Will Chase
Born and bred in Kentucky, Will Chase left the state when he had the opportunity to study percussion and conducting at Oberlin College in Ohio. While at Oberlin, Chase studied under the legendary conductor Robert Spano. However, by the time he graduated from the prestigious school in 1992, he went right into acting instead of conducting, appearing in a number of critically acclaimed productions in the Chicago theater scene. In 1998, he made his Broadway debut in "Rent" as an understudy for the main character Roger. He wound up portraying the character for the show's last Broadway performance, which was later released theatrically as "Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway" (2008). He remained around Broadway, also appearing in productions of "Miss Saigon" and "Billy Elliot" over the next few years. Chase finally hit the big and small screens as well, making his theatrical debut in "Shaft" (2000) and appearing as a guest in a number of TV shows ranging from "As the World Turns" (CBS 1956-2010) to "Law & Order" (NBC 1990-2010). By the end of the decade, he was finally getting meatier roles, such as recurring parts on "One Life to Live" (ABC 1968-2013) and "Rescue Me" (FX 2004-2011). Chase continued working on Broadway at the same time, even earning a Tony nomination for his work in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" (2012). Around the same time, he also appeared on "Smash" (NBC 2012-13). After "Smash" wrapped after just two seasons, Chase moved on to "Nashville" (ABC 2012- ), joining the cast in season two as a recurring character before becoming a series regular (and love interest of Connie Britton's lead character) in season three.