Darius de Haas
A versatile and crystalline-voiced stage actor whose performances in groundbreaking musicals have defined a generation of theatrical sound.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American actor·Birthday: September 29·Generation X
Biography
Darius de Haas commands the stage with a voice of remarkable purity and emotional range, a instrument that has become essential to the landscape of contemporary American musical theater. Emerging from a musical family, he built a career not on blockbuster leads, but on singular, unforgettable character work and a reputation as a singer's singer. He originated roles in ambitious, genre-defying works like William Finn's 'A New Brain' and Jason Robert Brown's 'The Last Five Years,' bringing a unique vulnerability and technical precision to their complex scores. His performance as the ethereal, doomed lover in 'Running Man' earned him an Obie Award, highlighting his ability to fuse acting and song into a seamless whole. Beyond the stage, his concert work and recordings have made him a revered figure among musical theater aficionados, an artist who treats every song as a layered dramatic scene.
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.
Darius was born in 1968, 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 Darius Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Darius's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
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
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
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
1989Turned 21
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
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an Obie Award for his performance in the jazz opera 'Running Man' by Diedre Murray and Cornelius Eady.
- Originated the role of Mr. Marks in the cult favorite musical 'A New Brain' by William Finn.
- Recorded the role of Jesse L. Brown on the cast album of 'Violet,' contributing to its Grammy Award win.
- Portrayed the Adult Simba in the original Broadway cast of 'The Lion King.'
Did You Know?
He is the son of actor and singer Thomas de Haas and dancer and actress Ebony Jo-Ann.
He performed the vocals for the character of Bleeding Gums Murphy on the animated TV show 'The Simpsons.'
He is a frequent collaborator with composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown.
“The work chooses you, and you must be ready to serve it with your entire instrument.”
