Kristin Chenoweth

Any fan of Kristin Chenoweth knows that the musical quality of her lilting timbre is more than just a nice speaking voice: the actress has been one of the most successful and well-known performers on Broadway for the past ten years. The sprightly... more

Any fan of Kristin Chenoweth knows that the musical quality of her lilting timbre is more than just a nice speaking voice: the actress has been one of the most successful and well-known performers on Broadway for the past ten years. The sprightly 4'11" actress attended Oklahoma City University on a full scholarship to study voice before going on to earn her master's in opera performance. Chenoweth's first Broadway role came in 1997 when she was cast in a production of Molière's Scapin. The next season, she was cast in Steel Pier, winning a Theatre World Award for her performance. Once Chenoweth's stage career was off and running, she quickly became one of the most well-known and best-liked Broadway actresses alive, working constantly and winning several awards, including a Tony for her performance in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. She was particularly praised for her performance in 2003's Wicked, and her performance of selections from her album Let Yourself Go at a concert for Lincoln Center's fifth American Songbook. Chenoweth began a second career onscreen in 2001 with a short-lived NBC sitcom called Kristin. The mid-series replacement didn't last, but Chenoweth was soon delighting audiences with guest appearances on shows like Frasier, and in 2004, she began a recurring role on the critically acclaimed series The West Wing. In 2005, Nicole Kidman saw Chenoweth in a performance of Wicked and was so impressed with the songstress' talent and charisma that she had her cast in her upcoming film adaptation of Bewitched. This kicked off a series of appearances in comedies for the actress, who proved to have great comic timing. After roles in The Pink Panther, RV, and Deck the Halls, Chenoweth joined the cast of a new TV show called Pushing Daisies, about a man who falls in love with a deceased lady after he discovers how to bring people back from the dead. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide less