# Michael Xavier

Michael D. Xavier (born Michael David Smith; 27 November 1977) is an English actor and singer. He is a two-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee and has performed on Broadway and in the West End.

## Early life

Michael David Smith (later known as Michael Xavier) attended Knutsford High and ultimately completed his professional acting training at the Manchester Metropolitan University in 1999. His first professional role and London West End debut was in the musical comedy Pageant in 2000.

## Work in theatre

Xavier has been nominated twice for a Laurence Olivier Award. He was first nominated for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2011 for his performance as the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. The same year he was also nominated for the Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Oliver in the musical Love Story at the Duchess Theatre. In January 2017, Xavier's lead performance in Sunset Boulevard (at the London Coliseum) won the 2016 BroadwayWorld UK/West End Award for Best Actor in a New Production of a Musical.
Xavier has worked in lead roles on stage in the United Kingdom and the United States of America for over 20 years. Notable productions in which he has appeared include Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, Prince Of Broadway with the theatre director and producer Harold Prince, Miss Saigon, Freddie Eynsford-Hill and 20 years later Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, Curly in Oklahoma!, and Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. In 2014, he played Sid Sorokin in The Pajama Game at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London.
In 2008, Xavier played Rock Hudson in Tim Fountain's play Rock at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool, the Library Theatre in Manchester, and the Oval House Theatre in London. It went on to be produced as a radio play by production company Made in Manchester, and won the Best Online Only Audio Drama award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards in 2012.

## Theatre credits

| Year | Show | Role | Theatre | Director |
| 2000 | Pageant | Miss Great Plains | Vaudeville Theatre, West End | Bill Russell |
| 2002-03 | My Fair Lady | Freddy Eynsford-Hill | Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End | Trevor Nunn |
| 2003 | Miss Saigon | Ensemble / Alternate Chris | UK Tour | Matthew Ryan |
| 2004 | Sunset Boulevard | Artie Green | Cork Opera House | |
| 2004 | Mamma Mia! | Sky | International Tour | Phyllida Lloyd / Paul Garrington |
| 2006 | The Phantom of the Opera | Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | Her Majesty's Theatre, West End | Hal Prince |
| 2008 | Rock | Rock Hudson | Oval House Theatre, Off-West End | Tamara Harvey |
| 2008-09 | Spamalot | Sir Dennis Galahad / The Black Knight / Prince Herbert's Father | Palace Theatre, West End | Mike Nichols |
| 2009 | Oklahoma! | Curly | Chichester Festival Theatre | John Doyle |
| 2010 | Into the Woods | The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre | Timothy Sheader |
| 2010 | Love Story | Oliver | Duchess Theatre, West End | Rachel Kavanagh |
| 2012 | Soho Cinders | James Prince | Soho Theatre | Jonathan Butterell |
| 2012 | Wonderful Town | Bob Baker | UK No. 1 Tour | Braham Murray |
| 2012 | Hello Dolly | Cornelius Hackl | Curve Theatre Leicester | Paul Kerryson |
| 2013 | The Sound of Music | Captain Von Trapp | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre | Rachel Kavanagh |
| 2014 | The Pajama Game | Sid Sorokin | Shaftesbury Theatre, West End | Richard Eyre |
| 2015 | Assassins | John Wilkes Booth | Menier Chocolate Factory, Off-West End | Jamie Lloyd |
| 2015 | The War of the Roses | Suffolk / George of Clarence | Rose Theatre Kingston | Trevor Nunn |
| 2015 | Showboat | Gaylord | Sheffield Crucible | Daniel Evans |
| 2016 | Bumblescratch | Hookbeard | Adelphi Theatre, West End | Stewart Nicholls |
| 2016 | The Secret Garden | Lord Archibald Craven | Shakespeare Theatre Company | David Armstrong |
| 2016 | Sunset Boulevard | Joe Gillis | London Colliseum, West End (English National Opera) | Lonny Price |
| 2017 | Sunset Boulevard | Joe Gillis | Palace Theatre, Broadway | Lonny Price |
| 2017 | Prince of Broadway | Featured Performer | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway | Hal Prince, Susan Stroman |
| 2021 | Love Story | Oliver | Cadogan Hall | Kirk Jameson |
| 2022 | Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends | Performer | Sondheim Theatre, West End | Matthew Bourne |
| 2022-23 | My Fair Lady | Professor Henry Higgins | UK Tour | Bartlett Sher |
| 2024-25 | Mary Poppins | Mr. George Banks | UK & Ireland Tour | Richard Eyre |

