| Daniel Patrick Russell | |
| Birth Place: | Umina Beach, Australia |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 2009–present |
Daniel Patrick Russell is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles on stage, including the titular role in Billy Elliot the Musical in the Australian production and on the Broadway tour.
Russell is originally from Umina Beach in New South Wales, Australia.[1] His first role was the titular role in a community theatre production of Oliver! in March, 2007.[2]
Russell began his professional career starring in Billy Elliot the Musical. He submitted a DVD of himself to the casting team and was then invited to audition in person, before eventually landing the role in the Australian production debuting on 25 April 2009. He was then flown to the United States to reprise the role on the Broadway Tour, alongside Faith Prince.[3] His first performance on the tour was 14 November 2010.[4] He received positive reviews for his performance, with The People's Critic stating that "Russell shines like some beacon of light" and BroadwayWorld Reviews stating that he was "beyond amazing with a powerful performance ..."[5] [6] While touring, Russell performed a special showcase for the show which was televised on The Price is Right.[7]
In 2019 it was announced that Russell would play one of the Jets in Steven Spielberg's film remake of West Side Story.[8] The film released in theaters on 10 December 2021, after being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
On 28 October 2021, it was announced that Russell would perform on Broadway in the revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. The production played at the Winter Garden Theatre and was directed by Jerry Zaks.[10] [11] [12] On 6 June 2022 Russell was awarded a special Theatre World Award for his performance alongside fellow cast members also making their Broadway debut with the production.[13] On 12 June, Russell and the cast performed live on the 75th Tony Awards. Russell was featured on the official cast recording for the production which was released on 23 September 2022.[14]
Russell performed on the International Tour of West Side Story directed by Lonny Price.[15] The tour performed worldwide in countries including Ireland, Japan, India and Germany and included a run of 85 performances in Paris seen by 138,385 audience members at the Théâtre du Châtelet from 20 October through 31 December 2023.[16] [17]
In 2024, Russell starred as the lead role of Christopher Boone in the San Diego premiere of the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.[18] More than 6000 people submitted auditions for the production, and Russell landed the leading role by emailing in tapes while working overseas on tour in Europe.[19]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Billy Elliot the Musical | Billy | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 2010–2011 | Broadway Tour | |||
| 2015 | Le Grand Tango[20] | Associate Artist | Sydney Opera House | |
| 2015 | West Side Story[21] | Baby John | Asolo Repertory Theatre | |
| 2016–2018 | Centennial World Tour | |||
| 2023–2024 | Arab | International Tour | ||
| 2021–2023 | The Music Man | Swing | Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway | |
| 2024 | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Christopher Boone | CCAE Theatricals |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | World Keeps Turning | Lead[22] | Music Video | Jetty Road | |
| 2011 | The Price Is Right | Guest Performer | Television | CBS | |
| 2015 | Should've Been Us | Lead | Lyric Video | Tori Kelly Vevo | |
| 2021 | West Side Story | Little Moly | Feature Film | Disney, 20th Century | |
| 2022 | 75th Tony Awards | Performer | Television | CBS |
Russell has autism spectrum disorder.[23]