Biography

Susan Egan

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Overview

Born
February 18, 1970 · Long Beach, California, USA
Birth name
Susan Farrell Egan
Nicknames
- Su-Su
- Susie
- The Belle of Broadway
- Sus
Height
5′ 4″ (1.63 m)

Biography

Susan Egan was born on February 18, 1970 in Long Beach, California as Susan Farrell Egan. She's an American actress, singer and dancer, known for her work on the Broadway stage. She is best known for originating the role of Belle in the Broadway musical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (1994), for which she was nominated for the Tony Awards, as well as for providing the voices of Megara "Meg" in Hercules (1997), Madame Gina in Porco Rosso (1992), Rose Quartz in Steven Universe (2013), Angel singing voice in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001) and Lin in Spirited Away (2001).

Having long desired to become a performer, Egan spent most of her time taking dancing, concentrating on ballet, and singing lessons as a child, and trained as a competitive figure skater from ages five to ten.

While attending Los Alamitos High School, the Orange County High School of the Arts, and UCLA, she started her career touring with the performance group the Young Americans. While attending UCLA, Egan took time off when Tommy Tune cast her as Kim in his touring production of Bye Bye Birdie. After the tour ended, she was cast in the tour of State Fair and won the coveted role of Belle in the original Broadway cast of Beauty and the Beast (1991), for which she was nominated for the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

On Broadway, Egan portrayed Belle for one year and reprised the role in the Los Angeles production in 1995, along with many of the original Broadway cast members. At the Sacramento Music Circus, she portrayed Maria in The Sound of Music in 1996 and Molly Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown in 2002. Egan joined Thoroughly Modern Millie in February 2004 as Millie.

Egan has performed in one-woman, cabaret-style concerts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in 2000 and at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in October 2001. In August 2001, Egan appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in the concert version of Show Boat as Julie. She sings with symphonies, as well; she performed in concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles in November 2004.

From 2002 to 2003, she was the interim artistic director of the Orange County High School of the Arts.

On June 6, 2016, Egan appeared alongside Brad Kane at the Hollywood Bowl as opening acts for Disney's "The Little Mermaid Live" show. Egan performed a medley of songs from Beauty and the Beast. The June 6 performance also included the original Little Mermaid voice actress Jodi Benson performing with the rest of the "Live" cast. From July 20-29, 2018, Egan reprised the role of Belle in the 5-Star Theatre's production of Beauty and the Beast at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

On television, Egan is known for her co-starring role as Nikki Cox's best friend in Nikki (2000) and as Heather Bartlett in the cult classic Disney Channel's movie Gotta Kick It Up! (2002).

Her hit song "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)", from Hercules (1997), was certified Platinum in United States and Silver in United Kingdom. The Disney classic has been streamed over 190 million times on Spotify.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jasmine

Family

Spouse
Children

Self-verified on IMDbPro

Gender / Gender identity
Female

Trivia

Attended Los Alamitos High School.
Graduated from Orange County High School of the Arts.
Attended UCLA.
American actress.
She admitted that prior to her audition to portray Belle for the Broadway musical version of Beauty and the Beast (1991), she didn't at the time watched the movie it was based on.

Quotes

[on Alan Menken] I credit him with resurrecting the movie musical. Everybody sort of thinks it happened a couple years ago with Chicago (2002) but no, no, no. I think it happened quite a few years ago with a little movie called The Little Mermaid (1989).
If I had to choose between any of the Broadway composers and lyricists to whom I am the most grateful, hands down, my answer would have to be Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. I have done more Rodgers and Hammerstein shows than any all of the other composers combined. They helped me pay my rent for the first ten years of my career.
I was cast as Meg when I was still playing Belle on Broadway in the production of Beauty and the Beast and those characters are so opposite, Belle is so kindhearted, generous, saves her father's life. Meg is jaded and sarcastic.
[on how her friends reacted to hearing her as the voice of Megara in the movie Hercules] When the movie came out, my friends who saw the movie said, 'It's the first time you played a character where we recognized you in the role,' Belle was when I was acting, Meg is right where I live.
[on how her character Megara always had something good to say] She was great. What I loved about Meg was that she always had the perfect comeback and the perfect moment in real life, I wish I could think of those things in the moment, but Meg always had the perfect line.