Amber Gray

Amber Renae Gray (born April 2, 1981) is an American

Amber Gray
actress and singer. She is known for portraying Hélène
Bezukhova in the 2016 Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, & Born Amber Renae Gray
the Great Comet of 1812[1] and for originating the role of April 2, 1981
Persephone in the musical Hadestown, both off and on Fort Belvoir, Virginia, U.S.
Broadway. For the latter 2019 role, she was nominated for the Education Boston University (BFA)
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical,
New York University (MFA)
additionally earning the 2020 Grammy Award for Best
Musical Theater Album.[2] Occupation Actress, singer
Spouse(s) Galen Hamilton (m. 2011)
Children 2
Contents
Early life and education
Career
Personal life
Theatre
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References

Early life and education

Gray was born on April 2, 1981, in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She is a military brat and spent her early
childhood across Europe and the United States.[3] She later settled in Wayland, Massachusetts where she
attended Wayland High School.

She attended Boston University where she received a BFA in acting and New York University where she
received an MFA in acting.[4]

Career
In 2007, she began her screen career by appearing in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,
titled "Haystack", as a character named Raye.[5] She also worked as a photographer on Canada's Top
Model in 2009 on the episode "Bright Lights: No Pity". In 2012, Gray first became involved with Natasha,
Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812. Gray portrayed Countess Hélène Bezukhova in the musical's
performances at the Off-Off-Broadway Ars Nova Theater.[6] Gray continued with Great Comet when it
moved to Kazino Meatpacking in 2013, Kazino Times Square in 2014, and when it opened on Broadway
in late 2016. Gray was awarded a 2017 Theatre World Award for her performance as Hélène.[7]
In 2014, Gray reprised her leading role as Zoe in An Octoroon at Soho Repertory Theatre[8] An Octoroon
utilized the plot of The Octoroon, an 1859 melodrama, but turned it into a contemporary new play that
discusses America's slave history and both past and present racism. In an interview with The New York
Times , Gray spoke of the part's difficulty due to many intense racial scenes/[3] Gray remained with the
production when it went on to play at Theatre for a New Audience in 2015.

In 2016, Gray portrayed Persephone in New York Theatre Workshop's production of the new musical
Hadestown, based on Anaïs Mitchell's album of the same name and the tragic myth of Orpheus and
Eurydice.[2] Gray was again directed by Rachel Chavkin, whom she collaborated with during Great
Comet.[9] Gray was praised by critics, who were impressed by her "vocal dexterity,"[10] "charisma," and
"powerhouse voice".[11] She reprised this role in the Edmonton Citadel Theatre, London National Theatre,
and Broadway productions. For the Broadway production, she received a nomination for the Tony Award
for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

In 2021, Gray debuted her first leading role in the Amazon limited series The Underground Railroad as
Gloria Valentine.[12][13]

Personal life
Gray married Galen Hamilton in 2011.[14] They have two children.[15]

Gray identifies as biracial.[16][17]

Theatre
Years Production Role Theatre Director
Marcia
2004 Ain't Misbehavin Charlaine Huntington Theatre Company Milgrom
Dodge
Lady
Lady Moisés
2005 Windermere's Williamstown Theatre Festival
Plymdale Kaufman
Fan
2005 On The Razzle Lisette Williamstown Theatre Festival David Jones
Tyler
2005 Prudence Sarah Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Marchant
Reverend Billy
Activist,
2006 and the Stop Internationally Savitri D
Singer
Shopping Choir
Puck,
A Midsummer Florence's Villa La Pietra, NYC Bandshells, Classic
2009 Hippolyta, Jim Calder
Night's Dream Stage Company
Theseus
Branden
2010 An Octoroon Zoe P.S. 122 Jacobs-
Jenkins
Banished Ciaran
2010 Eliza Irish Repertory Theatre
Children of Eve O'Reilly
Jack
2011 Sueño The Sun Atlas Theatre
Fletcher
P.S. 122's COIL Festival, London's National
2011– The TEAM's Theatre, Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, Lisbon, Rachel
Joan
13 Mission Drift Coimbra, Salzburg, Hong Kong, Perth, Williams Chavkin
College
2012 All Hands Greta Hoi Polloi Alec Duffy
Jessi D.
Hill, Sarah
We Play for the
2012 Simi Women's Project Rasmussen,
Gods
Mia
Rovegno
The World is Rose Rose Rachel
2012 Ripe Time
Round Rose Dickstein
Natasha, Pierre
Rachel
2012 & The Great Hélène Ars Nova
Chavkin
Comet of 1812
Portia
Krieger and
2012 Eager to Lose Trixie Ars Nova
Wes
Grantom

