try to pretend to be heterosexual in order to be successful. Barrowman was offended by the incident, and it made him more aware of the importance of his role as a gay public figure: "One of my explicit missions as an entertainer is to work to create a world where no one will ever make a statement like this producer did to me to anyone who’s gay."[53] To this end, Barrowman is active in his community supporting the issues that matter to him most. He worked with Stonewall, a gay rights organization in the UK, on the "Education for All" campaign against homophobia in the schools. In April 2008, the group placed posters on 600 billboards that read, "Some people are gay. Get over it!" Barrowman contributed his support to the project asking people to join him and "Help exterminate homophobia. Be bold. Be brave. Be a buddy, not a bully."[4][54] In the same month, Barrowman spoke at the Oxford Union about his career, the entertainment industry and gay rights issues, and the event was filmed for the BBC programme The Making Of Me. The program explored the science and research behind homosexuality. [edit] Awards and recognitionBarrowman was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1998 for originating the role of Cal Chandler in The Fix.[8] He was voted the 2006 Stonewall "Entertainer of the Year"[55] and placed third in Broadcast magazine's "Hottest Commodity" poll in November 2006.[56] Barrowman appeared on the Out 100 list for 2008,[57] an annual list of notable LGBT people compiled by Out magazine. [edit] Filmography
[edit] Discography
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Categories: American expatriates in the United Kingdom | American film actors | American musical theatre actors | American stage actors | American television actors | Actors from Illinois | Scottish Americans | Dancing on Ice participants | Gay actors | Gay musicians | LGBT people from the United States | LGBT people from Scotland | LGBT television personalities | Naturalized citizens of the United States | People from Glasgow | People from Joliet, Illinois | Reality television judges | Royal National Theatre Company members | Scottish immigrants to the United States | Scottish film actors | Scottish musical theatre actors | Scottish stage actors | Scottish television actors | Scottish television presenters | 1967 births | Living people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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