## Work in television and film

Although Xavier started out primarily as a theatre actor, he has also gained many television and film credits including Lieutenant Hamilton Knox in Outlander (Stars), Christopher Miles in The Blacklist (NBC), Dr. Steph Belcombe in Gentleman Jack (BBC) and series regular DCI Elliott Wallace in season 7 and 8 of Grantchester (ITV). As well as roles in Grace (ITV) and The Chelsea Detective (ITV).
Xavier's film work includes his portrayal of Maurice in Hallmark's 'Paris, Wine & Romance' directed by Alex Zamm, Tom in the 2014 production 'Never Let Go' with director Howard J. Ford for Latitude Films, scheduled for release in 2015. In 2013, he appeared as Rob in the short film 'Gnomeland' by writer/director Francesca Jaynes, as well as playing a Russian Gulag Prisoner in Walt Disney Pictures' 'Muppets Most Wanted', filmed at Pinewood Studios.

### Major television and film credits

| Year | Role | Production | Producer | Director |
| 2015 | Tom | Never Let Go | Independent | Howard J. Ford |
| 2019 | Maurice | Paris, Wine & Romance | Hallmark | Alex Zamm |
| 2019 | Christopher Miles | The Blacklist | NBC | Andrew McCarthy, Michael Caraciollo, Christine Gee |
| 2019-2021 | Dr. Steph Belcombe | Gentleman Jack | BBC, HBO | Sally Wainwright, Sarah Harding |
| 2020 | Lieutenant Hamilton Knox | Outlander | Starz | Stephen Woolfenden, Meera Menon |
| 2021 | Martin Broom | Grace | ITV | Julia Ford |
| 2022 | Patrick Thompson | The Chelsea Detective | Alibi (TV channel) | Richard Signy |
| 2022-2023 | DCI Elliot Wallace | Grantchester | ITV | Tim Fywell |
| 2023 | Hellemans | Hammarskjöld | Patrick Ryborn | Per Fly |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | The Isle Tide Hotel | Josh Malone | Interactive film |

## Presenting and recording work

In 2013, Xavier co-presented the Olivier Awards BBC Radio 2 Covent Garden Stage with Claudia Winkleman, and returned again in 2014 to co-present on the ITV Stage with Myleene Klass. He also hosted the UK Theatre Awards at the historic Guildhall in the City of London in both 2013 and 2014.
In addition, Xavier has worked as a recording artist, with both radio and original soundtrack credits to his name. In 2007, BBC Radio 2 presented a special edition of Friday Night is Music Night, celebrating the work of Leonard Bernstein and the 50th anniversary of West Side Story. Paul Gambaccini presented the program at London's Mermaid Theatre, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and Xavier as Tony. He also played Artie Green in the BBC Radio 2 live recording of Sunset Boulevard, performed at the Cork Opera House with Michael Ball and Petula Clark. Outside of radio, his work in recordings includes Bumblescratch (2016 London Concert Cast Recording) Collaborations: The Songs of Elliot Davis (2013), Lift (2012 Concept Album), Soho Cinders (2011 Concert Cast), Love Story (2011 Original London Cast), and Little Women (2004 Studio Cast).

## MX Masterclass

Xavier is the Principal of MX Masterclass, a training school for musical theatre students which aims to aid them in gaining acceptance to professional training colleges. The school runs every Sunday, based at Rambert, Upper Ground. Their patrons are Matthew Bourne, Natalie Paris, Emily Carey and Sebastian Croft. Regular teachers over the years have included Anna Tringham, Ross Sharkey, Lucinda Lawrence, Brandon Lee Sears, Nicola Coates, Peter Polycarpou and Alex Young. Students are also taught by guest performers and practitioners including Kerry Ellis, Ramin Karimloo, Rebecca Trehearn, Marc Antolin, Robbie Sherman, Katie Brayben, Louise Dearman, Trevor Dion Nicholas and Matt Henry (singer).
The students are often given an opportunity to perform at various charity and West End events at which Xavier also appears. The students also appear at a Christmas concert at St Paul's, Covent Garden, alongside industry professionals. The 2016 concert was hosted by Rufus Hound.
Students have many performance opportunities throughout the year and gain national and local news coverage in the process. On three occasions they performed at The Best of the West End concert at The Royal Albert Hall starring many big West End names including Xavier himself. They have also performed at Lambert Jackson Productions concert, West End Women and Main Men Of Musicals.