Andrew Rannells

Andrew Rannells stars as George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play on Broadway at Broadhurst Theatre from November 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027.

Andrew Rannells was born on August 23, 1978 in Omaha, Nebraska. He is perhaps best known for his Tony-nominated performance in The Book of Mormon as well as his recurring role in the hit HBO series Girls.

Rannells attended Our Lady of Lourdes grade school and then Creighton Prep in Omaha before moving to New York City in 1997 to study theater at Marymount Manhattan College. As a child, he also attended classes at Emmy Gifford Children's Theater and performed in local venues such as the Omaha Community Playhouse, the Firehouse Dinner Theatre, and the Dundee Dinner Theatre.

On stage, after amassing a number of regional theatre credits such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Miss Saigon, and Thoroughly Modern Millie, he made his Broadway debut in 2006, assuming the role of Link Larkin in the hit musical Hairspray. He then took over as Bob Gaudio in the national tour of Jersey Boys until December 2008 and would reprise the same role in the Broadway production from January to July 2009. Rannells shot to Broadway fame in February 2011 after originating the leading role of Elder Price in the smash hit musical The Book of Mormon, earning his first Tony Award nomination that same year and winning a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2012. In August 2014, he would return to Broadway to assume the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (a role he had played 12 years earlier in Austin, Texas) for a limited engagement through October. A year later, he would join the cast of another juggernaut musical, taking over the role of King George in [Hamilton](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/hamilton) on Broadway in October 2015, and he earned a second Tony Award nomination for his performance as Whizzer in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos.

Before his big break on Broadway, Mr. Rannells worked extensively as a voice actor in shows such as Street Sharks, Archie's Weird Mysteries, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Shaman King, Sonic X, and Pokémon, among many others. After his breakout performance in The Book of Mormon, he began to receive TV and film parts, including the roles of Bryan Collins in NBC's The New Normal, Elijah Krantz in HBO's Girls, and Manny in the movie Bachelorette in 2012. Since then, other notable screen credits have included How I Met Your Mother, The Intern, The Knick, Why Him? and Will & Grace.

Rannells returned to Broadway from April 30 through August 11, 2018 to take on the role of Larry in the 50th anniversary production of the landmark play The Boys in the Band. In 2023, he reunited with his Mormon co-star Josh Gad in Gutenberg! The Musical!