Todd Graff
Todd Graff | |
|---|---|
 Keke Palmer and Todd Graff | |
| Born | October 22, 1959 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, writer, director |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse | Jhon Lafaurie (2014–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, the son of Judith Clarice (née Oxhorn), a piano teacher and choirmaster, and Jerome Lawrence Graff, a musician.[1] His sister is actress Ilene Graff. [2]
Career
Graff is an alumnus both as a camper and counselor of the Stagedoor Manor performing arts summer camp in upstate New York. He sang on the original-cast albums of Sesame Street (1970) and the follow-up Sesame Street 2 (1971). He garnered 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 to the end of its production in 1977 (replacing Stephen Gustafson).[3]
Graff's writing credits include Camp, Used People, The Vanishing, and The Beautician and the Beast. Graff acted in several films including Death to Smoochy, Dominick and Eugene, Strange Days, Not Quite Paradise, and The Abyss.[3]
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, Graff directed the stage musical 13 by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish at the Mark Taper Forum.[4] In 2009, he co-wrote and directed the film Bandslam. In 2012 he wrote and directed the film Joyful Noise.
Filmography
Movies
| Movie | Character | Year |
|---|---|---|
| It's No Crush, I'm in Love | Robby Pols | 1982 and 1983 |
| P.O.P. | Johnny Gordon | 1984 |
| Not Quite Jerusalem | Rothwell T Schwartz | 1985 |
| Sweet Lorraine | Leonard | 1987 |
| Five Corners | James | 1987 |
| Dominick and Eugene | Larry Higgins | 1988 |
| An Innocent Man | Robby | 1989 |
| The Abyss | Alan 'Hippy' Carnes | 1989 |
| After Midnight | Tough Kid | 1989 |
| Opportunity Knocks | Lou Pesquino | 1990 |
| Framed | Pete | 1990 |
| City of Hope | Zip | 1991 |
| Fly By Night | Naji | 1993 |
| Strange Days | Tex Arcana | 1995 |
TV series
| Series | Character | Year |
|---|---|---|
| The Electric Company | Jesse (seasons 5-6) | 1975–1977 |
| ABC Afterschool Specials | Trent and Robby Pols | 1983 and 1992 |
| Vietnam War Story | Richard Muldoon | 1987 |
| The Marshall Chronicles | Vincent | 1990 |
| Chicago Hope | Louis Bagley | 1995 |
| The Nanny | Harvey | 1997 |
Award nominations
- 1984 Tony Award nominee as Featured Actor in a Musical for Baby
- 1984 Won Theatre World Award for Baby (musical)
- 2003 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize nominee for Camp
TV
- Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition (2012)
- Made in Hollywood (2011)
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History – 1980s, 1990s and 2000s (2009)
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History – 1970's (2009)
- Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss (1993)
Writer/Director
- Used People (1992; writer only)
- Fly by Night (1993; writer only)
- The Vanishing (1993; writer only)
- Angie (1994; writer only)
- The Beautician and the Beast (1997; writer only)
- Camp (2003; director)
- Bandslam (2009; director)
- Joyful Noise (2012; director)
References
- ^ Profile, filmreference.com; accessed August 19, 2014.
- ^ Counts, Kyle (August 7, 2003). "Writer-director Todd Graff talks about his campy new film, 'Camp'". Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Todd Graff at IMDb
- ^ Mark Taper Forum website; accessed August 2014.
External links
