Where Are They Now? Catch Up on the Careers of the Original Cast of HAIRSPRAY

In our new series, 'Where Are They Now?' we're taking a look back at some of our favorite original Broadway casts, and catching up with their careers!

Next up, the original cast of Hairspray!

---

Marissa Jaret Winokur

Marissa Jaret Winokur was the original Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray! Winokur won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Theatre World Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in Hairspray. Winokur went on to co-star in the TV series Stacked, starring Pamela Anderson, compete in season 6 of Dancing with the Stars, host the reality competition series Dance Your Ass Off on the Oxygen Network, and more. In 2010 she joined Julie Chen, Holly Robinson Peete, Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini, and Sara Gilbert for the The Talk. In 2011, Winokur reprised the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Hollywood Bowl production of Hairspray. Winokur went on to join the cast of TV Land's original sitcom Retired at 35. In 2017, Winokur competed with her son Zev on Big Star Little Star, a U.S. version of the British game show Big Star's Little Star. In 2018, Winokur won the first American edition of Celebrity Big Brother. Winokur's TV and film credits also include: American Dad!, King of the Hill, Scream Queens, Girls, and much more!

Harvey Fierstein

Harvey Fierstein starred as the original Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, which earned him a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Fierstein went on to write the book and star in the musical A Catered Affair, which opened on Broadway in 2008. The show received 12 Drama Desk Award nominations and won the Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical. Fierstein wrote the book for the Broadway adaptation of Newsies, which opened in 2012, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Book of a Musical. Fierstein went on to write the book for the stage adaptation of Kinky Boots, which was nominated for thirteen 2013 Tony Awards and won six, including best musical. Fierstein's play Casa Valentina opened on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in 2014. In 2015, Fierstein wrote the teleplay for NBC's TV broadcast of The Wiz Live!. In 2016, Fierstein wrote the teleplay for, and starred in, the 2016 NBC TV broadcast of Hairspray Live!. In 2016, Fierstein was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Dick Latessa

Dick Latessa was the original Wilbur in Hairspray, a role which earned him a Tony and Drama Desk award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Following Hairspray, Latessa went on appear in the 2010 Broadway revival of Promises, Promises, which earned him an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2012, he starred opposite Linda Lavin in the Nicky Silver drama, The Lyons. On screen, Latessa appeared in Alfie, The Great New Wonderful, The Last New Yorker, and A Buddy Story. Sadly, he died in 2016.

Mary Bond Davis

Mary Bond Davis was the original Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray! Following Hairspray, Davis went on to star in the world premiere of The Mistress Cycle in 2005, and has performed at many cabaret venues and concert events!

Linda Hart

Linda Hart starred as the original Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray! Hart went on to star in the regional world premiere of Gemini in 2004 at Prince Music Theater, the original Original Off-Broadway Production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical in 2005, the original Broadway production of Catch Me If You Can in 2011, and the world premiere Off-Broadway production of Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story in 2014. On screen, Hart appeared in The Winner, Bones, and more!

Clarke Thorell

Clarke Thorell was the original Corny Collins in Hairspray! Following Hairspray, Thorell went on to star in the original Off-Broadway production of Lone Star Love in 2004, the regional world premiere of Palm Beach in 2005 at La Jolla Playhouse, the Off-Broadway production of Satellites in 2006, the 2012, Encores! production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 2012 Broadway revival of Annie, the 2015 Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway production of Cloud Nine, the 2016 Broadway revival of The Front Page as Kruger, and the 2018 Broadway revival of My Fair Lady.

Matthew Morrison

Matthew Morrison was the original Link Larkin in Hairspray! In 2005 Morrison starred as Fabrizio Nacarelli in Adam Guettel's The Light in the Piazza on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. In 2007, Morrison earned a Drama Desk Nomination for his role in the Off-Broadway production of 10 Million Miles which ran at the Atlantic Theater Company. In 2008, he played Lieutenant Cable in a Lincoln Center production of South Pacific.

From 2009 to 2015, Morrison starred as Will Schuester on the hit TV show Glee.

