7 Surprising Facts About Sutton Foster
From her Broadway breakthroughs to her hobbies and romances, discover who the actor is.
Sutton Foster is a celebrated actor, singer, and dancer who has become one of the most recognizable names on Broadway over the past decades. Known for her powerhouse performances and versatile talents, Foster has won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical, including for Thoroughly Modern Millie and for Anything Goes. Over the years, the 49-year-old performer has captivated audiences with her charm, comedic timing, and vocal talent, solidifying her as a Broadway icon.
Currently, Foster is making headlines for her role as Princess Winnifred in the highly anticipated revival of Once Upon a Mattress, bringing her signature energy and humor to the beloved musical. Offstage, she’s also been in the spotlight for her budding romance with fellow Broadway star Hugh Jackman, and the two have recently been spotted enjoying dates together.
Read on to discover more about Sutton, including some surprising facts about the Broadway star.
She played her first lead role in Annie at the age of 10.
At 10 years old, Sutton secured the lead role IN the musical Annie at her local community theater, unaware that it would be the first of many starring roles in her lifetime. This milestone came only four years after she began training in dance and singing.
She studied theatre at Carnegie Mellon.
Foster frequently toured with new shows in her late teenage years but chose to enroll at Carnegie Mellon to study theatre in 1993. After just one year in college, she decided to return to performing full-time.
She was promoted from understudy to lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Foster's big break came in 2000 with Thoroughly Modern Millie, a musical adaptation of the 1967 film about a spirited woman in the 1920s. Weeks before its La Jolla premiere, she was promoted from understudy to lead and continued in the role on Broadway in 2002. Foster’s portrayal of Millie’s quirky charm earned widespread praise and a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Foster has starred in two TV shows.
Although Broadway and musical theatre are Foster’s bread and butter, she also made notable television appearances. She starred as a small-town ballet teacher in the witty drama Bunheads (2012–13) and played the lead role in Younger (2015–21), a comedy about a 40-year-old divorcée posing as a 26-year-old.
She has two music albums.
What many may not realize is that Sutton Foster has music available for streaming. In 2009, Foster released Wish, an album blending pop and musical theatre songs. Nearly a decade later, she followed up with Take Me to the World in 2018, showcasing her versatile vocal talents.
Foster's favorite musical of all time is Sweeney Todd.
In early 2024, Foster took on the iconic role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. This role held special significance for her, as she revealed in an interview with Jimmy Fallon that Sweeney Todd is, adding that it always will be her all-time favorite musical.
She starred in The Music Man with boyfriend Hugh Jackman.
Foster and Jackman, longtime friends from their Broadway careers, have shared a close bond over the years. In 2022, they co-starred in the Broadway revival of The Music Man, showcasing their on-stage chemistry. Recently, it appears their connection turned romantic, as the pair have been spotted on several dates.
