# John O'May

John O'May is an American-born Australian actor, best known for his stage performances.

## Early life

O'May was born at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, one of four children. He grew up with a love of reading and literature. At university he dabbled in theatre, learning acting, stagecraft and building sets. He became a teacher at Patapsco High School, where he himself had attended high school. He taught English literature for two and a half years. He eventually travelled overseas, and after visiting his sister in Australia and ended up staying.

## Career

In 1972, O'May auditioned for the role of Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind. He took singing lessons and found an agent. In 1973, he was offered an audition and role in Godspell, replacing John Waters as Judas. He created and performed in the revues Gershwin (with John Diedrich) in 1975 and The 20s and All That Jazz (with Diedrich and Caroline Gilmer) in 1977.
O'May played Che Guevara in the original Australian cast of Evita which opened in Adelaide in April 1980. In the 1980s he was a regular performer with the Melbourne Theatre Company, and played Bobby in Company for the Sydney Theatre Company in 1986 and Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore for the Victoria State Opera in 1987.
He directed and starred in the musical Seven Little Australians in 1988.
O'May played Monsieur André in the original Australian cast of The Phantom of the Opera which opened at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne in December 1990. He later performed each of the two manager characters in various productions over the subsequent decades.
Other notable roles include Marvin in Falsettos in 1994 for the Sydney Theatre Company, Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl in 1999, John Wilkes Booth in Assassins in 1995, and Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music in 1997, both for the Melbourne Theatre Company. For the latter, he received a Green Room Award for male artist in a leading role. In 2014 he appeared as Doctor Tambourri in Sondheim's Passion. In 2022, he portrayed the Mysterious Man and Cinderella’s Father in Into the Woods in North Melbourne, Australia.
Film credits include supporting roles in the films Starstruck and Rebel and the television opera The Divorce (2015). In 2000, O’May guest-starred in season 2, episode 11, "Sponsorship and Media Discontent", of the ABC mockumentary, The Games.

## Acting credits
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1974 | Between Wars | William Faulkner | Feature film |
| 1982 | Starstruck | Terry | Feature film |
| 1983 | Skin Deep | Roger Crane | TV movie |
| 1985 | Rebel | Benie | Feature film |
| 1988 | Georgia | Mr Leonard | Feature film |
| 1988 | The Four Minute Mile | Bill Easton | TV movie |
| 2001 | Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story | Louis B. Mayer | TV movie |
| 2011 | A Heartbeat Away | Desmond Fyfe | Feature film |
| 2020 | The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee | Earl of Spencer | Feature film |
| 2023 | Late Night with the Devil | Walker Bedford | Feature film |
| 2024 | Better Man | Terry Swinton | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1978 | The Sullivans | Yank Sergeant | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | John Kendall | TV series, 14 episodes |
| 1983 | Kings | Dick Manning | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1985 | The Flying Doctors | Michael | Miniseries, episode 3 |
| 1986 | The Lancaster Miller Affair | J.F. Russell | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1988 | The Flying Doctors | Max Prescott | TV series, season 3, episode 7: "Figures in a Landscape" |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | Victor Dove | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Cluedo | Buzz Bradshaw III | TV series, season 2, episode 3: "With a Smile on His Dial" |
| 1997 | State Coroner | Marcus Brophy | TV series, season 1, 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Tyrone O'Keefe | TV series, season 2, episode 11: "Doof" |
| 2000 | The Games | George Birmingham | TV mockumentary series, season 2, episode 11: "Sponsorship and Media Discontent" |
| 2001 | Crash Zone | Phil Kurtz | TV series, season 2, episode 12: "Skin Deep" |
| 2007 | City Homicide | Peter Murdoch | TV series, season 1, episode 13: "Rostered Day Off" |
| 2015 | The Divorce | Jed | Miniseries, 4 episodes |

