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Derek Klena
Derek Klena.jpg
Klena at the 2022 Tony Awards
Born
Derek Anthony Klena

(1991-10-03) October 3, 1991 (age 33)
Education South Hills High School
Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation Actor, singer
Years active 2009-present
Known for Anastasia
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Spouse(s)
Elycia Scriven
(m. 2018)
Children 1

Derek Anthony Klena (born October 3, 1991) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his work on Broadway, including originating the roles of Nick Healy in Jagged Little Pill (2019–2021), Dmitry in Anastasia (2017–2018), and Michael in The Bridges of Madison County (2014). His breakthrough was in the original Off-Broadway production of Pasek & Paul's stage adaptation of Dogfight, and he played Fiyero in the 10th anniversary company of Wicked on Broadway. Klena most recently portrayed Christian in the Broadway company of Moulin Rouge! replacing Aaron Tveit in the role, reprising his role as Christian and performing in the show as of June 2024. He has made appearances on several television series such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Code, and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

In 2020, Klena was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Nick Healy in Jagged Little Pill.

Life and career

Klena was born in San Dimas, California. He grew up with his two younger siblings in West Covina, California, outside of Los Angeles, where he attended South Hills High School. His brother, Dillon, is also an actor.

He attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he initially studied theater but switched his major to psychology. His freshman year he played baseball before seriously pursuing acting and auditioning. From 2009 to 2011, he took part in regional Southern California theater. He participated in American Idol's ninth season. Around 2010, Klena was invited to audition as a standby for Aaron Tveit in the Broadway musical Catch Me If You Can after show producer Marc Shaiman contacted Klena regarding a cover he did of its song "Goodbye" at a Los Angeles cabaret show. He did not get cast but was subsequently invited to audition for the workshop of Carrie. He took a leave of absence at UCLA in his junior year to take part in the 2012 Off-Broadway revival of Carrie.

He originated the role of Eddie Birdlace in the stage adaptation of Dogfight. In 2013, he played Fiyero in the 10th anniversary company of Wicked on Broadway. Subsequently, he played son Michael Johnson in the original Broadway musical The Bridges of Madison County.

In 2014, he was cast in the pre-Broadway musical adaptation of the 1982 film Diner at the Signature Theatre in Virginia. Adapted by original screenwriter Barry Levinson and with music by Sheryl Crow, the musical originally planned to open on Broadway but did not transfer.

In 2016, he was cast to star as Dmitry in the original production of Anastasia, the stage musical adaptation of the animated film of the same name. Premiering in Hartford, Connecticut, in March 2016, it opened on Broadway in April 2017. After a year with the production, he left to take part in the original Cambridge, Massachusetts, production of Jagged Little Pill, a musical based on the music of Alanis Morissette. The Broadway production opened in December 2019. Klena was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Nick Healy. The show went on hiatus in March 2020 and reopened in October 2021 but closed a few months later due to the Omicron surge in New York City.

In May 2022, he replaced Aaron Tveit as Christian in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway. He left the cast in January 2023 and returned in April that same year for three months. In February 2023, he starred as Joe Gillis opposite Stephanie J. Block as Norma in Sunset Boulevard at the Kennedy Center. On 8 January 2024, it was announced Klena would return to Moulin Rouge! on 6 February replacing Casey Cott.

He resides in New York City. Klena married his longtime girlfriend Elycia Scriven in 2018. In April 2022, Klena and his wife announced that they were expecting their first child. The couple welcomed a son, Dax Arthur Klena, on September 8, 2022.

Stage credits

Selected credits

Year Title Role Venue Notes
2009 Big River Huckleberry Finn Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre
2010 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Joseph Performance Riverside
2011 Hairspray Ensemble Hollywood Bowl
Link Larkin Carpenter Performing Arts Center
2012 Carrie Tommy Ross Lucille Lortel Theatre Off-Broadway
Dogfight Eddie Birdlace Second Stage Theater
2013 Wicked Fiyero Tigelaar Gershwin Theatre Broadway replacement
2014 The Bridges of Madison County Michael Johnson Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre Original Broadway cast
2014–2015 Diner Boogie Signature Theatre
2015 Unknown Soldier Francis Grand Williamstown Theatre Festival
Diner Boogie Delaware Theatre Company
2016 Anastasia Dmitry Hartford Stage Out-of-town tryout
2017-2018 Broadhurst Theatre Original Broadway cast
2018 Jagged Little Pill Nick Healy American Repertory Theater Out-of-town tryout
2019-2021 Broadhurst Theatre Original Broadway cast
2022–2023 Moulin Rouge! Christian Al Hirschfeld Theatre Broadway replacement
2023 Sunset Boulevard Joe Gillis Kennedy Center
2023 Moulin Rouge! Christian Al Hirschfeld Theatre Broadway replacement
2024–present

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013 The Tomorrow People Dylan Episode: "Pilot"
2014 The Carrie Diaries Pvt. Robert Watson Episode: "Date Expectations"
2015 Law & Order: SVU Connor Howell Episode: "Devastating Story"
One Bad Choice Drew Episode: "Stephan Perez"
2016–2018 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Douglas Fingablast / DJ Fingablast 3 episodes
2016 Blue Bloods Cormac Phillips Episode: "Down the Rabbit Hole"
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Brandon Schmidt Episode: "Doping"
Quantico Eric Boyer Episode: "Kubark"
2019 The Code Adam Turnbull / Lt. Adam Turnbull 5 episodes
2022 Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Wes Recurring Character
2022 A Holiday Spectacular John Television Film

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2012 Clive Barnes Award Clive Barnes Award for Theatre Dogfight Nominated
2020 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Jagged Little Pill Nominated
2023 Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Favorite Replacement Moulin Rouge Won
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