Thomas Kail

Early life and education

Kail grew up in Alexandria, Virginia and graduated from Sidwell Friends School in 1995 and subsequently from Wesleyan University in 1999. He remains good friends with Lin-Manuel Miranda, with whom he co-created, along with Anthony Veneziale, the freestyle hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme. Kail is Jewish.

Career

After graduating from Wesleyan University, Kail became assistant stage manager at New Jersey's American Stage Company.

Kail directed the 24 Hour Plays benefit performances in 2007 and 2008, where "6 short plays are written, rehearsed, directed, and performed in 24 hours." In 2007, he directed Julia Jordan's A Bus Stop Play, and Beau Willimon's Zusammenbruch in 2008. Both shows played at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway.

Kail directed the hit Broadway musical In the Heights, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. The musical premiered on Broadway, starting in previews on February 14, 2008, with an official opening on March 9, 2008, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Kail directed Broke-ology, which played from October 5, 2009, to November 22, 2009, at the Lincoln Center Theater Off-Broadway. This play garnered Kail an AUDELCO Award nomination for Best Director of a Dramatic Production. Kail also staged the world premiere at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. In 2009, Kail also directed the New York City Center's Encores! production of the musical The Wiz.

Kail directed Eric Simonson's play Lombardi, based on Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi through a week in the 1965 season, as he attempts to lead his team to the championship. Lombardi officially premiered on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre on October 21, 2010.

He then directed the Off-Broadway run of Nathan Louis Jackson's When I Come to Die, which ran in January and February 2011.

Kail reunited with Lombardi playwright Eric Simonson on Magic/Bird, a new play chronicling the intertwined life stories of basketball Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The play premiered on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on March 21, 2012, in previews, officially on April 11, 2012, and closed on May 12, 2012. Kail directed, with the cast that featured Kevin Daniels as "Magic" Johnson and Tug Coker as Larry Bird.

Kail continued his collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, directing the musical Hamilton in 2015, both Off-Broadway and on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award.

Kail directed Grease: Live for Paramount Television, screened live on Fox on January 31, 2016; the world premiere of Dry Powder with Hank Azaria, Claire Danes, John Krasinski and Sanjit De Silva which ran from March to May 2016 at The Public Theater in New York City; and Tiny Beautiful Things, also at The Public, from November to December 2016.

On July 5, 2018, FX announced an eight-episode order for a limited-series entitled Fosse/Verdon, with Sam Rockwell playing the role of Bob Fosse and Michelle Williams playing the role of Gwen Verdon. On October 25, 2018, it was reported that Thomas Kail would direct at least four of the series' eight episodes and he would go on to direct a total of five episodes. Kail was nominated for Outstanding Directing – Movies for Television and Limited Series by the Directors Guild of America for the episode "Nowadays."

In May 2023, it was announced that Kail would direct a live action adaptation of the Disney animated film Moana, making his narrative feature directorial debut. He was also attached to direct and co-produce the remake of Fiddler on the Roof for Amazon MGM Studios.

Personal life

Kail began a relationship with theatre actress Angela Christian in 2006; they divorced in 2019. In December 2019, it was announced that he was engaged to Fosse/Verdon actress Michelle Williams, who was expecting their first child together; they married in March 2020. In May 2022, Williams revealed she was pregnant with their second child together, who was born later in 2022. In early 2025, via surrogate, Kail and Williams welcomed their third child together.

Kail and Williams are raising their young children within Judaism, and Williams (who is not Jewish) is studying the religion herself. Williams also has a daughter from a previous relationship with actor Heath Ledger.

