Tituss Burgess
After conquering Broadway, Tituss Burgess set his sights on TV. Performing in various theater productions in high school before heading to the University of Georgia, where he graduated with a BA in Music, he followed the bright lights to New York City to be at the heart of theaterland. Making his Broadway debut in Beach Boys musical "Good Vibrations" (2005), he then leaped to the Four Seasons musical "Jersey Boys" (2005), appearing on the Original Cast Recording released the same year. Burgess also pursued his own recording career, releasing his first studio album, Here's to You, in 2006. He was the first actor to take on the role of Sebastian the Crab in the original stage adaptation of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" (2007). An ambassador for musical theater, Burgess performed at several high profile benefit concerts including "Broadway After Dark" and "Broadway for Obama" in 2008. After appearing in web series "The Battery's Down" (2009), Burgess landed his first television role in "A Gifted Man" (CBS, 2011) followed by a recurring role in "30 Rock" (NBC, 2006-2013), where he first met Tina Fey. Fey was so impressed with his performance on "30 Rock" that she wrote the character of outrageous aspiring Broadway star Titus Andromedon in series "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix 2015-), specifically for Burgess, incorporating elements of his own early career into the character.