The actor Corey Pattinson has been in the limelight for some time now thanks to his portrayal of the charming and lovable Willy Woo in the Broadway musical comedy, Wicked. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Wicked is a musical about the Wicked Witch of the West whose iconic red shoes eventually caught the eye of the great John Cameron McConahey, who saw something special in the shoes and decided to make her his one and only wife.
If you’ve seen Wicked, chances are you know of Corey Pattinson and have wondered who exactly he is and what it is about him that puts him in such good stead as an actor.
Well, wonder no more. Here, we’re going to tell you a little bit about Corey and his journey to Broadway and beyond.
Corey’s Early Life
Corey’s parents are Judy and James Pattinson, and he was born and raised in New York City. While he didn’t quite make it to Broadway as an actor, he did land a role in the Broadway musical, Rent, which was premiered in 1996. Rent is the story of a group of tenants struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their families. The show is semi-autobiographical and focuses on the issues that the actor’s parents and other young actors in New York City faced back in the day.
During his time in Rent, Corey met the woman who would become his wife, Laura. The two were married in 1999 and together they have a daughter named Avery. The couple reside in New York City.
The Early Career That Never Was
From a young age, Corey had always been interested in acting and considered it a possible career path. Growing up, he would often accompany his father to acting classes where he would watch taught by some of Broadway’s greatest. It was during one of these classes where he first read for the role of Willy Woo in Wicked. After reading for the role of Willy, Corey went on to secure a number of other roles on Broadway, including Beautiful Joe, Cabaret, and The Addams Family. He also starred in the film version of Beautiful Joe.
While he was quite successful as an actor, Corey’s real passion was directing. He graduated from New York University with a BFA in directing in 2003.
Wicked: The Musical
In 2011, Corey reprised his role as Willy Woo in the Broadway musical version of Wicked. He played the character for two and a half years and received a special award from the Society of American Playwrights. His final performance as Willy received standing ovations from both audiences and critics alike. It was a fitting end to a brilliant career.
The role of Willy Woo in Wicked has certainly raised his profile as an actor, and he has found work in a variety of films and on TV. Most recently he can be seen in the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence as well as the TV series Mr. Robot and Graceland. He also has a role in the film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and will appear in the upcoming Star Wars spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story. It is also worth mentioning that he was an associate producer on the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016.
Whether you’ve seen him in Rent, Wicked, or another one of his many films and TV shows, it’s safe to say that Corey Pattinson is a name you’ll know in the future!