Filmography

Film

Television

As himself

Theater

Director

Performer

Accolades

References

References

1. [http://www.ivdb.com/Broadway-cast-staff/thomas-jail-459890 “Thomas Kail”], Internet Broadway Database.
2. Bacalzo, Daniel. [http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/03-2008/in-the-heights-director-thomas-kail-receives-marti_13247.html "''In the Heights'' Director Thomas Kail Receives Martin E. Segal Award"]. ''Theatre Mania''. May 10, 2010.
3. link. (July 17, 2011)
4. American Theatre Wing. [http://americantheatrewing.org/biography/detail/thomas_kail "Biographies – Thomas Kail, Director"] {{webarchive. link. (May 21, 2011 , June 2009.)
5. "Video: Thomas Kail '99 on directing Lombardi: A New American Play - Voices of Wesleyan - Wesleyan University".
6. [http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/16919 "Playbill's Who's Who Biographies"] {{webarchive. link. (December 6, 2010)
7. Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/146378-In-the-Heights-Lin-Manuel-Miranda-Sets-Freestyle-Love-Supreme-Date-at-Irving-Plaza "''In the Heights'' Lin-Manuel Miranda Sets Freestyle Love Supreme Date at Irving Plaza"] {{webarchive. link. (January 8, 2011 . ''Playbill''. January 5, 2011.)
8. (February 27, 2019). "Hamilton Highlights Jewish Talent — Detroit Jewish News".
9. [http://www.broadway.com/buzz/6637/thomas-kail/ "Thomas Kail"] broadway.com
10. IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information]. ''[[Internet Broadway Database]]''
11. IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information]. ''[[Internet Broadway Database]]''
12. Kennedy, Mark. [https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=12362338 "Thomas Kail Enjoying His 'Year of Transition'"]. ''ABC News''. December 10, 2010.
13. Kenneth Jones. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109835.html "''In the Heights'' Will Play Broadway's Richard Rodgers Starting February 2008"] {{webarchive. link. (September 30, 2007 . ''Playbill''.)
14. [http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=5345 ''Brokeology'']. [[Lortel Archives]]/[[Internet Off-Broadway Database]].
15. [http://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/news/02-2009/thomas-kail-to-direct-the-wiz-for-new-york-city-ce_17742.html "Thomas Kail to Direct ''The Wiz'' for New York City Center"] ''TheaterMania''. February 24, 2009.
16. [http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionnew.aspx?performancenumber=4343 NY City Center's ''The Wiz'' listing]
17. Gans, Andrew. [https://archive.today/20130105003713/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130810 "''The Wiz'' Ends Limited City Center Engagement July 5"], playbill.com, July 5, 2009.
18. (August 20, 2010). "N.F.L. Gets Behind ''Lombardi''". nytimes.com.
19. Gans, Andrew and Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/138736-Heights-Kail-to-Direct-Football-Themed-Lombardi-at-Broadways-Circle-in-the-Square "''Heights'' Director Kail to Direct Football-Themed ''Lombardi'' at Broadway's Circle in the Square"] {{webarchive. link. (June 19, 2010 , playbill.com, April 14, 2010.)
20. Murray, Larry. (May 18, 2010). "''Lombardi''". Berkshire On Stage.
21. "''Lombardi'', IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information". The Broadway League.
22. Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/140400-Tony-Nominee-Kail-and-Jackson-Will-Collaborate-for-Upcoming-LCT3-Season Tony Nominee Kail and Jackson Will Collaborate for Upcoming LCT3 Season] {{webarchive. link. (June 16, 2010 . ''[[Playbill]]''.)
23. [http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=5620 ''When I Come To Die'']. [[Lortel Archives]]/[[Internet Off-Broadway Database]].
24. [http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/13868/Magic-Bird "''Magic/Bird'' Broadway"] playbillvault.com, accessed September 26, 2015.
25. [http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/19902/Thomas-Kail "Thomas Kail Broadway"] playbillvault.com, accessed September 25, 2015.
26. [http://www.fox.com/grease-live/article/about-the-show-1 "Grease:Live, About the Show"] ''fox.com''. Accessed February 2, 2016.
27. [http://www.playbill.com/article/the-verdict-what-do-critics-think-of-dry-powder "The Verdict: What Do Critics Think of ''Dry Powder''?"] by Olivia Clement, ''[[Playbill]]'', March 23, 2016.
28. Kit, Borys. (May 31, 2023). "Disney's Live-Action 'Moana' Taps 'Hamilton' Helmer Thomas Kail as Director".
29. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (May 28, 2020). "MGM Taps 'Hamilton' Director Thomas Kail for Movie Adaptation of Iconic 'Fiddler on the Roof'".
30. Zaltzman, Lior. (2024-05-31). "Hulu's 'We Were the Lucky Ones' Director Thomas Kail Says 'Fiddler' Inspires All His Work".
31. (October 11, 2006). "A Grand Opening for the Roundabout's Heartbreak House". [[Broadway.com]].
32. (June 12, 2016). "2016 Tony Awards - He/She Said What?! Relive the Acceptance Speeches: Updating LIVE!". [[BroadwayWorld]].
33. (December 8, 2018). "Hamilton director Thomas Kail arrives for Kennedy Center Honors Gala in Washington DC". [[United Press International.
34. Fernandez, Alexia. (December 30, 2019). "Michelle Williams Is Pregnant and Engaged to Hamilton Director Thomas Kail". [[People Magazine]].
35. Waterhouse, Jonah. (June 18, 2020). "Michelle Williams Gives Birth to Her Second Child in Lockdown".
36. "Michelle Williams Gives Birth to Baby No. 3".
37. https://people.com/all-about-michelle-williams-kids-8406766
38. (November 25, 2022). "Michelle Williams, who plays Steven Spielberg's mother in 'The Fabelmans,' says she plans to raise her children Jewish".
39. Lang, Brent. (May 10, 2022). "Michelle Williams Pregnant With Third Child: 'It's Totally Joyous'". Penske Media Corporation.
40. Scott Simon. (July 18, 2020). "'We Are Freestyle Love Supreme' Is An Accidental 'Hamilton' Cast Origin Story". [[NPR News]].
41. "We Are Freestyle Love Supreme". [[Sundance Institute]].
42. "Thomas Kail".
43. "The Joe A. Callaway Award {{!}} Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation".
44. (2008-06-15). "2008 Tony Award Winners". The New York Times.
45. (November 2, 2011). "AUDELCO nominations are out!".
46. (2015-05-11). "'Hamilton' Dominates the 2015 Lucille Lortel Awards (FULL LIST)".
47. (2016-06-12). "Tony awards 2016 - complete list of winners".
48. "Thomas Kail".
49. (2018-04-09). "'Hamilton' Finds Success In The West End With Seven Laurence Olivier Awards".
50. (July 25, 2018). "Hamilton Creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire Will Receive Special Kennedy Center Honors".
51. (November 24, 2020). "Grammy Awards Nominations 2021: The Complete List". Variety.
52. (2020-01-26). "Sam Mendes Wins DGA Award for '1917': Full Winners List".
53. (2021-04-10). "2021 DGA Awards: Full winners list in 3 film and 8 TV categories".