Joe Mantello

For some reason, I was deeply ashamed of the theater early on. I think it had to do with this growing sense I was gay, although I couldn't have put a word to it back then. Where I grew up, boys played sports. When [my teacher] Mrs. Windsor wrote in my yearbook, 'Have you ever considered a career in the theater?' it was literally like she wrote the word 'faggot.' Show less «

[re one of his Broadway musical failures] One of my favorite experiences was "9 to 5," for one reason: Dolly Parton. I learned what it means to really work hard and do it with a sense of humor about yourself. Every day was joyful. We did two or three workshops, and at each point, the room went crazy. There were investors throwing money at it, and you think, This is going to be a huge hit. But that has no bearing on anything. How you experience it is not how the audience experiences it. Show less «