J. Quinton Johnson, a former student in the Department of Theatre and Dance, has been cast in the role of Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in the Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning smash hit Hamilton. He will debut on stage on Jan. 6, following the departure of original cast member Okieriete Onaodowan.
Johnson attended The University of Texas at Austin from 2012 to 2015, where he starred in In the Heights in the department and in multiple productions at Zach Scott Theatre.
“From my first encounter with Quinton when he was a senior in high school, I knew he was someone extraordinary,” said Lyn Koenning, Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance. “Not only does he possess an incredible depth of natural talent and an absolutely sparkling personality, he is a voracious learner. From the time he arrived in Austin, Quinton not only threw himself into his acting, dance and music classes, he also collaborated with faculty and other students in creating new theatre, volunteered his time to assist stage and musical directors at local regional theaters, studied musical theory and taught himself how to play other musical instruments, and constantly worked to improve his range and abilities as an artist.“
The actor had his breakout film role in Richard Linklater’s ensemble comedy Everybody Wants Some!!
This past year he completed work in the upcoming musical re-imagining of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, and he was cast alongside Pierce Brosnan in AMC’s The Son, an adaptation of the epic novel by UT’s Michener Center alumnus Philipp Meyer.
He is currently working with Linklater once again for Amazon's Last Flag Flying with Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne.
Photo: J. Quinton Johnson stars as "Benny" in In the Heights in 2014 in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Photo by Lawrence Peart.