Matthew James Thomas

In 2013, Thomas was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for his performance in the title role in Pippin, and, in 2015, he was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for his performance as Fenwick in the Barry Levinson-produced musical, Diner. In 2016 he performed the role of Riff in West Side Story at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, alongside fellow Broadway actors Jeremy Jordan and Karen Olivo. Thomas trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London and later at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts also in London. He grew up largely in Buckinghamshire, England. His first professional acting job came at the age of 8 when he played Kipper in a production of Oliver! in the West End. As a child, he also appeared as Simon in Billy Elliot and in About a Boy, starring Hugh Grant. Additionally, Thomas made frequent appearances on numerous British television shows, including Wonderful You, The Bill, Bad Girls, and Stephen Poliakoff's The Lost Prince, among others. For much of his early career, Thomas worked on the screen and stage in films, television shows, musicals, and plays. Prior to coming to Broadway, Thomas acted in numerous London-based and West End plays. He had a featured role as Clarence in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of Whistle Down the Wind. Other UK roles include: Schlomo in Fame, directed by Karen Bruce, Wayne in an adaption of Ben Elton's Novel – Popcorn, directed by Lee Morgan at the Landor Fringe Theatre, Romeo and Juliet, and Dick Whittington, directed by award-winning director Gillian Lynne.