Okieriete Onaodowan


Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan is an American actor, known for originating the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the 2015 musical Hamilton, and the role of Dean Miller in the ABC drama and Grey's Anatomy spin-off series Station 19.

Early life

Onaodowan was born in Newark to Nigerian parents. He grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, and graduated from West Orange High School in 2005. Onaodowan briefly played football at West Orange High School but stopped after an injury during practice. As a result of the injury, Okieriete started to explore acting as an alternative extracurricular activity.

Career

Onaodowan had roles in Rocky the Musical and Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway and was in the ensemble of the first national tour of American Idiot. He had the leading role in Young Jean Lee's 2009 play, The Shipment, and played the title role in J.C. Lee's Luce.
By 2015, Onaodowan was an experienced stage actor. He also had several screen credits, including Lou in Thanks for Sharing, and roles in Gravity and Blue Bloods. He originated the roles of James Madison and Hercules Mulligan in the musical Hamilton on Broadway. He won a Grammy Award as part of the cast album of Hamilton.
On July 11, 2017, he took on the role of Pierre in the musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, replacing the outgoing Josh Groban.
In 2018, he began playing the role of firefighter Dean Miller in the Grey's Anatomy spin-off Station 19.

Credits

Theatre

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2016Grammy AwardBest Musical Theater AlbumHamilton
2016Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardsFavorite Breakthrough PerformanceHamilton

Onaodowan was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list in 2016 for his acting in Hamilton.