Gilles Chiasson
| Gilles Chiasson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 1, 1966 Muskegon, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Actor, composer, director, producer, writer |
| Years active | 1994-present |
Gilles Chiasson (born November 1, 1966) is an American producer, director, composer, writer and actor. While he first came to prominence as an actor, particularly in the original cast of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning RENT, Chiasson now focuses on film and television development. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Sherri Parker Lee and their two sons.
Chiasson was born in Muskegon, Michigan. His parents are Dr. Tony Chiasson, a retired anesthesiologist, and Claire Chiasson, the founder and headmistress of Michigan Dunes Montessori. Both are French Canadian. He is the youngest of five children. He attended Mona Shores Public Schools. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The School of Music at the University of Michigan.
Soon after earning his BFA, Chiasson landed the role of the young idealist Marius in the National Tour of Les Misérables (musical). He followed this by portraying Jinx in the National Tour of Forever Plaid. However, Chiasson may be best known as an original cast member of Jonathan Larson’s RENT.
Chiasson took part in the original RENT workshop in 1994. (The only other Broadway cast members to do so were Anthony Rapp and Daphne Rubin-Vega.) He played multiple roles, including Squeegie Man and Steve, in the original Off-Broadway production at New York Theatre Workshop the following year. The show’s creator, Jonathan Larson, died suddenly the night before the Off-Broadway premiere, but the production carried on and became a hit. Chiasson received an Obie Award as a member of the Off-Broadway cast. He reprised his multiple roles when RENT moved to Broadway in the spring of 1996. During his nearly two years in RENT on Broadway, Chiasson also played the lead roles of Mark and Roger.
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