Phillipa Soo
Phillipa Anne Soo[lower-alpha 1] (born May 31, 1990) is an American actress. Soo is best known for originating the role of Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton, a performance which earned her a nomination for a 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in the same year.[2][3][4] She also originated the role of Natasha Rostova in the off-Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 in 2012 and the title role in the Broadway production of Amélie in 2017.
Phillipa Soo | |
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![]() Soo at the White House in 2016 | |
Born | Phillipa Anne Soo May 31, 1990[1] Libertyville, Illinois, U.S. |
Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2012–present |
Spouse(s) |
Soo appeared on Broadway in The Parisian Woman, which ran from November 2017 to March 2018. She appeared in the film Over the Moon playing the voice of Chang'e.[5] In 2021, she received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton which was released in 2020.
Early life and education
Soo was born in Libertyville, Illinois. She is of half-Chinese descent; her paternal grandparents emigrated from China to the United States. Her father is a doctor and her mother, who is from Southern Illinois, is involved in the arts.[6]
Phillipa attended Libertyville High School in suburban Chicago from 2004 to 2008.[7] Soo graduated from The Juilliard School's acting program in 2012.[8]
Acting career
Theater
After graduating from Juilliard in 2012, Soo was cast as Natasha Rostova in the Ars Nova production of Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, based on Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. The show went on to transfer from Ars Nova to another Off-Broadway space, Kazino, a tent custom-built for the show.

After seeing her performance in Great Comet, director Thomas Kail and composer and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda asked her to take part in an early 2014 reading of the musical Hamilton, where she read as the leading female role, "Eliza" (Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton). Soo remained with the show through its Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. She received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, along with Laura Benanti, Carmen Cusack, Jessie Mueller, and winner Cynthia Erivo.[9] Soo played her final performance in Hamilton on July 9, 2016, and the role of Eliza was taken over by Lexi Lawson.[10]
Soo appeared in the title role in the pre-Broadway engagement of Amélie at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from December 2016 to January 2017. Amélie then began preview performances on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on March 9, 2017, opening officially on April 3.[11][12] The show closed on May 21, 2017.[13]
Soo also appeared on Broadway as Rebecca in The Parisian Woman, an original play by Beau Willimon. The production began preview performances at the Hudson Theatre on November 7, 2017, and opened on November 30 for a limited run through March 11, 2018.[14]
Film and television
In 2013 she was cast in a small recurring role in the NBC television series Smash as the character Lexi. She appeared in five episodes in the second season before the show's cancellation.[15] She had a small supporting role as Nia in the 2014 television pilot Dangerous Liaisons, but it did not get picked up to series.[16]
In 2018 it was announced that Soo had been cast in the CBS series The Code.[17] The show aired for one season before its cancellation in July 2019.[18] In 2021, she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie nomination for her performance in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton which was released in 2020.
Philanthropy
Inspired by Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the character she played in Hamilton, Soo started the Eliza Project initiative in partnership with Graham Windham, the first private orphanage in New York City that is mentioned in the last song at the end of the show. Through the program, Soo plans to provide students at the Graham School with acting, dancing, and rap workshops. According to Soo, the core mission of "The Eliza Project" is "to use the arts as a means of expression, as an outlet for personal experience, and to uplift the creative spirit."[19]
Personal life
Soo became engaged to actor Steven Pasquale in February 2016.[20] They married on September 24, 2017.[21] In 2019, the two starred opposite each other in an episode of The Code.[22] She has a dog named Billie, which she adopted for her 30th birthday in 2020.[23]
Acting credits
![]() |
Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Keep The Change | Karen | Short film |
2016 | Moana | Additional voices | |
2018 | Here and Now | Oona | |
2020 | Hamilton | Eliza Hamilton | Filmed recording of 2016 Broadway musical |
The One and Only Ivan | Thelma (voice) | ||
The Broken Hearts Gallery | Nadine | ||
Over the Moon | Chang'e (voice) | ||
2021 | Tick, Tick... Boom! | "Sunday" Legend | Cameo appearance |
2022 | One True Loves ![]() |
Emma Blair | Post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Smash | Lexi | 5 episodes |
2014 | Dangerous Liaisons | Nia | Television film |
2019 | The Code | Lieutenant Harper Li | 13 episodes |
2021 | The Bite | Cydni Estereo | 6 episodes |
2021 | Dopesick | Amber Collins | 7 episodes |
2022 | Shining Girls ![]() |
Jin-Sook | 8 episodes |
Theatre
Year(s) | Production | Role | Location | Category |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Natasha Rostova | Ars Nova | Off-off-Broadway |
2013–14 | Kazino Meatpacking District | Off-Broadway | ||
2015 | Hamilton | Eliza Hamilton | The Public Theater | Off-Broadway |
2015–16 | Richard Rodgers Theatre | Broadway | ||
2016–17 | Amélie | Amélie Poulain | Ahmanson Theatre | Regional, Pre-Broadway |
2017 | Walter Kerr Theatre | Broadway | ||
2017–18 | The Parisian Woman | Rebecca | Hudson Theatre | Broadway |
2020 | Tumacho | Catalina Vucovich-Villalobos | Connelly Theater | Off-Broadway |
2022 | Suffs | Inez Milholland | The Public Theater | Off-Broadway |
Accolades
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 | Nominated | |
2014 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical | Nominated | ||
2015 | Hamilton | Won | |||
Clarence Derwent Awards | Most Promising Female Performer | Won | |||
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Nominated | ||
Grammy Awards | Best Musical Theater Album | Won | |||
Broadway.com Audience Awards | Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female) | Won | |||
Favorite Onstage Pair (with Lin-Manuel Miranda) | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical | Won | ||||
2017 | Amélie | Nominated | |||
2018 | Favorite Featured Actress in a Play | The Parisian Woman | Won | ||
2020 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Voice Actress in an Animated Movie | Over the Moon | Nominated | [24] |
2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Hamilton | Nominated | |
Notes
- Pronounced /ˈfɪlɪpə suː/.
