Christian Borle
A Broadway character actor whose comic genius and chameleonic versatility have made him a stealth weapon in hit musicals.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American actor·Birthday: October 1·Generation X
Biography
Christian Borle operates in the delightful space where scene-stealing support becomes star-making turns. A Pittsburgh native who cut his teeth in regional theater, he arrived on Broadway as part of the ensemble in 'Footloose', but it was his breakout as the flamboyant, scene-chewing Prince Herbert in 'Monty Python's Spamalot' that announced a unique comic talent. Borle possesses a rubber-faced expressiveness and a deep understanding of musical theater mechanics, which he deploys with both precision and abandon. He won his first Tony Award playing the villainous, mustache-twirling Black Stache in 'Peter and the Starcatcher', a performance built on pure physical invention. His second Tony came for embodying a frazzled, egotistical William Shakespeare in 'Something Rotten!'. Despite these outrageous character parts, he also brings grounded heart to roles like Emmett in 'Legally Blonde' and Marvin in 'Falsettos'. Offstage, Borle is known for his self-effacing demeanor, a stark contrast to the larger-than-life figures he often plays, cementing his reputation as an actor’s actor who consistently elevates every production he joins.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Christian was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Christian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Play for 'Peter and the Starcatcher' and Best Featured Actor in a Musical for 'Something Rotten!'.
- Originated the Broadway roles of Prince Herbert in 'Spamalot', Emmett in 'Legally Blonde', and Black Stache in 'Peter and the Starcatcher'.
- Received a Tony nomination for his leading role as Joe/Josephine in the 2022 musical 'Some Like It Hot'.
- Starred as Marvin in the acclaimed 2016 Broadway revival of 'Falsettos', earning another Tony nomination.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, where he was a classmate of Sutton Foster and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
He played the recurring role of lawyer Walter DeCrane on the NBC television series 'Smash'.
Borle is an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and often incorporates a 'Terrible Towel' wave into his Broadway curtain calls.
He provided the singing voice for the character of Max in the 2011 animated film 'The Smurfs'.
“I'm just here to make the pretty people look prettier.”
