Kyle Selig facts for kids

Kyle Andrew Selig (born September 28, 1992) is an American actor, dancer, and singer. He is known for originating the role of Aaron Samuels in the 2018 Tony Award-nominated musical, Mean Girls and for playing the role of Mr. Komos in Monster High: The Movie. Selig made his Broadway debut as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, and in 2024, he took over the starring role of Jacob Jankowski in Water for Elephants on Broadway.

Early life and education

Selig was raised in Huntington Beach, California. He is the son of Stuart and Sharon (née Kennedy) Selig and has a half-brother, Riley and half-sister, Harmony.

Selig first became interested in theatre after seeing his older sister performing a local play. As his interest grew, he often attended musical theatre intensives, such as Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21), during his summer breaks.

He graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 2010 and was named prom king at the end of his senior year. At HBHS, he attended the district magnet program, the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts, as a Musical Theater major and played the lead Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain. In June 2010, at the age of 17, Selig won the National High School Musical Theatre Award (also known as the Jimmy Award) along with a $10,000 scholarship. He then attended the Carnegie Mellon University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in musical theatre in 2014.

Career

In August 2013, while still attending Carnegie Mellon University, Selig was cast as the standby for the lead role of Elder Kevin Price in the Broadway production of The Book of Mormon. He remained with the company as its standby for three months, earning credit towards his undergraduate degree via independent study. Months later in December of that same year, Selig joined the second national touring production of The Book of Mormon again as a standby for the role of Elder Price.

Selig left The Book of Mormon tour on July 26, 2014, to begin rehearsals for the national tour of the musical, Pippin, in which he was cast as the musical's titular character. Selig rehearsed with the touring company of Pippin but was placed on vocal rest just one week before the tour was scheduled to open. He was then replaced by Matthew James Thomas, who originated the role of Pippin in the recent Broadway revival. Despite being said to be on a medical leave of absence, Selig never rejoined the touring company; but instead, when Thomas left the production, he was replaced by Kyle Dean Massey. In interviews, Selig has alluded to being fired "from one of his first big jobs," but has never publicly confirmed his being fired from the Pippin tour.

Selig rejoined the Broadway cast of The Book of Mormon in February 2015 as an ensemble replacement and Elder Price standby. His first performance as Elder Price on Broadway took place on April 15, 2015. For seven weeks in early 2016, he led the Broadway company of The Book of Mormon as Elder Price, replacing Gavin Creel, who left the production to star in She Loves Me. On February 21, 2016, Selig left the production and was replaced by Nic Rouleau. He led the company again for two weeks in February 2022.

In the summer of 2016, he appeared as Baby John in West Side Story at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, alongside Jeremy Jordan and Karen Olivo. Selig starred as Homer Hickam in the musical, October Sky, inspired by the film of the same name at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in the fall of 2016. In the spring of 2017, Selig portrayed Dauphin in The Public Theater's world premiere of the off-Broadway rock musical, Joan of Arc: Into the Fire directed by Alex Timbers.

Selig starred as Aaron Samuels in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical, Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey with music and lyrics by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin, respectively. The show had its world premiere as an out-of-town tryout at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., from October 31 to December 3, 2017, in which Selig originated the role. The musical, which is based on the film of the same name, began previews on March 12, 2018, and officially opened on Broadway on April 8, 2018, at the August Wilson Theatre. In December 2019, it was announced that Selig would be taking a leave of absence from Mean Girls, and internet personality and actor, Cameron Dallas, would be filling the role of Aaron Samuels for four-week engagement. The production and Selig's final performance was March 11, 2020. The show closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it was announced on January 7, 2021, that it would not reopen after the pandemic ends.

In March 2019, Selig portrayed Gene, opposite Mean Girls co-star Erika Henningsen, in Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night at Second Stage Theater, as a part of the theater's "Musical Mondays" weekly concert series.

On March 16, 2021, Selig released his first album.

It was announced on August 15, 2024 that Selig would return to Broadway in Water for Elephants, replacing Grant Gustin in the starring role of Jacob Jankowski beginning September 3, 2024. He's set to stay with the show until is closes on December 8.

Philanthropy and social activism

In August 2018, Selig participated in Covenant House's Stage & Screen Sleep Out along with Mean Girls co-stars Ashley Park and Curtis Holland, and together they raised over $14,000 for this organization which provides shelter, food, and crisis care for homeless and runaway youth. Selig also has served as a mentor and held masterclasses for aspiring performers.

Personal life

Selig has been in a relationship with fellow actor Erika Henningsen, since 2018. The two announced their engagement on July 1, 2021, after a trip to Hawaii. Selig married Henningsen on May 22, 2023, in New York City.

Theatre credits

Credits in bold indicate Broadway production(s):

Notes

Filmography

Television

Film

Discography

Cast recordings

• Mean Girls – Original Broadway Cast Recording (2018)

Albums

• Careful Days (2021)

Collaborative projects

• And the Tree Was Happy (2013)
• She Breathes (2016)
• Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 20 (2018)
• Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 21 (2019)

Awards and nominations

Special honors and awards

• 2010 – National High School Musical Theatre Award
• 2018 – Arts Schools Network's Outstanding Arts School Alumni Award