### Theatre
#### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1973 | Godspell | Judas | Princess Theatre, Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with J. C. Williamson |
| 1977 | Money the Root of All... | | Victorian regional tour with Arena Theatre Company |
| 1978 | No, No, Nanette | Billy | Playhouse Theatre, Perth with National Theatre Inc |
| 1979 | Sexual Perversity in Chicago | Adam Shapiro | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Hoopla Theatre Foundation |
| 1979 | The Ripper Show | Mr Barclay | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Hoopla Theatre Foundation |
| 1980–1981 | Evita | Che Guevara | Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Perth Entertainment Centre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney |
| 1981 | Royal Charity Performance | Singer | Festival Theatre, Adelaide |
| 1982 | Moving Target | | Upstage Theatre Restaurant, Sydney |
| 1983; 1984 | Insignificance | | Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney Opera House |
| 1983 | Beyond Therapy | Bruce | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1984 | Extremities | Raul | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1984 | Pax Americana | The President | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1984 | The Curse of the Werewolf | | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1985 | The Glass Menagerie | Jim | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1985 | Too Young for Ghosts | | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1985 | Blue Window | Griever | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1986 | Company | Bobby | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1986 | Heartbreak House | | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1986 | The Servant of Two Masters | | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1986 | The Shadow of a Gunman | Donal Davoren | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1987 | H.M.S. Pinafore | Captain Corcoran | Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, State Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat with Victoria State Opera |
| 1987 | La Belle Helene | Paris | State Theatre, Melbourne with Victoria State Opera |
| 1988–1989 | Seven Little Australians | Captain Woolcott | Theatre Royal, Hobart, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Adelaide Festival Centre, University of Sydney |
| 1989 | The Normal Heart | Ned Weeks | Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1989 | Harold in Italy | Harold | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1990 | Daylight Saving | Joshua Makepeace | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1990 | Love Letters | Andrew Makepeace III | Playhouse, Melbourne with Victorian Arts Centre |
| 1990 | Woman in Mind | Andy | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1990 | Moby Dick | | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne for Melbourne International Arts Festival |
| 1990; 1993 | The Phantom of the Opera | Monsieur André | Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney |
| 1991 | A Night of Infectious Laughter | | Melbourne Athenaeum |
| 1992 | Showboat | | Mietta's, Melbourne |
| 1992 | Into the Woods | Baker | State Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1992 | Six Degrees of Separation | | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1994 | Falsettos | Marvin | Sydney Opera House, Monash University, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Canberra Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1994 | Mack and Mabel - In Concert | | State Theatre, Melbourne, State Theatre, Sydney |
| 1994 | Always | | Victorian Arts Centre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1994 | Cyrano | Ragueneau | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane |
| 1995 | Assassins | John Wilkes Booth | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1995 | Candide | Singer | Lyric Theatre, Brisbane |
| 1996 | Christopher Columbus | Christopher Columbus | Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat |
| 1997; 1998 | A Little Night Music | Fredrik Egerman | Playhouse, Melbourne, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1997; 1998 | A One Night Stand with the Stars of Australian Musical Theatre | | Melbourne Athenaeum, Melbourne Concert Hall |
| 1997 | Crazy for You | Bela Zangler | State Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1999 | The Merry Widow | Count Danilo Danilovich | State Theatre, Melbourne, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Lyric Theatre, Sydney |
| 1999 | Funny Girl | Nick Arnstein | Melbourne Concert Hall with The Production Company |
| 1999 | Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens | | Melbourne Athenaeum |
| 2000 | Ship of Fools | Destiny | Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne |
| 2000 | Being Alive | | Capers Cabaret, Melbourne |
| 2001; 2002 | Three Vile Men | | Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne, Space Theatre, Adelaide |
| 2001 | The Tempest | Alonso | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 2002–2004 | Mamma Mia! | Harry Bright | Lyric Theatre, Sydney, Burswood Theatre, Perth, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Civic Theatre, Auckland, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Esplanade Theatre, Singapore, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2005 | Kiss Me, Kate | General Harrison Howell / Harry Trevor | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company |
| 2006 | This Is The Moment! | | Sydney Opera House, Hamer Hall, Melbourne |
| 2006–2009 | The Phantom of the Opera | Monsieur Firmin / Monsieur Andre | Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Esplanade Theatre, Singapore, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Lyric Theatre, Sydney, The Civic, Auckland, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Taipei Arena |
| 2008 | The Light in the Piazza | Signor Naccarelli | Lyric Theatre, Sydney |
| 2008 | The Music of the Night | | Statement Lounge, Sydney |
| 2011 | Anything Goes | Elijah Whitney | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company |
| 2011 | Grey Gardens | Major Bouvier / Norman Vincent Peale | State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company |
| 2012 | La Cage Aux Folles | Georges | National Theatre, Melbourne with Quirky Productions |
| 2012 | South Pacific | Captain Bracket | Sydney Opera House with Opera Australia |
| 2013 | Brel | Singer | Space Theatre, Adelaide for Adelaide Cabaret Festival |
| 2014 | The Last Confession | Cardinal Felici | His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal Sydney |
| 2014 | Passion | Doctor Tambourri | Arts Centre Melbourne |
| 2017 | Cabaret | Herr Schultz | Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney, Melbourne Athenaeum |
| 2018 | A Little Night Music | Frederick Egerman | Geelong Performing Arts Centre, National Theatre, Melbourne, Whitehorse Centre, Melbourne |
| 2019 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Grandpa Joe | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2019 | Ragtime | Henry Ford | State Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2022 | Into the Woods | Mysterious Man / Cinderella's Father | Arts House Meat Market, Melbourne |
| 2023 | Bloom | Roland | Arts Centre Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |

#### As writer/director

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1975; 1976 | Gershwin | Playwright | Arena Theatre, Melbourne, Total Theatre, Melbourne with Total Theatre, Production |
| 1977–1979 | The Twenties and All That Jazz | Playwright | Arena Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Regal Theatre, Perth, Canberra Theatre, Theatre Royal Sydney, Victorian regional tour, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Orange Civic Theatre, The Griffith Duncan Theatre, Callaghan, Playhouse, Adelaide |
| 1977 | The Australian Travelling Patent Medicine Show | Director | Arena Theatre Company, Melbourne |
| 1977 | The Season Reason | Director | Victorian regional tour with Arena Theatre Company |
| 1977 | The Persecution and Assassination of Higher School Certificate Poetry as Performed by the Inmates of the Arena Theatre | Director | Arena Theatre Company, Melbourne |
| 1978 | Patrick's Hat Trick | Playwright | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with Hoopla Theatre Foundation |
| 1978 | Makin' Wicky Wacky | Director | The Last Laugh, Melbourne |
| 1981 | A Couple of Strangers | Devisor | Nimrod Theatre, Sydney |
| 1982 | Patrick's Hat Trick | Playwright | Monash University |
| 1983 | The Twenties and All That Jazz | Playwright | The Hole in the Wall Theatre, Perth |
| 2000 | Being Alive | Devisor | Capers Cabaret, Melbourne |
| 1988–1989 | Seven Little Australians | Director | Theatre Royal, Hobart, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Adelaide Festival Centre, University of Sydney |
| 2008 | The Light in the Piazza | Director / Producer | Lyric Theatre, Sydney |