There are certain stars that are synonymous with the bright lights of Broadway. "Glee" stars Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison landed their prime time roles due in part to their proven singing and acting prowess in the theatre.
And Hugh Jackman has left no doubt about his background with acclaimed performances in hit box office musicals “Les Misérables” and “The Greatest Showman.”
But some of Tinseltown’s biggest stars Broadway past has flown under the radar. We unearthed some of the Hollywood heavyweights who successfully made the jump from stage to screen.
Sarah Jessica Parker made her debut at age 11.
Way before bringing Manolo Blahniks into the mainstream and being forever immortalized as Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City”, Parker was making a name for herself on the Broadway stage. The Ohio native made the move to New York City and landed a role in a revival of William Archibald's “The Innocents” at age 11. But her breakthrough came when she was promoted from understudy to the starring role in the original Broadway production of “Annie.”
John Travolta once appeared on Broadway.
In recent years Travolta became as known for his Adele Dazeem Oscars flub as he did for his iconic dance moves in seventies box office hits “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.” However, few know that before rising to superstar status the Emmy winner graced the Broadway stage in “Over Here!”
Nick Jonas started on Broadway when he was just 7.
Most assume that Jonas’ start in the entertainment industry came through time spent as one-third of the boyband that made him and his brothers famous. But only his most rabid fans would know that the youngest of the Jo-bro trio got his start on Broadway at the age of 7. Jonas appeared in shows like “Annie Get Your Gun”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Les Misérables.”
See the rest of the story at Business Insider