Constantine Maroulis

Throughout the competition, the long-haired Maroulis easily won over voters with his dynamic performances of pop and rock classics such as "Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (1981) by The Police and "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975) by Queen. His fans, a large contingent of mostly female voters, also went crazy whenever he stared right into the camera, displaying that part heartthrob/part cheesy image that he became associated with long after he left the show. But in spite of his best efforts, Maroulis was voted off in the sixth round. Shortly after his "Idol" elimination, he proved his acting chops in New York, joining the Broadway cast of "The Wedding Singer" (2006), and performed in the off-Broadway musical production of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" (2007). He also had a recurring role on the daytime soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS, 1987-), as an international rock star and music producer who romances an heiress. In 2007, his self-titled album debuted at No. 75 on the Billboard charts, and featured 12 tracks that some critics regarded as a lightweight rock album that was missing all the energy he displayed with his "Idol" performances. Maroulis also gained critical acclaim for his powerful performance as a wanna-be rocker in the 2008 Broadway production of "Rock of Ages," a jukebox musical about a group of aspiring musicians trying to hit it big on the Sunset Strip during the Eighties and featuring hair-metal songs by Styx, Pat Benatar, Journey and others. The musical earned five Tony award nominations in 2009, including a Best Actor nod for Maroulis, who then became the first "Idol" finalist to score that distinction.