Robert John Spencer is an American actor and singer, who was nominated for a Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 for his work in the Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 musical Next to Normal.

He graduated cum laude in 1991 from the Shenandoah University

Shenandoah University

Shenandoah University is a comprehensive private university located in Winchester, Virginia in the United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,800 students across more than ninety programs in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah...

 musical theatre program, and received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts in 2009.

His Broadway debut was as a "swing" in the musical Side Show

Side Show

Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show was written by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger . The show starred Alice Ripley as Violet and Emily Skinner as Daisy...

in 1997. He appeared in the musical Weird Romance in April 2004 at the York Theatre

York Theatre

The York Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre at 619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of 54th Street in the East Midtown section of Manhattan, New York City. It is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each season consists of three or...

, New York, and the musical God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater in April 2005 at the York Theatre. He went on to star as "Nick Massi" in the original Broadway cast of the musical Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...

(2005).

He most recently starred in the Broadway musical Next to Normal, for which he received a Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. He was also in the Arena Stage

Arena Stage

Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...

 production (2008) and received a Helen Hayes Award

Helen Hayes Award

A Helen Hayes Award is a theater award named for the famed actress Helen Hayes to recognize excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are managed by Linda Levy Grossman. and presented by the Washington Theatre Awards Society.-Awards:The Helen Hayes...

 nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Non-Resident Production. He departed the production on May 16, 2010 and was succeeded by original Off-Broadway cast member Brian d'Arcy James

Brian d'Arcy James

Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan...

.

He also has formed his own company, "7 Spencer Productions", for which he produces, writes, directs and acts in his own low-budget movies.

As a voice actor, Spencer was the voice of Seita in the anime movie, Grave of the Fireflies

Grave of the Fireflies

is a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata. This is the first film produced by Shinchosha, who hired Studio Ghibli to do the animation production work...

.

For television he has appeared on Law & Order

Law & Order

Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...

, All My Children

All My Children

All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...

, and Girls Behaving Badly

Girls Behaving Badly

Girls Behaving Badly is an American reality comedy television show on the Oxygen cable channel, and is also syndicated to television stations across the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Television....

.

Spencer is married to actress Jenny-Lynn Suckling, and they have two children.

Broadway Credits

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing
• Internet Movie Database listing
• Official site
• J. Robert Spencer: “NEXT TO NORMAL is a perfect piece” - interview in todoMUSICALES.com