# Amber Gray

Amber Gray is an American actress and singer. She is known for originating the role of Hélène Bezukhova in the musical Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 and the role of Persephone in the musical Hadestown, both off and on Broadway. For the latter 2019 role, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, additionally earning the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

## Early life and education

Gray is a military brat and spent her early childhood across Europe and the United States. 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.

## 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. 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. 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.
In 2014, Gray reprised her leading role as Zoe in An Octoroon at Soho Repertory Theatre 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. 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. Gray was again directed by Rachel Chavkin, whom she collaborated with during Great Comet. Gray was praised by critics, who were impressed by her "vocal dexterity," "charisma," and "powerhouse voice". 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. She's set to reprise the role for her West End debut in February and March 2025.
In 2021, Gray appeared in the Amazon limited series The Underground Railroad as Gloria Valentine.
Gray plays the role of Ajax on the 2024 concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, Warriors.

## Personal life

Gray's partner is Galen Hamilton, whom she began dating in 2011. They have two children.
Gray is biracial.

## Theatre

| Years | Production | Role | Theatre | Director |
| 2004 | Ain't Misbehavin | Charlaine | Huntington Theatre Company | Marcia Milgrom Dodge |
| 2005 | Lady Windermere's Fan | Lady Plymdale | Williamstown Theatre Festival | Moisés Kaufman |
| 2005 | On The Razzle | Lisette | Williamstown Theatre Festival | David Jones |
| 2005 | Prudence | Sarah | Connecticut Repertory Theatre | Tyler Marchant |
| 2006 | Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir | Activist, Singer | Internationally | Savitri D |
| 2009 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Puck, Hippolyta, Theseus | Florence's Villa La Pietra, NYC Bandshells, Classic Stage Company | Jim Calder |
| 2010 | An Octoroon | Zoe | P.S. 122 | Branden Jacobs-Jenkins |
| 2010 | Banished Children of Eve | Eliza | Irish Repertory Theatre, Off-Broadway | Ciaran O'Reilly |
| 2011 | Sueño | The Sun | Atlas Theatre | Jack Fletcher |
| 2011–13 | The TEAM's Mission Drift | Joan | P.S. 122's COIL Festival, London's National Theatre, Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, Lisbon, Coimbra, Salzburg, Hong Kong, Perth, Williams College | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2012 | All Hands | Greta | Hoi Polloi | Alec Duffy |
| 2012 | We Play for the Gods | Simi | Women's Project | Jessi D. Hill, Sarah Rasmussen, Mia Rovegno |
| 2012 | The World is Round | Rose Rose Rose | Ripe Time | Rachel Dickstein |
| 2012 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova | Ars Nova, Off-Broadway | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2012 | Eager to Lose | Trixie | Ars Nova | Portia Krieger and Wes Grantom |
| 2013 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova | Kazino Meatpacking District, Off-Broadway | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2014 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova | Kazino Times Square, Off-Broadway | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2014 | An Octoroon | Zoe | Soho Rep | Sarah Benson |
| 2014–15 | A 24 Decade History of Popular Music: 1900s-1950s | Singer | New York Live Arts with Under the Radar | Taylor Mac, Niegel Smith |
| 2015 | An Octoroon | Zoe | Theatre for a New Audience | Sarah Benson |
| 2015 | Oklahoma! | Laurey Williams | Bard SummerScape | Daniel Fish |
| 2015 | Iphigenia in Aulis | Clytemnestra, Menelaus | Classic Stage Company | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2016 | Hadestown | Persephone | New York Theatre Workshop, Off-Broadway | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2016–17 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Hélène Kuragina Bezukhova | Imperial Theatre, Broadway | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2017 | The TEAM's Primer for a Failed Superpower | Activist, Singer | Roulette | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2017 | Hadestown | Persephone | Edmonton's Citadel Theatre | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2018–19 | Hadestown | Persephone | Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2019–22 | Hadestown | Persephone | Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway | Rachel Chavkin |
| 2019 | Into the Wild | Performer | Playwrights Horizons | Lila Neugebauer |
| 2021 | Against Women and Music | Celine Gray | Virtual production | Sarna Lapine |
| 2022 | Macbeth | Banquo | Longacre Theatre, Broadway | Sam Gold |
| 2023 | Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris | Performer | Benefit performance in Tangier, Morocco | Rob Ashford |
| 2023–24 | Here We Are | Claudia Bursik-Zimmer | The Shed, Off-Broadway | Joe Mantello |
| 2024-25 | Eureka Day | Carina | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway | Anna D. Shapiro |
| 2025 | Hadestown | Persephone | Lyric Theatre, West End | Rachel Chavkin |

## Filmography

Film :
| 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 |
| 2023 | The Gilded Age | Bea Sturt | Episode: "Close Enough to Touch" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2017 | Theatre World Award | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Won |
| 2017 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical | Hadestown | Nominated |
| 2018 | Sterling Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | Hadestown | Won |
| 2019 | Tony Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Hadestown | Nominated |
| 2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Hadestown | Won |
| 2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Hadestown | Nominated |
| 2020 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Hadestown | Won |