Bobby Steggert

Bobby Steggert starred as 'Stu' in The York Theatre Company production of the musical Yank!, which opened at the Theatre at Saint Peter's on 24 Feb 2010, following previews from 16 Feb 2010, and closed on 4 Apr 2012.

Birthday is?
March 2

Place of birth
Frederick, Maryland

You now live in?
New York

Did you go to training school, if so which one?
NYU and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.

As an actor, do you have a preference for stage, tv or film?
If I could do only theater for the rest of my career, I'd be perfectly content. There is nothing like the connection between audience and performer in the live theater.

Your first stage performance?
Amahl and the Night Visitors at a local church in Frederick, Maryland.

Career highlight to date?
Playing Audra McDonald's brother in 110 in the Shade

What roles would you most like to play?
Edmund in Long Days Journey Into Night, Finch in How to Succeed..., Billy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Bobby in Company.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
My best friend Erika always convinces me to do impulsive things by saying "You could get hit by a bus tomorrow!" It doesn't always apply, but she reminds me that it's important to take chances.

What is the most annoying part about your job?
Never being able to plan my financial life. Ever.

What will you most remember from your recent performance in 'Ragtime?'
I will remember the power of a true ensemble. We started the performance with everyone on stage, and we ended the same way. It was a reminder of the necessity for everyone's equal commitment. I have never been so proud to be part of a company.

Briefly tell us how you become involved with Yank!?
I was sent the script to Yank! five years ago before its premiere at NYMF, but was busy working on something else. When I saw it at the festival, I knew I had made a mistake by letting that opportunity pass me by. I couldn't believe it when two years later, I was offered the part in a second production at the Gallery Players. I had just come off the very exciting run of 110 in the Shade on Broadway, and I wanted to follow it up with something totally different. That was two-and-a-half years ago, and I feel so lucky to be involved with the off-Broadway premiere of the show.

Briefly tell us about the character 'Stu' which you play in Yank!?
Stu begins as a terrified and insecure recruit among an intimidating group of soldiers about to be shipped off into the Pacific. The story is ultimately about the discovery of manhood he never knew he possessed.

If you had not become a performer, what might you have done instead?
I would have gone to school for psychology and trained to become either a psychiatrist or certified therapist. I find it fascinating to analyze why it is we do the things we do.

Who are your favorite actors/actresses?
On the stage, Denis O'Hare, Bill Irwin, Jan Maxwell, Cynthia Nixon, and Brian d'Arcy James. On film, Ryan Gosling, Daniel Day Lewis, and Cate Blanchett.

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and what would you say to them?
I think it would have been amazing to meet Shakespeare while he was writing. Was he a soft-spoken introvert or a really confident type? We have no idea how he must have been perceived by those around him - and we all know that writers are often very different in life than in their work.

What was the last book you read, and name some of your favorite authors?
Body and Soul by Frank Conroy. Favorite authors include Jonathan Safran Foer, John Steinbeck, and Edith Wharton.

What was the last film you saw?
I loved Avatar, and I usually hate scifi!

Favorite TV programs?
Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, United States of Tara

Favorite holiday destinations?
The islands of the Caribbean!

Do you have any hobbies?
NY Times Crosswords. I am a nerd.

Do you have any superstitions?
I only wear colored socks. Not so much nerdy, but weird. I just don't like white socks.

What are your future plans?
To continue working on challenging, unexpected, different projects as an actor, to keep a balance in my life which includes time off, rest, travel, and good food, and to have a house in the woods somewhere outside of New York City.