David Hyde Pierce
Emmy and Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce made his professional and Broadway debut in 1982 as the waiter in Christopher Durang's "Beyond Therapy." He went on to create roles in the off-Broadway productions of Mark O'Donnell's "That's it Folks!," Richard Greenberg's "The Author's Voice" and "The Maderati," Harry Kondoleon's "Zero Positive" and Jules Feiffer's "Elliot Loves" before returning to Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles."
In 2005 he originated the role of Sir Robin in the Broadway production of "Monty Python's Spamalot," written by Eric Idle, with music by Idle and John Du Prez. For his performance, Pierce was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.
In 2007 he won the Tony Award and earned another Drama Desk Award nomination for his role as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in the Musical Comedy, "Curtains," before going on to appear in the Manhattan Theatre Club revival of the 1930's comedy "Accent on Youth,” and most recently, in the acclaimed London and Broadway production of David Hirson's "La Bete" with Mark Rylance and Joanna Lumley, directed by Matthew Warchus.
In addition to his work in new plays, Mr. Pierce also appeared in "Hamlet" and "Much Ado" at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival, "Holiday” and "Camille" at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, "Candida" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, "The Seagull," "Tartuffe," "Cyrano," and "Midsummer's Night's Dream" at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, and Peter Brook's production of "The Cherry Orchard" in New York, Moscow, Leningrad, and Tokyo. In Los Angeles, he appeared in Terrence McNally's "It's Only a Play" at the Doolittle Theatre and in the Geffen Playhouse production of "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" with Uta Hagen.
Mr. Pierce's film credits include BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, CROSSING DELANCEY, LITTLE MAN TATE, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, WOLF, NIXON, ISN’T SHE GREAT, WET, HOT, AMERICAN SUMMER, FULL FRONTAL, DOWN WITH LOVE, A BUG’S LIFE, OSOMSIS JONES, TREASURE PLANET, and the Sundance Film Festival Selection THE PERFECT HOST, which will be released by Magnolia Pictures in 2011.
His television credits include a short but happy stint on Norman Lear's political satire "The Powers That Be," and a long but happy stint on "Frasier," for which he earned four Emmy Awards and the American Comedy, Television Critics, Viewers for Quality Television and Screen Actors Guild Awards. He most recently joined the New York Philharmonic and an array of Broadway stars including Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone, as host of "Sondheim! The Birthday Concert," which premiered as part of PBS' Great Performances series.
He teamed with Victoria Clark and Rob Fisher in "Night and Day, a Cole Porter Evening," for Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Ravinia Festival, and with Michael Feinstein in his Holiday Celebration at Mr. Feinstein's club at the Regency.
Mr. Pierce has been an Alzheimer's Association National Board Member since 1999. As a board member and national spokesperson, he works with the Association in its mission to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. In 2010 he was awarded the Tony Awards' Isabelle Stevenson Award for his work with the Association.