As 'Wicked' Celebrates 20 Years on Broadway, Who Has Played Fiyero – the Show's Resident Hunk?

There has been much written about the romance between actress Ariande Grande and Ethan Slater, the actor playing Fiyero in the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway hit. Recently the 31-year-old actor began previews for the first revival of "Spamalot" and Grande was on hand to show her support. Slater was able to take the role due to the SAG-AFTRA strike that has suspended filmmaking in London. In the film version, conceived in two parts, Grande plays Glinda and Cynthia Erivo plays her frenemy Elphaba. Fiyero is the heartthrob who becomes involved with both sisters. But there is some question as to just where "Wicked" will be filmed, according to the Daily Mail, which reported that the British sets were torn down after the strike dragged on for too long.

Of the shape-shifting characters in "Wicked," Fiyero goes through the most dramatic change. Midway through the first act, he arrives at Shiz University ready to party. Suave, handsome and with little interest other than having a good time (his mantra is expressed in "Dancing Through Life"), it is assumed that he makes a perfect match for Glinda and the pair begin to date. But after some time, Glinda notices Fiyero's interest in her waning as he spends time with Elphaba. In Oz, he is made Captain of the Guard and is surprised to learn that he is to marry Glinda, which he reluctantly agrees to do. But when Elphaba storms the palace to free the flying monkeys, Fiyero changes allegiances and runs off with Elphaba, which leads to a series of dramatic events that leave Fiyero changed forever.

Since opening in October, 2003, there have been 27 actors playing Fiyero on Broadway. On the road and in international productions, that number is three-times that. "Wicked," by the way, continues to be a phenomenon, still grossing nearly $2 million a week with no sign of abating, even with the two-part movie in the works.

Here are some of the actors who have played Fiyero in New York and the road.

Norbert Leo Butz

The first Fiyero, Butz premiered the role during the show's San Francisco tryout, then Broadway. But he was injured shortly after the show's opening and his understudy Kristoffer Cusick took over, followed by Taye Diggs. He returned to the role in January 2004, playing it until he left the show on July 14, 2004, alongside fellow cast members Kristin Chenoweth and Joel Grey. He went to starring roles with his next musical, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," for which he won a Best Actor in a Musical Tony Award. He won his second in 2011 for "Catch Me If You Can."

Kristoffer Cusick

Kristoffer Cusick understudied the role during its San Francisco tryout and its Broadway opening, but when Norbert Leo Butz was injured early in the run, he took over the role. In 2005 he premiered the role in the Chicago production (opposite Ana Gasteyer and Rondi Reed). He later played the role in the Los Angeles production in 2007 and again in Chicago. Since then the out Cusick has appeared in numerous television shows and spent a year at Disney Tokyo.

Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs' connection with "Wicked" extends beyond taking over the role on Broadway for six weeks in 2003 and 2004. He was also married to Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba, whom he met while they were appearing in the original cast of "Rent." They married in 2003 and divorced a decade later. He appeared in the film version of "Chicago" (2002) (Screen Actors Guild Award, Outstanding Cast), and recreated his role of Bennie in the film version of "Rent" (2005); as well as the role of Dr. Sam Bennett on the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Private Practice" for the show's six-season run.

Joey McIntyre

It was inevitable that a former boy band member would take over the role of Fiyero. The first to do so was New Kids on the Block's Joey McIntyre, who played the role in 2004-2005. Prior to his stint in "Wicked," McIntyre starred in the film version of the long-running off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks" in 1995 and in the New York production and national tour of Jonathan Larson's "Tick, Tick... BOOM!." While also pursuing his solo music career, McIntyre was in numerous television shows and stage productions, including "The Kid," his one-man autobiographical musical.

Sebastian Arcelus

Before he went to Hollywood where he has appeared in the hit series "House of Cards" and "Madame Secretary," Sebastian Arcelus appeared in a number of Broadway musicals, first in "Rent" in 2002, then the ill-fated Beach Boys musical "Good Vibrations." He played Fiyero on "Wicked's" first national tour in 2006. He took over the role in the Broadway production for most of 2007. More recently he toured with his wife, Broadway star and "Wicked" veteran Stephanie J. Block in the recent hit revival of "Into the Woods," where they played the Baker and his wife. The two met during "Wicked" when Block played Elphaba.

