# Max von Essen

Max von Essen (born January 11, 1974) is an American stage and screen actor, and vocalist.

## Life and career

Raised on Long Island, von Essen is a graduate of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, New York. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and after graduation toured with Liza Minnelli. He is a member of the Von Essen family, who are part of the German and Swedish nobility. A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children. He is openly gay.
He toured Europe in West Side Story and was a cast member of the U.S. national tour of Chicago. He made his Broadway debut in Jesus Christ Superstar in 2000 as Disciple and Jesus of Nazareth understudy. He appeared in Les Misérables on Broadway as the replacement for Fauchelevent and other roles, and starred in Dance of the Vampires alongside Michael Crawford in 2002. He played the role of student revolutionary leader Enjolras (replacement) in the Les Misérables Broadway revival in 2006 at the Broadhurst Theater.
In 2006, he was a soloist at the biggest Andrew Lloyd Webber musical gala to date, held in Tallinn, Estonia. He performed in the national tour of Xanadu as "Sonny" in 2008 and in the Roundabout Theater Company Off-Broadway production of Maury Yeston's Death Takes a Holiday at the Laura Pels Theatre in 2011. In 2015, von Essen played the role of Parisian aristocrat Henri in the Broadway production of An American in Paris, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical nomination.

## Film and television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | Brooklyn Lobster | Piano Player | |
| 2009 | The Beautiful Life: TBL | Scott | 1 episode |
| 2010 | Sex and the City 2 | Wedding Chorus | |
| 2011-14 | Submissions Only | Cameron Dante | Netflix series, 14 episodes |
| 2012 | Gossip Girl | Father Smythe | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Royal Pains | Hair | 1 episode |
| 2013-14 | The Good Wife | Stephen Delaney | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Blonde | Man | Short |
| 2014 | Seven Lovers | Dan | |
| 2015 | The Intern | Businessman at Starbucks #1 | |
| 2022 | Family Guy | Cruise Director, Waiter (voices) | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Law & Order | Rhett Richards | Episode: "Family Ties" |

## Theatre credits
### Broadway

Source: Internet Broadway Database
| Year(s) | Production | Role | Location |
| 2000 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Disciple; u/s Jesus Christ | Ford Center for the Performing Arts |
| 2002 | Dance of the Vampires | Alfred | Minskoff Theatre |
| 2003 | Les Misérables | Fauchelevent / Jean Prouvaire / Ensemble; u/s Marius Pontmercy (replacement) | Imperial Theatre |
| 2007–2008 | Les Misérables | Enjolras (replacement) | Broadhurst Theatre |
| 2012 | Evita | Agustin Magaldi; u/s Che | Marquis Theatre |
| 2012 | Evita | Che (replacement) | Marquis Theatre |
| 2012–2013 | Evita | Agustin Magaldi; u/s Che | Marquis Theatre |
| 2015–2016 | An American in Paris | Henri Baurel | Palace Theatre |
| 2017–2018 | Anastasia | Gleb Vaganov (replacement) | Broadhurst Theatre |
| 2023–2024 | Chicago | Billy Flynn (replacement) | Ambassador Theatre |

### National and international tours

| Year(s) | Production | Role |
| 1997 | Liza Minnelli in Concert | Ensemble |
| 1998 | West Side Story (European tour) | Tony |
| 1999 | Chicago | Mary Sunshine |
| 2008 | Xanadu | Sonny |
| 2019 | Falsettos | Marvin |

### Off-Broadway

| Year(s) | Production | Role | Location |
| 1999 | The Fantasticks | Matt | Sullivan Street Playhouse |
| 2001 | John & Paul | Un­known | New Victory Theater |
| 2004 | Finian's Rainbow | Woody Mahoney | Irish Repertory Theatre |
| 2011 | Death Takes a Holiday | Corrado Montelli | Laura Pels Theatre (Roundabout Theatre Company) |
| 2011 | Hello Again | The Soldier | Transport Group |
| 2016 | The Secret Garden | Dr. Neville Craven | Lucille Lortel Theatre |
| 2017 | Yours Unfaithfully | Stephen Meredith | Beckett Theatre (Mint Theater Company) |

### Regional

| Year(s) | Production | Role | Location |
| 1997 | A Christmas Carol | Un­known | Mill Mountain Theatre |
| 1999 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Un­known | Connecticut Repertory Theatre |
| 2001 | Blood Brothers | Eddie | Downtown Cabaret Theatre (Bridgeport, Connecticut) |
| 2001 | Hair | Claude | Bay Street Theatre |
| 2002 | My Fair Lady | Freddy Eynsford-Hill | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 2003 | My Fair Lady | Freddy Eynsford-Hill | Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera |
| 2003 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Joseph | Sacramento Music Circus |
| 2003 | Children of Eden | Abel/Ham | The York Theatre Company |
| 2004 | Auntie Mame | | Bay Street Theatre |
| 2004 | Auntie Mame | | Ogunquit Playhouse |
| 2004 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Jesus Christ | Sacramento Music Circus |
| 2004 | Dorian | Dorian | NoHo Arts Center (North Hollywood, CA) |
| 2005 | Cabaret | The Emcee | Sacramento Music Circus |
| 2005 | The Baker's Wife | Dominique | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 2005 | The Secret Garden | Captain Albert Lennox | Manhattan Center |
| 2006 | Mame | Patrick | The Kennedy Center |
| 2006 | West Side Story | Tony | Theatre Under the Stars |
| 2008 | West Side Story | Tony | Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera |
| 2008 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Anthony Hope | Sacramento Music Circus |
| 2010 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Joseph | Sacramento Music Circus |
| 2013 | My Fair Lady | Freddy Eynsford-Hill | Kennedy Center |
| 2022 | The Secret Garden | Archibald Craven | UC Davis Health Pavilion |
| 2022 | 42nd Street | Julian Marsh | Goodspeed Musicals |

## Awards and nominations

Source: IBDB
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Show | Result |
| 2015 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | An American in Paris | Nominated |
| 2015 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | An American in Paris | Nominated |
| 2015 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | An American in Paris | Nominated |
| 2015 | Broadway.com Audience Choice Award | Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical | An American in Paris | Nominated |