Todd Graff

Todd Graff
Born	October 22, 1959 (1959-10-22) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, director, producer and screenwriter
Years active	1975–present

Todd Graff (born October 22, 1959) is an American actor, writer and director, best known for his 2003 independent film Camp and his role as Alan "Hippy" Carnes in the 1989 science fiction film The Abyss.

Early life

Graff was born in New York City, New York, the son of Judith Clarice (née Oxhorn), a piano teacher and choirmaster, and Jerome Lawrence Graff, a musician.

Career

Graff sang on the original-cast albums of Sesame Street (1970) and the follow-up Sesame Street 2 (1971), but he rose to fame in 1975 when he joined the cast of the PBS children's television series The Electric Company. Playing the role of Jesse, a member of the Short Circus, he remained with the show until it ceased production in 1977.

Graff's writing credits include Camp, Used People, The Vanishing, and The Beautician and the Beast. As an actor, Graff appeared in several films including Death to Smoochy, Dominick and Eugene, Strange Days, Not Quite Paradise, and The Abyss. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Danny in Broadway's Baby in 1984. He starred in the 1987 Off-Broadway musical Birds of Paradise as Homer.

In 2006, He directed the stage musical by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish, 13, at the Mark Taper Forum in 2007.

In 2009, Graff co-wrote and directed the film Bandslam.

In 2012, Graff wrote and directed the film Joyful Noise.

Personal life

His sister is actress Ilene Graff (of Mr. Belvedere fame). Graff is an alumnus both as a camper and counselor of the Stagedoor Manor performing arts summer camp in upstate New York. Graff is also a graduate of Purchase College.^{[citation needed]}

Graff is openly gay.

Award nominations

• 1984 Tony Award nominee as Featured Actor in a Musical for Baby
• 2003 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize nominee for Camp

External links

• Todd Graff at the Internet Movie Database