Prince William
Famous Astronauts
Nelson Mandela
Kanye West
My Ghost Story
I Survived
Liberace
Leonardo DiCaprio
Annie Oakley
I Survived
1 photo
Quick Facts
Best Known For
Actress Kristin Chenoweth is best known for her Broadway roles in Wicked and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, as well as on TV show The West Wing.
Quiz
Think you know about Biography?
Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.
Play NowKristin Chenoweth. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 09:48, Jun 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919.
Kristin Chenoweth. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919 [Accessed 19 Jun 2013].
"Kristin Chenoweth." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 19 2013, 09:48 http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919.
"Kristin Chenoweth," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919 [accessed Jun 19, 2013].
"Kristin Chenoweth," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919 (accessed Jun 19, 2013).
Kristin Chenoweth [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919.
Kristin Chenoweth, http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919 (last visited Jun 19, 2013).
Kristin Chenoweth. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/kristin-chenoweth-20631919. Accessed Jun 19, 2013.
Synopsis
Kristin Chenoweth is an award-winning actress of stage and screen, whose most notable productions include You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Wicked; and The West Wing.
Quotes
"You've got to find ways to breathe while you're dancing so that when it comes time for you to stop and sing again, you have it."
Early Life
Kristin Dawn Chenoweth was born on July 24, 1968 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and was soon adopted into the Chenoweth family. Chenoweth, who now goes by Kristin, showed an interest in performance at an early age, when she started singing gospel songs at church and acting in school plays. The petite performer wore multiple hats in high school, doing ballet, opera, acting and singing.
After graduating from high school, Chenoweth decided to pursue a career in performance, eventually earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre and a master's degree in opera performance from Oklahoma City University. To help fund her higher education, Chenoweth took her talents into the pageant circuit, winning the title of runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma competition in 1991.
On Stage
In 1993, Chenoweth traveled to New York City to support a friend who was auditioning for an off-Broadway musical called Animal Crackers. Chenoweth decided to give the production a try, as well. She blew the producers away with her audition, earning herself a supporting role. Although she was faced with a competing opportunity to continue her study of opera, Chenoweth took the role in the musical and never looked back.
After her first professional step into the theater world, Chenoweth continued to work off-Broadway. Her dynamic performances and glass-rattling soprano earned her several leading roles onstage. Directors reassured her that her Broadway breakthrough was just around the corner. Chenoweth's moment finally came in 1997, when she landed the role of Precious McGuire in Steel Pier. Playing a dancer with dreams of hitting it big, the soon-to-be star channeled plenty of her own insight and emotion into the role, earning herself a Theater World award for her efforts.
Shortly after her first foray into more mainstream show business, Chenoweth performed at the Lincoln Center in the Gershwin musical Strike Up the Band. In 1999, she solidified her position as a Broadway favorite with her show-stopping performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. With accolades from the likes of The New York Times and a Tony Award under her belt, Chenoweth found herself flung into the spotlight.
On the Small Screen
It was only a matter of time before the camera came calling, and soon Kristin Chenoweth found herself being recruited by television executives from ABC and NBC. Splitting her talents had never been a problem before, and Chenoweth was soon ably juggling careers on stage and on screen. In 2001, she even starred in a semi-biographical NBC sitcom called Kristin. The sitcom was short-lived, but the actress had no trouble finding a new place for her talents. That same year, she released her first solo album, Let Yourself Go.
In 2003, Kristin Chenoweth landed a starring role as Glinda in the Broadway hit Wicked.
profile name: Kristin Chenoweth profile occupation:
Your Connections
Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.
Profile Connections
Included In These Groups
-
Guests on Glee
View groupThe TV musical Glee, which debuted in 2009, follows the adventures of a diverse high school singing group who covers everyone from Michael Jackson to Madonna. The show has become famous for its jubilant song and dance numbers as well as for its guest stars. Gwyneth Paltrow made headlines with her turn as a mini-skirt clad substitute teacher who wowed with Cee-Lo's "Forget You," while Ricky Martin did a chair dance to LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It." Legendary comedienne Carol Burnett also appeared as the Nazi-hunting mother of Sue Sylvester (actress Jane Lynch), leading the two in a duet of "Ohio." Who's been your favorite guest star on Glee?
Guests on Glee 10 people in this group
-
Bewitching Women
View groupIn the past, witches—or those alleged to be witches—were burned at the stake. They are a Halloween staple, portrayed as cackling, cauldron-stirring evil-doers. Far from such eerie depictions are the portrayals of witches in film and on television. Played by glamorous actresses, these witches have no warts on their faces, but rather ordinary lives and good intentions—with some supernatural powers to contend with. Here are some of the witches who have brought witchcraft into today's pop culture, on the big and small screens.
Bewitching Women 28 people in this group
-
Celebrities With Advanced Degrees
View groupWhile many celebrities have met success for their star power, only a select few can truly claim honors for their advanced smarts: Stars like Christy Turlington, Shaquille O'Neal, James Franco, Art Garfunkel and Tyra Banks have attained graduate degrees—a level of success achieved by less than 10 percent of Americans. Explore this group to discover the little-known academic achievements of famous actors, athletes, musicians and more.
Celebrities With Advanced Degrees 22 people in this group
