Kyle Jean-Baptiste | |
|---|---|
 Jean-Baptiste in costume as Courfeyrac from Les Misérables in June 2015 | |
| Born | December 3, 1993 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2015 (aged 21) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Baldwin Wallace University[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2015 |
| Known for | First Black actor to play Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway[2][3] |
Kyle Jean-Baptiste (December 3, 1993 – August 29, 2015) was an American actor. He was the youngest, as well as the first Black[4] actor, to play the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway.
He was also slated to be a cast member of the revival of the musical The Color Purple. On August 29, 2015, a day after departing Les Misérables and two days after his final performance as Valjean, he died, after accidentally falling from a fire escape in Brooklyn, New York. Scholarships in his name exist at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School[5] and at Baldwin Wallace University.[6]
- ^ "'Les Miserables' Actor Kyle Jean-Baptiste Dies at 21". Chicago: WGN-TV. August 29, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ Workneh, Lilly, ed. (August 30, 2015). "Kyle Jean-Baptiste, First Black Actor To Play Lead In 'Les Miz' On Broadway, Dies At 21 -- The actor was scheduled to join the cast of "The Color Purple" Sept. 6". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
- ^ McDonald, Soraya Nadia, ed. (August 30, 2015). "'Les Miserables' actor Kyle Jean-Baptiste, Broadway's youngest and first black [sic] Jean Valjean, dies after fall". Washington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
- ^ Stack, Liam (August 29, 2015). "Kyle Jean-Baptiste, Actor in 'Les Miserables', Dies at 21". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ "Kyle Jean-Baptiste Memorial Fund | Alumni & Friends of LaGuardia".
- ^ "Baldwin Wallace University - Baldwin Wallace University".