Daveed Diggs
Daveed Diggs (born January 24, 1982) is an American actor and rapper. He is the vocalist of the hip hop group clipping., and originated the roles of both the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the 2015 musical Hamilton, for which he won a Grammy Award.
Early life
Diggs was born in Oakland, California.[1] His mother is white and Jewish and his father is African-American.[2] His parents named him "Daveed" which means "beloved" in Hebrew.[3]
Diggs is an alumnus of Berkeley High School and of Brown University, from which he graduated in 2004. He was originally recruited for his track skills but eventually earned a degree in theatre.[4] Diggs broke the Brown Bears' school record in the 110 meter hurdles as a sophomore when he finished with a time of 14.21 seconds.[5]
Career
Theatre
Diggs performed in a lot of experimental theatre early on, most notably when he was on the national tour for Marc Bamuthi Joseph's choreopoem, Word Becomes Flesh, about a nine-month pregnancy, through the eyes of a young, single father.[6][7] Aside from his experimental work, he frequently performed in regional Shakespeare productions.
Lin-Manuel Miranda later invited Diggs to read and hear early versions of Hamilton. Diggs was impressed by Lin's demos and obvious passion for the project, and saw that the concept was a perceptive use of the rap-musical medium. He became part of the musical and played the roles of Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette off-Broadway in 2015, continuing with the roles when the show was moved to Broadway later in the year.[8] For the part, Diggs is required to perform the fastest rap in Broadway history.
Music
Diggs was recruited by Hamilton director Thomas Kail to Freestyle Love Supreme, Kail's and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop improv group midst producing In the Heights. Actor Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington in Hamilton, is also in the group.[9] The group performs frequently around New York City and has had multiple TV specials.
He is also the vocalist of and a writer for the experimental hip-hop group clipping. The group formed in 2010, self releasing their first album midcity in 2013, leading them to be signed to Sub Pop. They released their album CLPPNG in 2014, and are currently working on a new album set for release in 2016.
In 2012 he released his first solo rap album, Small Things to a Giant. As of 2016, Diggs has been working on a new solo rap release, set for release at the end of the year.[8]
His rapping has also been featured on tracks by Busdriver and Leslie Odom, Jr., and he wrote and performed a rap number for the 2016 animated film Zootopia.
Theatre credits
- Word Becomes Flesh, US Tour, 2003-07
- In the Red and Brown Water, regional
- Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, regional
- The Tempest, regional
- Troilus and Cressida, regional
- Mirrors in Every Corner, regional
- Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson
- Off-Broadway, 2015
- Broadway, 2015-present
Filmography
Film
- Rock Hard: The Rise and Fall of Sexual Detergent, Neil Davis, 2010 (short)
- Yoga Boner, Daveed, 2012 (short)
- Zootopia, 2016 (wrote & performed a rap number)
Television
- Hobbes and Me, Hobbes, 8 episodes, 2014 (web series)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Counselor Henderson, 2 episodes, 2015
Discography
- Small Things to a Giant (2012)
- midcity (2013) - with clipping.
- CLPPNG (2014) - with clipping.
- Hamilton (2015) - original Broadway cast recording
- Thumbs (2015) - featured on Surrounded by Millionaires
- Good For You (2016) - single; featured rapper
Diggs is currently working on a solo rap album, in addition to a new album with clipping.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Hamilton | Won |
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Nominated | ||
| Theatre World Award | Outstanding Debut Performance | Won | ||
| 2016 | ||||
| Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Pending | ||
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Pending | ||
| Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Won | ||
| Broadway.com Audience Awards | Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Funny Performance | Nominated | |||
| Favorite Breakthrough Performance (male) | Won |
References
- ↑ Prince, Cathryn. "Daveed Diggs leaps to Broadway stardom in ‘Hamilton’", The Times of Israel, 30 January 2016. Retrieved on 26 February 2016.
- ↑ Hoffman, Barbara. "‘I went from couch-surfing to starring on Broadway’", New York Post, 18 July 2015. Retrieved on 26 February 2016.
- ↑ Henderson, Kathy. "Daveed Diggs on His Hebrew School Roots, Meeting Crazy Celebrities & Getting His Shot on Broadway in Hamilton", Broadway.com, 30 July 2015. Retrieved on 26 February 2016.
- ↑ Wilder, Charlotte. "Daveed Diggs was a track star at Brown University. Now he’s a rap star in Hamilton on Broadway", Boston.com, 17 February 2015. Retrieved on 26 February 2016.
- ↑ Raman, Sheela (September 22, 2004). "Senior profile: Daveed Diggs". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ "Word Becomes Flesh". Living Word Project.
- ↑ "Daveed Diggs". Playbill. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- 1 2 theneedledrop (2016-04-03), TND Podcast #44 ft. Daveed Diggs, retrieved 2016-04-03
- ↑ Hughes, Hilary. "Hamilton and Daveed Diggs Bridge the Gap Between Broadway and Rap". Village Voice. Retrieved 12 August 2015.