In 2011, Morrison released his first studio album, 'Matthew Morrison'. In 2013, he released his second studio album, Where It All Began. Morrison returned to Broadway in 2015 as J. M. Barrie in the Broadway premiere of Finding Neverland. Since 2019, Morrison has been a "dance captain" on BBC One's The Greatest Dancer. In 2020, Morrison starred in a television special of The Grinch.

Kerry Butler

Kerry Butler originated the role of Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. Following Hairspray, Butler went on to star in the Broadway revival production of Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey. In 2005, Butler appeared in the original Off-Broadway musical Miracle Brothers at the Vineyard Theatre. In 2007, Butler starred in the Broadway production of Xanadu as Clio/Kira. For her role, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. In 2011, Butler starred as Brenda Strong in the Broadway production of Catch Me if You Can. She was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2016, Butler appeared on Broadway in Disaster!.

Kerry Butler originated the roles of Ms. Norbury, Mrs. Heron, and Mrs. George in the out-of-town tryout of Mean Girls at The National Theatre, and went on to reprise her roles in the Broadway production. In 2018, Butler starred as Barbara Maitland in the world premiere of the musical Beetlejuice at The National Theatre in Washington, D.C., and went on to reprise the role in the Broadway production of the show from March 2019 until its closing in March 2020.

Butler took part in Broadway's Best Shows musical extravaganza "Show of Titles" in June 2021 alongside Annaleigh Ashford, Stephanie J. Block, Kerry Butler, Len Cariou, Glenn Close, Gavin Creel, Darren Criss, Dame Edna, Santino Fontana, and many more!

In June, Kerry Butler joined BroadwayWorld Stage Door masterclass lineup, teaching from June 15 through July 6.

On screen, Butler has appeared on Lipstick Jungle, 30 Rock, Rescue Me, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Elementary, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and much more!

Corey Reynolds

Corey Reynolds originated the role of Seaweed J. Stubbs in Hairspray! For his performance, Reynolds was nominated for a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award, both for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. From 2005- 2012, Reynolds starred as David Gabriel in TNT's series The Closer. Reynolds has appeared on screen in CSI: Miami, Private Practice, Getting On, Castle, Masters of Sex, All American and much more!

Laura Bell Bundy

Laura Bell Bundy originated the role of Amber Von Tussle in Hairsrpay. Following Hairspray, Bell Bundy was a Glinda standby in Wicked. Laura Bell Bundy starred as Elle Woods in the original Broadway production of Legally Blonde. For her performance she received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. After Legally Blonde, Bundy was signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her first country music single, "Giddy On Up" in 2010. Her country album Achin' and Shakin' was released that same year and debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 28 on the Billboard 200. In 2013, she signed with Big Machine Records and released the single "Two Step". On television Bundy had a recurring role on the sixth season of How I Met Your Mother as Becky, Robin's co-anchor. From 2012 to 2015 she had a recurring role as Shelby on The CW's Hart of Dixie. In 2013, she starred in the Lifetime movie Becoming Santa. In 2018, Bundy starred as the lead in a Los Angeles production of Sweet Charity staged and directed by Kathleen Marshall. In October 2020, Laura Bell Bundy launched the podcast Women of Tomorrow. In May 2021, she released her album Women of Tomorrow!

Jackie Hoffman

Jackie Hoffman originated the roles of Prudy Pingleton, Gym Teacher, Matron, and Denizen of Baltimore. Following Hairspray, Hoffman's onstage credits include: Regrets Only Off-Broadway in 2006, The J.A.P. Show, Jewish American Princesses of Comedy Off-Broadway in 2007, the original Broadway production of Xanadu in 2007, the original Broadway production of The Addams Family in 2010, the Broadway revival of On the Town in 2014, the Transport Group Off-Broadway Revival of Once Upon a Mattress in 2015, the original Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2017, the Off-Broadway Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof in 2018, and more. She is set to star in the 2021 Off-Broadway production of Fairycakes. On screen, Hoffman has appeared in The Sitter, The New Normal, Birdman and more. Hoffman was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for her role as Mamacita in the miniseries Feud in 2017.