Cheyenne Jackson Bio
Cheyenne David Jackson (born July 12, 1975) is an American actor and singer known for his work on Broadway, in film, and on television. Born in Spokane, Washington, he began his career in regional theatre in Seattle before moving to New York City, where he earned a Theatre World Award for his Broadway debut in All Shook Up. Jackson has originated leading roles in productions including Xanadu and Finian’s Rainbow, appeared in films such as United 93 and Descendants 3, and starred in television series including 30 Rock, American Horror Story, and Call Me Kat. He is also a concert performer who has sold out Carnegie Hall twice and has released multiple studio albums.
Early Life and Background
Jackson was born in Spokane, Washington, to David and Sherri Jackson. His father, a Vietnam veteran, named him after the 1950s Western television series Cheyenne. He was the third of four children and grew up in Oldtown, Idaho, a small rural town in northern Idaho near the Washington border. His mother taught Jackson, his sister, and his two brothers to sing at home, regularly playing music by Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Elvis Presley. During his childhood, Jackson lived with his family in a rural home that had an outhouse and no running water.
Jackson moved to Spokane as a teenager. In Seattle, he worked as an advertising executive at a magazine while performing in theatre productions on the side, eventually earning his Equity card. He moved to New York City after 2001 to pursue a professional acting career.
Path to Acting
After relocating to New York, Jackson quickly established himself in the theatre world. He made his Broadway debut as an understudy to both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002. He later served as standby for the character of Radames in Aida in 2003. In 2004, he originated the role of Matthew in the workshop production of Altar Boyz for the New York Musical Theatre Festival, later appearing in the Off-Broadway run of the production.
His breakthrough came in 2005 when Jackson originated his first Broadway leading role in the musical All Shook Up, a tribute to Elvis Presley. His performance as Chad earned him the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, along with nominations from the Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor. This marked the beginning of his sustained success on the New York stage.
Cheyenne Jackson Career
Early Career (2005–2010)
Following his acclaimed performance in All Shook Up, Jackson continued building his reputation as a versatile stage performer. In 2006, he starred off-Broadway in The Agony and the Agony with Victoria Clark. In June 2007, less than a week before opening night, he assumed the lead role of Sonny in Xanadu, replacing James Carpinello who had been injured during rehearsal. His performance earned him Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor. Xanadu received several Tony Award nominations, including Best New Musical, and Jackson performed with the cast at the 62nd Tony Awards ceremony.
Jackson also appeared in numerous films during this period. Most notably, he portrayed Mark Bingham in the 2006 film United 93, which earned him and the cast the Boston Society of Film Critics award for Best Ensemble Cast. The film also received an Academy Award nomination. He appeared in several other films including Curiosity (2005), Hysteria (2010), The Green, and the 2012 Sundance Film Festival selection Price Check.
Breakthrough (2010–Present)
The 2010s brought Jackson continued success across multiple platforms. In 2012, he portrayed Greta Gerwig’s boyfriend Roger in the Fox Searchlight Pictures film Lola Versus. That same year, he starred in the HBO biopic Behind the Candelabra portraying one of Liberace’s associates alongside Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. In 2013, he starred in the independent romantic comedy Mutual Friends and appeared in the pilot episode of Sense8 as Blake Huntington.
On television, Jackson had a recurring role on the award-winning series 30 Rock from 2009 through 2013, playing Danny Baker. He also portrayed Dustin Goolsby, the coach of Vocal Adrenaline on Glee. Beginning in 2015, he starred in the FX horror anthology American Horror Story across its fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons, playing various characters including lead roles alongside Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer. Since 2020, he has co-starred as Max in the Fox comedy series Call Me Kat opposite Mayim Bialik.
In 2019, Jackson played Hades, Mal’s father, in the Disney Channel original movie Descendants 3. He later appeared in the Netflix series Julie and the Phantoms with Descendants alumni Kenny Ortega and Booboo Stewart. In 2022, he competed in season seven of The Masked Singer, performing as Prince and finishing in third place.
Notable Works and Milestones
Jackson’s Broadway career continued with starring roles in Finian’s Rainbow (2010), The Performers (2012), and The Secret Garden (2016). In 2022, he temporarily filled in for Gavin Creel in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods at the St. James Theatre, playing the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince opposite Patina Miller and other notable cast members. In 2024, he portrayed Sir Harry in the New York City Center production of Once Upon a Mattress as part of its Encores! series and starred as Georges in the Pasadena Playhouse production of La Cage aux Folles.
Cheyenne Jackson Awards Won
Throughout his career, Jackson has received recognition for both his stage and screen performances. In 2006, he won the Boston Society of Film Critics award for Best Ensemble Cast for his portrayal of Mark Bingham in United 93. His performance in All Shook Up earned him the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, along with nominations from the Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards. He received additional Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for his performance in Xanadu.
| Award | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Society of Film Critics Best Ensemble Cast | 1 | 2006 |
| Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut | 1 | 2005 |
Cheyenne Jackson Family
Jackson has two children with his husband Jason Landau: twins Willow and Ethan, born in October 2016. He was previously married to Monte Lapka, a physicist, from 2011 to 2013. He married Jason Landau in September 2014 in Encino, California.
Personal Life
Jackson is openly gay and has been a prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights. He is a national ambassador and spokesperson for the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to serving the needs of LGBTQ youth. He also serves as an international ambassador for amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research). Jackson has discussed his struggles with alcoholism and in 2023 revealed he had relapsed after 10 years of sobriety.