"How can you make such a terrible error?" That was a message Playbill received from an angry reader who asked us why, in the Death Becomes Her Playbill bio for Megan Hilty, we had printed Meryl Streep's acting credits. For one, it was intentional. The Tony-nominated actor sent that bio to us herself, as a way to pay tribute to Streep.
In her bio, Hilty wrote: "MEGAN HILTY (Madeline Ashton) has been lauded as 'the best actress of her generation.' The countless accolades for her career include 9 Golden Globe Awards and 21 Oscar nominations, winning three for Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979), Sophie's Choice (1982) and The Iron lady (2011). President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2017. Film credits: Mamma Mia!. The Devil Wears Prada. Death Becomes Her, Postcards From the Edge, It's Complicated, Doubt, Out of Africa, Julie & Julia and The River Wild. Television credits: "Smash." @ThisIsTotallyMegansRealBio"
Hilty did sneak in one of her real credits in there: Streep did not appear in Smash. The Death Becomes Her lead seemed to have kicked off a trend this season, of big Broadway stars doing away with the traditional bio in favor of something more fun. Playbill wants artists to be able to express themselves in their own words, that is why we let them write their bios themselves and send them to us.
And for certain people who choose a less traditional approach, the subtext is clear: They need no introduction.
For instance, newly minted Tony nominee George Clooney was quite concise in his Good Night, and Good Luck Playbill bio: "George's last time in an Equity theatre was in June of 1986, a play called Vicious at Steppenwolf Theatre. He has never appeared on Broadway so...buckle up." Short, sweet, to the point.
Then, Tony nominee Sadie Sink regaled us with an amusing factoid in her bio for John Proctor is the Villain. After listing off her credits in a traditional manner, Sink wrote this: "Her turn as Grizabella in a 2020 living room production of the musical Cats has been described as 'spellbinding' and 'distressing.' For her family, thank you for the endless support." Footage, or it didn't happen.
TR Knight wrote a poem in his bio for Stranger Things: The First Shadow: "There once was an actor named Knight / Who knew his stage-left from stage-right / He went to do some TV / But now he's happy to be / Back in front of the glowing footlights."
Earlier this year, Betty Gilpin went full stream-of-consciousness for her Oh, Mary! bio: "Betty's life has led to this very second. She is requesting that you have the time of your life because good lord she is having hers. Betty's father made his Broadway debut in THIS very theatre in 1978 as an understudy—he went on one time. Betty is currently in the wings dry-heaving as her father hath done before her. Betty's mom taught her how to be ridiculous. Betty will now cease heaving, straighten her shoulders and be ridiculous for you. She is forever grateful to Cole Escola for letting us see their soul's ass. She hopes her daughters will know and like themselves enough to find their exact corners of the world like Cole has done, whatever that looks like for them. I love you Cosmo. Typing this part through sobs: this is Betty's Broadway debut."
Scroll through the gallery below for more memorable Playbill bios throughout the years. Next time you sit down in a theatre, remember to read through your Playbills to see how the folks who made the show choose to describe themselves. Who do you think should win the Tony Award for Best Playbill Bio?
Death Becomes Her
Maybe Happy Ending
The Skin Of Our Teeth Playbill - Opening Night
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