Shuler Hensley

Tony Award Recipient
Olivier Award Recipient
Drama Desk Award Recipient
Outer Critics Circle Award Recipient

Shuler Hensley Biography

He is completely unexpected. A 6’3” hulk of a man who attended the University of Georgia on a
baseball scholarship, Shuler Hensley is a gentle giant who possesses a rich baritone voice and a
movingly human approach to acting. Skillfully, Shuler has leveraged his physical and
performance strengths together with an artistry that has made him a favorite of audiences and
critics everywhere.

Shuler Hensley, the youngest of three children, was born in Atlanta and raised in Marietta
Georgia. He is the son of former state senator Sam P. Hensley and well-known ballerina Iris
Antley Hensley, who founded The Georgia Ballet. Shuler was greatly inspired by his mother, who
gave him his start in show business at the age of 4, casting him as Fritz in The Nutcracker.

As a boy, Shuler pursued his passions for both sports and music while attending The
Westminster Schools and singing with Atlanta Boy Choir. After graduating high school, it was
Shuler’s athletic skills that led him to the University of Georgia, however it was his deep passion
for music and performance that eventually prevailed. Shuler transferred to the Manhattan School
of Music to study voice, majoring in opera and landing several lead roles. He was accepted into
Curtis Institute of Music where he continued to excel, eventually obtaining his Master’s Degree.

Shuler’s stage career began in the early 1990s in roles with professional theaters in the United
States and abroad. In 1998, Shuler was cast in what would be a breakthrough role for him…Jud
Fry for Trevor Nunn’s London revival of Oklahoma! The production was a huge success, and
Shuler’s portrayal of Jud earned him the Olivier Award – London theatre’s equivalent of the Tony.
Audiences and critics, alike, were riveted by the uniquely human and powerful portrayal of Jud
Fry crafted by Shuler.

“I have never seen better acting in a musical.....Shuler Hensley takes the audience into a
heart of lonely darkness as Jud Fry.” - Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph

Shuler soon returned to New York and in November of 2000 made his Broadway debut as
Inspector Javert in Les Misérables. Shuler’s performance received critical acclaim and the
Broadway community had their eye on this strapping powerhouse of a performer. In 2002 the
Oklahoma! revival came to Broadway and Shuler seized upon the opportunity to reprise the role
of Jud. Again, he delivered a rare and powerful interpretation, garnering the Tony Award, the
Drama Desk Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance.

Shuler’s outstanding work has continued. He appeared in the country-rock and blues musical The
Great American Trailer Park Musical in 2004-2005, and in May 2006 he opened in the Disney
musical Tarzan in the role of Kerchak. Hensley is currently playing the role of Frankenstein’s
monster in the stage musical of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, which opened on Broadway in
November 2007. His distinctive work as the lovable creature earned him nominations for both the
Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award in 2008.

Shuler continues to live in New York with his wife Paula and their two children Skyler and
Grayson. He maintains connections with his hometown of Marietta and has graciously agreed to
serve as the namesake for the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation’s award
honoring excellence in high school musical theatre. “Shuler” is a German name, meaning
“student,” and Shuler Hensley is the perfect role model for aspiring young performers.

Updated as of 4 August 2011