2013 Natasha, Pierre Kazino Meatpacking District

Hélène Rachel
& The Great
Bezukhova Chavkin
2014 Comet of 1812 Kazino Times Square

Sarah
2014 An Octoroon Zoe Soho Rep
Benson
A 24 Decade
Taylor Mac,
2014– History of
Singer New York Live Arts with Under the Radar Niegel
15 Popular Music:
Smith
1900s-1950s
2015 An Octoroon Zoe Theatre for a New Audience Sarah
Benson
Laurey
2015 Oklahoma! Bard SummerScape Daniel Fish
Williams
Clytemnestra,
2015 Iphigenia in Aulis Classic Stage Company
Menelaus
2016 Hadestown Persephone New York Theatre Workshop
Natasha, Pierre
2016– Hélène
& The Great Imperial Theatre, Broadway
17 Bezukhova
Comet of 1812
The TEAM's
Rachel
Primer for a Activist,
2017 Roulette Chavkin
Failed Singer
Superpower
2017 Edmonton's Citadel Theatre
2018–
Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre
19 Hadestown Persephone
2019–
Walter Kerr Theatre
22
Against Women Sarna
2021 Celine Gray Virtual Production
and Music Lapine
2022 Macbeth Banquo Longacre Theatre Sam Gold

Filmography
Movies
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Roger, the Chicken Dr. Rose
2013 The Weekend Maggie
2017 Walden: Life in the Woods Melinda
2021 Where There's Smoke Jenifer Short film
2022 Master Liv Beckman

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Raye Episode: "Haystack"
2018 Escape at Dannemora Annie 2 episodes
2020 Ms. Guidance Bethany Bump 6 episodes
2021 Bull Dr. Kinsey Episode: "To Save a Life"
2021 The Underground Railroad Gloria Valentine 2 episodes

Awards and nominations

 Year Award Category Work Result
Lucille Lortel
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Hadestown Nominated
Awards
2017
Theatre World Outstanding Broadway or Off- Natasha, Pierre & The
Won[18]
Award Broadway Debut Performance Great Comet of 1812
Outstanding Performance by an
2018 Sterling Awards Won[19]
Actress in a Supporting Role

Tony Awards[20] Best Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated

Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Featured Actress in a

Hadestown Won
2019 Awards[21] Musical

Drama League
Distinguished Performance Award Nominated
Awards[22]
2020 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Won

