# Michael Hayden (actor)

Michael Hayden (born July 28, 1963) is an actor who has appeared both on the Broadway and West End stage, as well as on television. His best known role was Billy Bigelow in the stage musical, Carousel. He received both Laurence Olivier Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for his performance in the role. He also has starred as Clifford Bradshaw in various productions of Cabaret.

## Biography

Hayden graduated from the Juilliard School.

### Stage

Hayden appeared in several productions at the Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, including The Matchmaker (1991) and All My Sons (1997). At the Lincoln Center Theater he appeared in Far East (1999) and the musical Dessa Rose (2005).
Hayden made his Broadway debut in the role of "Billy" in the 1994 Broadway revival of Carousel, for which he won the Theatre World Award and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor in a Musical. He also played the role in the Royal National Theatre production in London in 1993, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.
In 1999, he played Cliff in a Broadway revival of Cabaret. He reprised the role in 2006 in the West End.
For his work in the 2001 Broadway revival of Judgment at Nuremberg he received the Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Play. He played "Prince Hal" in Henry IV opposite Kevin Kline in 2003. He appeared in the play Festen on Broadway in 2006.
In 2002, he played Franklin in Merrily We Roll Along at the Kennedy Center.
In 2010 he played the roles of both "Henry V" and "Richard II" at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, DC. For this work he received the company's Emery Battis Award. Hayden has appeared at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in many works over the years.
Hayden is set to return to Broadway in a revival of Elf the Musical as Walter for a limited holiday engagement at the Marquis Theatre with previews from November 9, 2024, an official opening on November 17, and closing expected on January 4, 2025. He'll star opposite Grey Henson as Buddy the Elf and Sean Astin as Santa Claus.

### Television

Hayden has appeared on the television series Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as Hack. He was a series regular on the ABC series Murder One.

### Film

Hayden starred in the title role of William R. Pace's 1999 film Charming Billy as Jeremiah William Starkman, a commingling of Charles Whitman and Charles Starkweather who shoots random people off a rural water tower and reflects on the incidents in his life that led up to it. Hayden's portrayal won the Best Actor award at the AFI/LA Film Festival.

## Stage credits

| Year(s) | Production | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | Elf the Musical | Walter Hobbs | Broadway |
| 2023 | The Light in the Piazza | Roy Johnson | New York City Center |
| 2023 | A Little Night Music | Fredrik Egerman | Pasadena Playhouse |
| 2021 | The Sound of Music | Captain Georg von Trapp | The Muny |
| 2019 | All My Sons | Dr. Jim Bayliss | Broadway |
| 2018 | Much Ado About Nothing | Benedick | Old Globe Theatre |
| 2016 | American Son | Scott Ellis | Barrington Stage Company |
| 2014 | The Winter's Tale | Leontes | Sidney Harman Hall |
| 2011 | Measure for Measure | Angelo | Delacorte Theatre |
| 2010 | Henry V | King Henry V | Sidney Harman Hall |
| 2010 | Richard II | King Richard II | Sidney Harman Hall |
| 2009 | The Dog in the Manger | Teodoro | Shakespeare Theatre Company |
| 2008 | 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | Giovanni | American Conservatory Theater |
| 2006-2007 | Cabaret | Clifford Bradshaw | West End |
| 2006 | Festen | Christian | Broadway |
| 2005 | Dessa Rose | Adam Nehemiah | Broadway |
| 2003 | Henry IV | Henry Prince of Wales | Broadway; a combined production of Henry IV, Part 1 and an abridged version of Henry IV, Part 2 |
| 2003 | Enchanted April | Mr. Anthony Wilding | Broadway |
| 2002 | Merrily We Roll Along | Franklin Shepard | Kennedy Center |
| 2001 | Judgment at Nuremberg | Oscar Rolfe | Broadway |
| 1999-2001 | Cabaret | Clifford Bradshaw | Broadway |
| 1998-1999 | Far East | Sparky Watts | Broadway |
| 1998 | Sweet Bird of Youth | Chance Wayne | Shakespeare Theatre Company |
| 1996 | All My Sons | Chris Keller | Williamstown Theatre Festival |
| 1994 | Carousel | Billy Bigelow | Broadway |
| 1992-1994 | Carousel | Billy Bigelow | West End |
| 1989 | Anything Goes | Billy Crocker | Hope Summer Repertory Theatre |
| 1988 | Fiddler on the Roof | Perchik | Hope Summer Repertory Theatre |
| 1987 | The Sound of Music | Ensemble | Hope Summer Repertory Theatre |