Phillipa Soo

Phillipa Anne Soo Bio

Phillipa Anne Soo is an American actress and singer who has established herself as one of Broadway’s most celebrated performers. Born on May 31, 1990, in Libertyville, Illinois, Soo gained international recognition for originating the role of Eliza Hamilton in the groundbreaking musical Hamilton. Her powerful performances across stage, film, and television have earned her two Grammy Awards and nominations for both Tony and Primetime Emmy Awards, solidifying her status as a versatile and influential figure in contemporary entertainment.

Soo’s career spans acclaimed theatrical productions, animated films, and television series. She has graced Broadway stages in productions including Amélie, The Parisian Woman, Into the Woods, and Camelot. Beyond the stage, she has appeared in films such as Over the Moon and The Broken Hearts Gallery, while her television work includes roles in The Code, Dopesick, and Doctor Odyssey. Her contributions to the arts have made her a prominent voice in the entertainment industry.

Early Life and Background

Phillipa Anne Soo was born and raised in Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Her father is Chinese American, with paternal grandparents who emigrated from China to the United States, and he became a doctor. Her mother, who hails from Southern Illinois, has been involved in the arts. This diverse cultural background and artistic exposure in her home environment helped shape Soo’s creative sensibilities from an early age.

Soo attended Libertyville High School from 2004 to 2008, where she began developing her theatrical talents. Her formal training continued at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, where she graduated from the acting program in 2012. This rigorous classical training provided her with the foundation necessary for a professional career in performance arts and prepared her for the demands of Broadway and beyond.

Path to Actress

Immediately upon graduating from Juilliard in 2012, Soo was cast as Natasha Rostova in the Off-Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at Ars Nova. The show, based on Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace with music and lyrics by Dave Malloy, transferred to a custom-built venue called Kazino. Soo’s performance in this immersive theatrical experience caught the attention of industry professionals and helped establish her as a rising talent in New York’s theater scene.

In 2013, Soo made her television debut with a recurring role as Lexi in the NBC series Smash, appearing in five episodes of the show’s second season. This early screen work complemented her stage career and provided her with valuable on-camera experience. Her breakthrough arrived when director Thomas Kail and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, impressed by her work in Great Comet, invited her to participate in an early reading of Hamilton in 2014. This opportunity would ultimately launch her into international stardom.

Phillipa Anne Soo Career

Early Career (2012-2014)

Soo’s professional journey began with Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, where her portrayal of Natasha Rostova earned critical acclaim and introduced her to New York theater audiences. The production’s innovative staging and immersive atmosphere provided an ideal showcase for Soo’s talents as both a singer and actress. Her work in this production demonstrated her ability to inhabit complex characters within challenging musical theater formats.

During this period, Soo also ventured into television with her role in Smash and appeared in the 2014 television pilot Dangerous Liaisons as Nia. Although Dangerous Liaisons was not picked up for series, these early screen roles helped diversify her portfolio and build her professional network. Her stage success with Great Comet, combined with these television appearances, positioned her as a versatile performer ready for her next major opportunity.

Breakthrough (2015-2019)

Soo’s career-defining moment came with Hamilton, which premiered Off-Broadway at The Public Theater before transferring to Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre. She originated the role of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, a central figure in the story of Alexander Hamilton. Her performance captivated audiences and critics alike, earning her a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical at the 70th Tony Awards in 2016. Soo played her final performance as Eliza on July 9, 2016.

The Hamilton experience expanded further when the production was filmed and released on Disney+ in 2020. Soo received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards for her work in this recorded version. Her portrayal of Eliza Hamilton, particularly the emotional final number, has been praised as one of the most memorable performances in modern musical theater history.

Following Hamilton, Soo took on the title role in Amélie, which played at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles before moving to Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre in 2017. Later that year, she appeared as Rebecca in The Parisian Woman at the Hudson Theatre. In 2018, Soo was cast in the CBS military drama series The Code, which aired for one season. These projects demonstrated her range across different media and genres.

Notable Works and Milestones

Soo’s theater career continued to flourish with major roles in prestigious Broadway revivals. In 2022, she portrayed Cinderella in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods at the St. James Theatre, receiving critical praise for her performance. That same year, she also played suffragist Inez Milholland in Shaina Taub’s musical Suffs Off-Broadway at The Public Theater. In 2023, she starred as Guenevere in the Broadway revival of Camelot at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre, earning a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance.

Her film work includes the animated feature Over the Moon, the romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery, and the romantic dramedy One True Loves, on which she also served as an executive producer. On television, Soo has appeared in the Hulu miniseries Dopesick, the Apple TV+ series Shining Girls, and the ABC medical drama Doctor Odyssey beginning in 2024. These diverse roles showcase her ability to excel across multiple entertainment platforms.

Phillipa Anne Soo Award Nominations

Throughout her distinguished career, Phillipa Anne Soo has received numerous prestigious nominations recognizing her exceptional talent and contributions to the entertainment industry. Her portrayal of Eliza Hamilton earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2016. The following year, she received a Grammy Award nomination as part of the Hamilton cast album, which won Best Musical Theater Album.

In 2021, Soo received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance in the Disney+ recording of Hamilton. Her work in Camelot in 2023 earned her a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance. These nominations from across theater, music, and television highlight the breadth and depth of her abilities as a performer.

Phillipa Anne Soo Awards Won

Phillipa Anne Soo has been honored with two Grammy Awards for Best Musical Theater Album, both recognizing her contributions to acclaimed Broadway cast recordings. Her first Grammy came in 2017 as part of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, which became a cultural phenomenon. Her second Grammy Award was awarded in 2023 for her work as Cinderella in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods, further cementing her reputation as a leading figure in musical theater.

Phillipa Anne Soo Family

Phillipa Anne Soo is married to actor Steven Pasquale. The couple became engaged in February 2016 and married on September 24, 2017. Pasquale is also a stage and screen actor, and the two have worked together professionally, including an episode of The Code in 2019. Their shared background in theater has created a strong personal and professional partnership between the two performers.

Personal Life

Beyond her professional achievements, Soo is known for her philanthropic efforts inspired by her role as Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. She founded The Eliza Project in partnership with Graham Windham, the first private orphanage in New York City, which is referenced in Hamilton. The initiative provides students with access to arts education through workshops in acting, dancing, and rap, reflecting her commitment to using the arts as a means of expression and empowerment.

Soo has also ventured into publishing, co-writing a children’s book titled Piper Chen Sings with her sister-in-law Maris Pasquale Doran. Published by Random House Studio in 2024, the book became a New York Times bestseller. She practices Transcendental Meditation with her husband and adopted a dog named Billie for her 30th birthday in 2020. Soo has also narrated several audiobooks, including works by author Lily Chu.