References
1. Isherwood, Charles (November 14, 2016). "Review: 'Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of
1812,' on the Heels of 'Hamilton' " (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/15/theater/natasha-pier
re-and-the-great-comet-of-1812-review.html). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 (https://
www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved November 15, 2016.
2. Isherwood, Charles (May 23, 2016). "Review: 'Hadestown' Reanimates a Well-Known Myth"
(https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/theater/review-hadestown-reanimates-a-well-known-
myth.html). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-433
1). Retrieved May 15, 2017.
3. Soloski, Alexis (April 23, 2014). "Amber Gray on 'An Octoroon,' at Soho Rep" (https://www.n
ytimes.com/2014/04/27/theater/amber-gray-on-an-octoroon-at-soho-rep.html). The New York
Times. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
4. Tisch NYU. "Select Alumni Bios" (https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-acting/alumni/some-alumni-bio
s). tisch.nyu.edu. New York University. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
5. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Haystack (TV Episode 2007) - IMDb (https://www.imdb.
com/title/tt0946364/fullcredits), retrieved April 17, 2020
6. H., Claire (December 3, 2013). "Amber Gray on her adventures in "Natasha, Pierre and The
Great Comet of 1812" " (http://stagedoordish.com/amber-gray-on-her-adventures-in-natasha-
pierre-and-the-great-comet-of-1812/). Stage Door Dish. Stage Door Dish. Retrieved
August 4, 2017.
7. Editors, American Theatre (May 11, 2017). " 'Great Comet' Actors and More Receive Theatre
World Awards" (http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/05/11/great-comet-actors-and-more-re
ceive-theatre-world-awards/). AMERICAN THEATRE. Theatre Communications Group.
Retrieved August 4, 2017. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
8. Clement, Oivia (March 17, 2015). "An Octoroon Star Amber Gray on the "Secrets and Lies"
of Race and Theatre" (http://www.playbill.com/article/an-octoroon-star-amber-gray-on-the-se
crets-and-lies-of-race-and-theatre-com-344156). Playbill. Playbill Inc. Retrieved August 4,
2017.
9. Kaplan, Janice (May 26, 2016). "The Next 'Hamilton' Takes Place in Hell—and Stars Donald
Trump" (http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-next-hamilton-takes-place-in-helland-stars-donald
-trump). The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
10. Stewart, Zachary. "Hadestown" (http://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/reviews/hadesto
wn-_77163.html). TheaterMania.com. Theater Mania. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
11. Patterson, Megan. "All Aboard the Train to Hadestown" (http://howlround.com/all-aboard-the
-train-to-hadestown). HowlRound. Emerson College. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
12. Evans, Greg (October 24, 2019). " 'The Underground Railroad': Broadway's Amber Gray
Joins Amazon Limited Series" (https://deadline.com/2019/10/amber-gray-the-underground-r
ailroad-amazon-limited-series-broadway-hadestown-1202767310/). Deadline. Retrieved
May 13, 2021.
13. Selleck, Emily (October 24, 2019). "Hadestown Star Amber Gray Joins Amazon's The
Underground Railroad" (http://www.playbill.com/article/hadestown-star-amber-gray-joins-am
azons-the-underground-railroad). Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
14. "Livin' It Up: Amber Gray Goes from 'Weak Link' of the School Play to Tony-Nominated
Hadestown Standout" (https://www.broadway.com/buzz/196063/livin-it-up-amber-gray-goes-
from-weak-link-of-the-school-play-to-tony-nominated-hadestown-standout/). Broadway.com.
Retrieved May 4, 2021.
15. "Hadestown Tony Nominee Amber Gray on Raising Babies While Performing 8 Shows a
Week on Broadway" (https://people.com/theater/tonys-2019-amber-gray-hadestown-intervie
w/). PEOPLE.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
16. Clement, Olivia (March 17, 2015). "An Octoroon Star Amber Gray on the "Secrets and Lies"
of Race and Theatre" (http://www.playbill.com/article/an-octoroon-star-amber-gray-on-the-se
crets-and-lies-of-race-and-theatre-com-344156). Playbill. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
17. Soloski, Alexis (April 23, 2014). "Returning to an 'Impossible' Role" (https://www.nytimes.co
m/2014/04/27/theater/amber-gray-on-an-octoroon-at-soho-rep.html). The New York Times.
ISSN 0362-4331 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved May 4, 2021.
18. Theatre World Awards. "Theatre World Awards - Theatre World Awards" (http://www.theatre
worldawards.org/). www.theatreworldawards.org. Theatre World Awards. Retrieved
August 4, 2017.
19. Sterling Awards. "Sterling Awards" (http://www.sterlingawards.com/Sterling_Awards/2018.ht
ml). Retrieved July 19, 2018.
20. McPhee, Ryan (April 30, 2019). "2019 Tony Award Nominations: Hadestown and Ain't Too
Proud Lead the Pack" (http://www.playbill.com/article/2019-tony-award-nominations-hadesto
wn-and-aint-too-proud-lead-the-pack). Playbill. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
21. Lefkowitz, Andy (April 23, 2019). "Hadestown, Tootsie & Oklahoma! Lead 2019 Outer Critics
Circle Award Nominations" (https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195573/hadestown-tootsie-okl
ahoma-lead-2019-outer-critics-circle-award-nominations/). Broadway.com. Retrieved
April 23, 2019.
22. Lefkowitz, Andy (April 17, 2019). "Nominations Announced for 85th Annual Drama League
Awards" (https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195505/nominations-announced-for-85th-annual-
drama-league-awards/). Broadway.com. Retrieved April 17, 2019.

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