Aaron Tveit

Before he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for "Moulin Rouge" in 2020, Aaron Tveit appeared as a replacement for Fiyero in 2008. His "Wicked" run was interrupted when he headed to Washington DC to appear at the Arena Stage in "Next to Normal," and, again, when that show went to Broadway. After "Wicked," he starred in "Catch Me If You Can" (opposite the first Fiyero Norbert Leo Butz). On television he appeared as a regular in the first incarnation of "Gossip Girl," and in the movies as Enjolras in the film version of "Les Misérables." He returned to television in the cult series "BrainDead," followed by his stint in "Moulin Rouge." More recently Tveit appeared in both seasons of AppleTV's musical comedy parody series "Schmigadoon!" His Sondheim credits include Bobby in "Company" and John Wilkes Booth in "Assassins." Early next year he will replace Josh Grobin in the current hit revival of "Sweeney Todd" in which he will join Sutton Foster as Mrs. Lovett.

Ryan McCartan

Of the more recent Fiyeros, Ryan McCartan first came to the public eye when he dated singer Dove Cameron, with whom he co-starred on the Disney series "Liv and Maddie." The pair became a pop duo called The Girl and the Dreamcatcher, and their first video was released in October 2015. They also became engaged in April, 2016, but both their personal and professional relationship ended that November. He played Fiyero in 2018 and 2019 on Broadway. Subsequently he played Hans in Disney's stage adaptation of "Frozen," both on Broadway and the road. McCartan came out as bisexual in 2018, as Cameron in 2020.

Nick Adams

Nick Adams joined the first national tour of "Wicked" as Fiyero in 2014. Prior to that the out actor/dancer appeared in the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line" in 2009 opposite Mario Lopez. He also appeared in revivals of "Guys and Dolls," and played Angelique in the original Tony Award-winning revival cast of "La Cage Aux Folles." He also starred as Adam/Felicia in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert," and as Whizzer in the first national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater revival of "Falsettos," alongside former Elphaba, Eden Espinosa. Adams knew he was gay when he attended a private Catholic high school with a strong theater program, but recalled being bullied. He said in a 2019 interview that he didn't feel typecast when he played gay roles. "I am a gay man, so obviously I think it's amazing when we have great roles that represent our community." He has also has developed a following from his sizzling appearances with Broadway Bares, the annual AIDS benefit that features dressed-down Broadway performers.

Andy Karl

Andy Karl has had a busy Broadway career since he made his debut in "Saturday Night Fever" in 2000. He went on to play the lead, Tony, in the musical's national tour. In 2006 he joined the cast of "The Wedding Singer," which he played until the show closed. Next, he played Kyle, the UPS Guy, in the musical version of the film "Legally Blonde." Immediately before going into "Wicked," he co-starred in the musical version of "9 to 5" in 2009, Beginning in February, 2010, he played Fiyero for nearly a year. Karl's biggest role to date was the starring role in "Rocky the Musical" in 2014, during which he trained to get into fighting shape and was nominated for a Tony Award for Lead Actor in a Musical. He did receive the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2017 for playing the Bill Murray role in "Groundhog Day," which he also played on Broadway. More recently, he appeared in the celebrated revival of "Into the Woods" in 2022.

Jordan Litz

For "Wicked's" 20th anniversary performance this past month, Fiyero was played by Jordan Litz, who joined the Broadway production after playing the role on the road. He did confess to being terrified on taking on the role due to a lack of dance training. He nonetheless showed enough ability at an audition to get the part, and once on the road, he found strong support from the dance captains who helped him shape the role. Prior to becoming an actor Litz was a champion collegiate swimmer who tried out for the Olympic Games in 2012. When that didn't come through, he reevaluated his life choices and turned to theater, discovering in his senior year how much he liked musicals.