Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is an American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother. He reprised that role in a stage version of the musical with Deborah Gibson and then Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Cinderella and Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother.The Shoe Fits: R&H's Cinderella Begins Tour Nov. 28 in FL Playbill, November 28, 2000Tour of R&H's Cinderella, With Sigler, Kitt and Quinton, Lands in NYC May 3-13 Playbill, May 3, 2001
Personal life Montalban was born in Manila, Philippines, to Paul and Vivian Montalban. His family immigrated to the United States when he was a year old and lived in a studio apartment in Manhattan's West Side across the street from The Juilliard School and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He is an alumnus of St. Peter's Preparatory School and holds a degree in pre-med psychology from Rutgers University.
On December 6th, 2025, Paolo announced his engagement to Yoanna Nikolova on Instagram.
Career In 1997, Montalban starred in Cinderella as Prince Christopher alongside Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, and Brandy. He also played Kung Lao (ancestor of Kung Lao) in the syndicated series Mortal Kombat: Conquest along with Daniel Bernhardt and Kristanna Loken.
Montalban was also cast in John Dahl's The Great Raid as Sgt. Valera, and played Raul in the independent film American Adobo. He also appeared in Just Wright starring Queen Latifah, The Adjustment Bureau, and the short film Two Weeks.
Montalban was named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1998.
He has appeared on Broadway in Pacific Overtures, The King and I and Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Emilia Clarke. Off-Broadway, he was in Two Gentlemen of Verona at Shakespeare in the Park, The Romance of Magno Rubio at Ma Yi Theater Company, among others. He also guest starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 8, episode 20: "Annihilated") and One Life to Live.
Montalban has appeared in productions of The King and I on Broadway and around the country, where he has played both Lun Tha, the young lover, and the title role of the King.'Shall We Schmooze?' Paolo Montalban on Playing The King in ‘The King and I’ at Olney Theatre Center by Joel Markowitz DC Metro Theatre Arts In 2022, Montalban starred as Captain Von Trapp in the Dallas Theater Center production of The Sound of Music at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre.VIDEO: First Look at Paolo Montalban, Tiffany Solano & More in THE SOUND OF MUSIC Broadway World, April 6, 2022 On March 28, 2023, he succeeded Peter Francis James as Florenz Ziegfeld in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl and remained with the show until it closed on September 3 of that year.Paolo Montalban and Anne L. Nathan Will Join Cast of FUNNY GIRL on Broadway Broadway World, March 21, 2023'Goodbye, Gorgeous!' Funny Girl, Starring Lea Michele and Tovah Feldshuh, Plays Final Broadway Performance September 3 Playbill, September 3, 2023
He reunited with Brandy in the Disney+ movie Descendants: The Rise of Red, part of the Descendants franchise, which premiered July 12, 2024. He reprised the role in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland. in 2026.
On January 17, 2024, he originated the role of Kurt Huber in the world premiere of the off-Broadway musical White Rose.. In 2026, he makes his London debut as Soichiro Yagami in Death Note: The Musical at London's Barbican Theatre. https://playbill.com/article/telly-leung-paolo-montalban-more-will-join-colin-ryan-and-xander-pang-in-londons-death-note-the-musical
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes2001American AdoboRaul2005The Great RaidSgt. Valera2010Just WrightSommelier2012Two WeeksDadShort film 2020 The Girl Who Left Home Tony 2023 Asian Persuasion Lee-Kwan Lee 2024Descendants: The Rise of RedKing Charming 2026Descendants: Wicked Wonderland
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1997CinderellaPrince ChristopherTelevision film1998–1999Mortal Kombat: ConquestKung Lao 22 episodes2007Law & Order: Special Victims UnitWahidEpisode: "Annihilated" 2010 One Life to Live Tahiti Cop #1 1 episode2013City of DreamsPaolo MontalbanEpisode: "The Ballad of Ofagina"2015Madam SecretaryMilitary Tech2 episodesNurse JackieSecond InvestigatorEpisode: "Jackie and the Wolf"The BlacklistForensic AgentEpisode: "Arioch Cain" Theatre
+YearTitleRoleVenueNotes1998The King and ILun ThaNeil Simon TheatreRevival Broadway Cast2004Pacific OverturesManjiroStudio 54Revival Broadway Cast2005Two Gentlemen of VeronaEglamourDelacorte TheaterOff-Broadway2013Breakfast at Tiffany'su/s Jose, u/s YunioshiCort TheatreOriginal Broadway Cast2017Bella: An American Tall TaleTommie Haw/SkeeterPlaywrights HorizonsOff-Broadway World Premiere Nominated - Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical2020The Unsinkable Molly BrownArthurAbrons Arts Center (Transport Group)Original Off-Broadway Cast2023Funny GirlFlorenz ZiegfeldAugust Wilson TheatreBroadway Replacement2024White Rose: The MusicalProfessor Kurt HuberTheatre RowOriginal Off-Broadway Cast2026Death Note: The MusicalSoichiro YagamiBarbican TheatreOriginal London Cast
Discography All credits adapted from Apple Music and Spotify.
As featured artist
Singles Year Title Album Writer(s) Producer(s)2025"Capricorn (Gravity)"Retrograde The Musical (Studio Cast Recording)Nick Laughlin, Richard C. Walter, Drew Louis, Jesse Saint JohnDrew Louis"Sale"FusongCecilia Lin, Christine Toy Johnson2024"So This Is Love"Descendants: The Rise of Red (Original Soundtrack)Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, Mack DavidTheRon "Neff-U" Feemster2022"I Ain't Down Yet"The Unsinkable Molly Brown (The New Off-Broadway Cast Recording)Meredith WillsonMichael Croiter, Michael Rafter, Dick Scanlan"Just Becuz""I've A'ready Started In""Belly up to the Bar, Boys""He's My Friend"2005"My Lord Governer of Uraga, You Have Saved My Life"Pacific Overtures (The New Broadway Cast Recording)Stephen Sondheim
External links
See also Filipinos in the New York metropolitan area
References