Larry Owens is an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer. He received a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award for his leading performance in the off-Broadway musical A Strange Loop. He has acted on television shows including Search Party, High Maintenance, Modern Love and Abbott Elementary.
Early life and education Owens was born and raised in East Baltimore, Maryland. He named Hairspray as a musical he saw growing up that helped him see musical theater as a career path. He loved the work of Stephen Sondheim and nurtured his interest at the performing arts camp Stagedoor Manor.
Owens graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 2008. He trained in acting and improvisational theater at Steppenwolf, where Tarell Alvin McCraney, Amy Morton and K. Todd Freeman were some of his instructors.
Career Owens moved to New York in 2015 to pursue a professional career in the performance arts. He was a volunteer at the Musical Theatre Factory and there connected with playwright Michael R. Jackson, who wrote A Strange Loop.
Theatre Owens performed in the musical theater productions Spamilton and Gigantic. He also performed for Catherine Cohen's Cabernet Cabaret and hosted his own monthly show Decolonize Your Mind with Karen Chee.
In 2019, he received critical acclaim for his performance in Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop, performed off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons and directed by Stephen Brackett. Vinson Cunningham write in The New Yorker: "Owens... performs Jackson’s songs with power, humor, and pathos, filling in the textual gaps in Usher’s characterization with an entire life’s worth of mannerism and style." For his performance he won a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, among other accolades.
In July 2021, he starred in the original solo show Sondheimia, performed at Feinstein's/54 Below.
Television Owens was a staff writer for the truTV game show Paid Off. He acted on season four of High Maintenance as well as the television shows Search Party, Abbott Elementary, Dash & Lily, Life & Beth, and Modern Love. He is a voice actor in the Amazon animated series Fairfax.
Personal life Owens is queer.
Filmography
Stage YearTitleRoleLocationNotesRef2012Fat CampDarnellAmerican Theatre of ActorsOff-Broadway2014GreaseRogerThe Muny2014DreamgirlsTiny Joe Dixon / TV Stage Manager / The Five Tuxedos / Film Executive / Security Guard / EnsembleGerding Theater at the Armory2015GiganticDarnellVineyard TheatreOff-Broadway2016–2017SpamiltonSondheim / Little Orphan AnnieTriad TheatreOff-Broadway2017–2018Puerto Rican Traveling TheaterOff-Broadway2019A Strange LoopUsherPlaywrights HorizonsOff-Broadway2021SondheimiaProtagonistFeinstein's/54 BelowSolo show; also writer.
Television YearTitleRoleNotesRef.2020BettyDevereaux1 episode2020High MaintenanceArnold1 episode2020The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in AmericaBelizeTelevision movie2020HelpstersBilly Bug1 episode2020Dash & LilyArtsy Guide1 episode2021Modern LoveToby DooleyEpisode: "How Do You Remember Me?"2021–2022FairfaxJules (voice)Recurring role2021–2022Search PartyIdiot / RitchieRecurring role2022Life & BethClarkRecurring role2022ZiwePastorEpisode: "Critical Race Theory"2022–2025Abbott ElementaryZach7 episodes2022Harley QuinnMusic Meister (voice)Episode: "It's a Swamp Thing"
Film YearTitleRoleNotesRef.2018To DustStanley2018A Chest of DrawersBarnaby CromwellShort film2019Last FerryShane2021Puppet MeHostShort film2023ProblemistaCraigslist2023Dumb MoneyChris2023Urkel Saves Santa: the MovieSanta (voice)TBASilent RetreatEricPost-production
Awards and nominations For A Strange Loop 2019 Nominee, Antonyo Award for Best Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway
2020 Nominee, Drama League, Distinguished Performance Award Winner, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical Winner, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Winner, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical Winner, Obie Award, Special Citation to the Creative Team and Ensemble
References
External links Official Instagram