References
- "Asian Actors Onstage: Lea Salonga, Phillipa Soo Sound Off on Broadway, Eliza Schuyler Representation, Cultural Perceptions". November 24, 2015.
- Windman, Matt (August 6, 2015). "Phillipa Soo on starring in Broadway's sold-out smash 'Hamilton'". amNewYork. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- Nordstrom, Leigh (August 5, 2015). "Phillipa Soo Soars in Broadway Hit 'Hamilton'". WWD. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- Schulman, Michael (August 6, 2015). "The Women of "Hamilton"". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- Michael, Ordona (January 26, 2021). "Guiding light to new myth; Late screenwriter Audrey Wells helped 'Over the Moon,' a Chinese legend-inspired film voiced by Asian Americans, find its way". Los Angeles Times.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Asian Actors Onstage: Lea Salonga, Phillipa Soo Sound Off on Broadway, Eliza Schuyler Representation, Cultural Perceptions". November 24, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
In terms of my own experience, my dad is first-generation, so his parents were from China, and my mom was born and raised in southern Illinois, and she was involved in the arts. My dad’s a doctor. I was very much always encouraged, but the mentality of “get your education” was still there.
- "ePawPrints | District 128". d128.org. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
- Robbins, Caryn. "BWW Interview - Debut of the Month: HAMILTON's Phillipa Soo". Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- "See Full List of 2016 Tony Award Nominations | Playbill". Playbill. May 3, 2016.
- Dziemianowicz, Joe (July 6, 2016). "'Hamilton' names replacements for Leslie Odom Jr. & Phillipa Soo". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- Viagas, Robert (October 17, 2016). "Full Cast Announced for Broadway-Aimed Amélie Musical | Playbill". Playbill.
- "New Musical Amélie Opens on Broadway April 3 | Playbill". Playbill. April 3, 2017.
- "Instagram post by Amélie on Broadway • May 4, 2017 at 11:02pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021.
- "Hamilton's Phillipa Soo and Marton Csokas Join The Parisian Woman on Broadway | Playbill". Playbill. September 5, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- "Phillipa Soo". IMDb. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- Goldberg, Lesley (February 20, 2018). "'Hamilton' Tony Nominee Boards CBS Drama Pilot". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Otterson, Joe (February 21, 2018). "'Hamilton' Star Phillipa Soo Joins CBS Drama Pilot 'The Code'". Variety. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- Petski, Nellie Andreeva,Denise; Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (July 23, 2019). "'The Code' Canceled By CBS After One Season". Deadline. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- Brody, Leslie (December 30, 2015). "'Hamilton' Cast Helps Children in Need". Wall Street Journal.
- Khan, Jessica (February 16, 2016). "Broadway's Steven Pasquale and Phillipa Soo Are Engaged!". Broadway World. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- "Tony Nominee Phillipa Soo and Stage and Screen Star Steven Pasquale Marry | Playbill". Playbill. September 25, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- Legit Bad Day, retrieved July 29, 2019
- Shattuck, Kathryn (October 27, 2020). "Phillipa Soo's Week: Fund-Raising Videos and 'Agents of Chaos'". The New York Times.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Hammond, Pete (November 19, 2020). "'Palm Springs', 'Lovecraft Country' Top Movie And Series Nominations For Inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards; Netflix Lands 35 Nods". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 12, 2020.