Kristin Chenoweth Biography

news-detailsA Broken Arrow, Oklahoma-bred, Kristin Chenoweth sang gospel music in local churches as a child and studied opera before then turning her back on musical theatre. Prior to kicking off a professional career in the field, she had begun performing in high school plays and at the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City during her college years. Her early stage works included "Gypsy", "The Sound of Music", "Promises, Promises", and "The King and I". In 1993, she auditioned for Paper Mill Playhouse production of the musical "Animal Crackers" and won the part of Arabella Rittenhouse.

Following the start, Chenoweth continued appearing in regional theatre productions and taking parts in off-Broadway projects. Her Broadway debut as Precious McGuire in the 1997 musical "Steel Pier" won her a Theatre World award. Two years later, she won a Tony Award for her performance as Sally Brown in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", and in 2003, she earned wide recognition for originating the role of Glinda in the musical "Wicked".

On TV, Chenoweth made her acting debut in the made-for-TV movie "Annie" (1999) which was followed by guest stints on such series as, "Frasier", "Baby Bob", also "The Music Man". She rose to stardom for her portrayal of Annabeth Schott in the serial political drama "The West Wing". Besides, she was also known for her roles as Olive Snook on "Pushing Daisies" for which she won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and as April Rhodes in the hit musical "Glee" which won her a Satellite Award for Outstanding Guest Star.

On big screen, the actress who was born as Kristi Dawn Chenoweth on July 24, 1968 was best recognized for playing character roles in "Bewitched" (2005), "The Pink Panther" (2006) and "RV" (2006). She, moreover, had lent her voice to "Tinker Bell", "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure", "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue", as well as "Rio 2".