Aaron Walpole
Background information
Birth nameAaron John Walpole
Born (1979-03-07) March 7, 1979
London, Ontario, Canada
GenresMusicals, Rock Opera, Rock, Blues
Occupation(s)Actor, Musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, Guitar

Aaron John Walpole (born March 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor and singer, who placed third on the third season of Canadian Idol.[1] He is best known for playing the role of Lonnie in the 2010 Toronto run of Rock of Ages and Annas in the 2012 Broadway run of Jesus Christ Superstar.[2][3] He appeared in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, as a part of the ensemble.[1]

Early life

Born in London, Ontario, in 1979, Walpole is one of three children.[4] At 10 years old, his mother Jody Mae Cline, sat him and his brothers down, to watch the musical Jesus Christ Superstar for Easter.[4] After seeing Carl Anderson's rendition of "Heaven on their Minds", Aaron decided to become a musical actor.[4] He memorized the whole show, with the help of his father Robert Walpole's vinyl copy.[4] In 1998, he entered Sheridan College's musical theater performance program, and graduated in 2001.[5]

Personal life

On October 4, 2014, Walpole married Stefanie Oechslin, after having dated since 2010. They met at the street corner of King Street and John Street in Toronto, after Stefanie had recognized him from Rock of Ages as Lonnie. They started their life as a married couple in New York, NY, where Aaron appeared in the 2014 Les Misérables Broadway revival.

TV and film

Walpole appeared in the 2005 session of Canadian Idol, in which he placed third after Rex Goudie and Melissa O'Neil.[6] Other TV credits include Breakout Kings as Bill Gierhart, Felling the Shadows and Deacons of Defense.[5] He also starred in the 2011 movie Silent But Deadly as Rob.

Broadway

Walpole had his Broadway debut in 2012, as Annas in the 2011 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.[7] The production had previously played at the Stratford Festival and the La Jolla Playhouse, before it was moved to the Neil Simon Theater in New York.[7] The production ultimately closed after only four months on July 1, due to bad ticket sales.[8]

In 2014, he joined the cast of the 2014 revival of Les Misérables.[1] Besides playing Champmathieu, Brujon, Loud Hailer in his ensemble track, he was an understudy for the role of Jean Valjean.[1] He previously was in the American 25th Anniversary tour and Canadian productions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Peterson, Tyler. "At This Performance: LES MISERABLES' Resident 'Valjean' Cover Aaron Walpole!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  2. ↑ "Aaron Walpole Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  3. ↑ Gans, Andrew (11 May 2010). "Rock of Ages Opens in Toronto May 11". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Aaron Walpole: From Paynes Mills to Broadway". St. Thomas Times-Journal. February 10, 2012. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Ahearn, Victoria (July 10, 2011). "Producers flocking to Stratford's 'Jesus Christ Superstar': actor Aaron Walpole". Winnipeg Free Press.
  6. ↑ Rayner, Ben (2013-11-29). "Canadian Idols: Where are they now?". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  7. 1 2 "Paul Nolan to Lead Broadway Resurrection of Jesus Christ Superstar; Full Cast Announced". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  8. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (1 July 2012). "'It Is Finished': Jesus Christ Superstar Revival Closes On Broadway July 1". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
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