Francis Jue (born September 29, 1963) is an American actor and singer. Jue is known for his performances on Broadway, in national tours, off-Broadway and in regional theatre, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area and at The Muny in St. Louis. His roles in plays and musicals range from Shakespeare and David Henry Hwang to Rodgers and Hammerstein and Disney. He is also known for his recurring role on the TV series Madam Secretary (2014–2019).
Jue's Broadway credits include Pacific Overtures (1984 and 2004); M. Butterfly (1989); Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002), in which he created the role of Bun Foo; and Yellow Face (2024) as HYH, a role which he had created off-Broadway in 2008. He has also appeared in film and in other television roles.
Among his acting awards are the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play for his performance in Yellow Face (2025); an Obie Award and a Lortel Award for his performance in Yellow Face at the Public Theater (2008); a Dramalogue Award in Kiss of the Spider Woman at TheateWorks (1997); an Elliot Norton Award in Miss Saigon at North Shore Music Theatre (2013); another Obie Award for Wild Goose Dreams at the Public (2018); and a second Lortel Award in Cambodian Rock Band at the Signature Theatre (2020). He has also been nominated for three Drama Desk Awards (one in 2008 and two in 2020).
Early life Jue was born in San Francisco, California, the sixth of nine children of Chinese Americans Frank (an engineer for the U.S. Navy) and Jennie Jue. He grew up in the Richmond District of San Francisco and attended high school at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, taking part in the school's drama program.Chang, Lia. "Francis Jue, At Home on the Stage", Asianconnections.com, January 6, 2008, accessed August 8, 2015 He received his B.A. degree at Yale University.Traugott, Elisabeth. "Francis Jue: The lure of the 'Cabaret'". PaloAltoonline.com, October 18, 1996, accessed July 10, 2011
Career New York theatre Jue first appeared in New York in 1984 in a production of Pacific Overtures as the boy in the tree and the Dutch Admiral. He appeared in a TheatreWorks production of the same musical in California in 1988,Munson, Jim. "BWW Interview: Francis Jue of The Language Archive at TheatreWorks Talks about His Unexpected Journey from Sondheim to TheatreWorks to Hwang & Tesori to Madam Secretary", BroadwayWorld.com, July 16, 2019, accessed September 27, 2019 and later, he appeared in the show on Broadway as Madam (2004–05)."Pacific Overtures", Playbill, accessed August 19, 2023 He also appeared on Broadway in the original Broadway production of M. Butterfly, where he understudied the title character, Song Liling, and Comrade Chin (1989–90), also acted as understudy for these characters in the first national tour (1990–91); he then starred as Song Liling in the second national tour (1991–92).Churnin, Nancy. "Butterfly Star and Asian Stereotypes: Theater: When the show ends its national tour in San Diego, Francis Jue will be available and would like a mainstream part.", Los Angeles Times, December 31, 1991 In the original Broadway production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, he created the role of Bun Foo (2002–04).
Jue's off-Broadway credits include Dr. Mendel in the 2006 National Asian American Theater Festival's revival of William Finn's Falsettoland; numerous roles with the New York Shakespeare Festival in Hamlet, King Lear, The Tragedy of Richard II, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Timon of Athens and The Winter's Tale; Dream True: My Life with Vernon Dixon (Vineyard Theatre); Oscar in Chay Yew's A Language of Their Own (2005; Public Theatre);Canby, Vincent. In Love, On to AIDS, Out of Love , The New York Times, April 21, 1995 the father in Kevin So's musical, Victor Woo: The Average Asian American; and Vice-Principal Huang in No Foreigners Beyond This Point, by Warren Leight (2005).Saltzman, Simon. No Foreigners Beyond This Point, CurtainUp, September 2005, accessed December 24, 2012
He won the 2008 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor and a 2008 Obie Award for his performance in David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face at the Public Theater.Gans, Andrew. "Betrayed and Adding Machine Win Lucille Lortel Awards", Playbill, May 5, 2008 He was also nominated for a 2008 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play.Gans, Andrew. "Drama Desk Nominees Announced; Catered Affair Garners 12 Noms" April 28, 2008 (Playbill) Of this role, writer Lia Chang observed: "Jue distinguishes himself as Hwang's father, Henry Y. Hwang. ... Jue's moving and heartfelt portrayal ... has been earning [him] rave reviews." Jue has said, "For me, Hwang's work has been a seminal part of being Asian-American in this culture. It's about feeling alienated in your own country."D'Souza, Karen. "Flower Drum Song moves to a new beat at AMT", Mercury News, October 26, 2008 In 2009, after recovering from a back injury sustained in a 15-foot fall during rehearsals for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Jue appeared in Coraline with MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the role of Father."New Musical Coraline Extends a Week". Broadway.com, May 26, 2009, accessed January 28, 2011Lipton, Brian Scott. "Danyon Davis Steps in for Injured Francis Jue in Hartford Stage's Midsummer", TheaterMania, August 29, 2008 He returned to the Public Theater in 2011 as Sir Nathaniel in Love's Labor's Lost.Brantley, Ben. "O, That Rowdy Passage From Celibate to Celebrate", The New York Times, October 31, 2011
In early 2014, Jue played Bruce Lee's father off-Broadway in Signature Theatre Company's premiere of Hwang's Kung Fu.Isherwood, Charles. "A Dragon Returns, this Time Onstage", The New York Times, February 24, 2014 He appeared in The World of Extreme Happiness, a play by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, that premiered at Goodman Theatre in Chicago in September and October 2014 and reopened at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City in February and March 2015.Gans, Andrew. "Their Favorite Things: Broadway and Extreme Happiness Star Francis Jue Shares His Theatregoing Experiences", Playbill, September 24, 2014; Isherwood, Charles. "Review: The World of Extreme Happiness, About China and Gender", The New York Times, February 24, 2015; and Gioia, Michael. "Last Chance: What's Closing this Week", Playbill, March 25, 2015 In between these two runs, with York Theatre Company in December 2014, he appeared in My Favorite Year.Gioia, Michael. "Last Chance: What's Closing this Week", Playbill, December 3, 2014 From October to December 2018, Jue appeared in Wild Goose Dreams, a new play by Hansol Jung, at the Public Theater,Clement, Olivia."Hansol Jung's Wild Goose Dreams Begins at The Public October 30", Playbill, October 30, 2018; and Brantley, Ben. "Review: Reaching Across Korean Borders in Wild Goose Dreams", The New York Times, November 14, 2018, accessed September 27, 2019 receiving another Obie Award for his performance.Lefkowitz, Andy. "What the Constitution Means to Me, Oklahoma! & More Honored with 2019 Obie Awards", Broadway.com, May 20, 2019, accessed September 27, 2019
In 2019, Jue reprised his role in Soft Power at the Public Theater beginning in September 2019.Meyer, Dan. "David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's Soft Power Begins Off-Broadway September 24", Playbill, September 24, 2019 In 2020, he played Duch in Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band at Signature Theatre.Stasio, Marilyn. "Cambodian Rock Band: Theater Review", Variety, February 25, 2020 Jue was nominated for 2020 Drama Desk Awards and Lucille Lortel Awards for both roles;Lipton, Brian Scott. "Francis Jue: A Double Life", Theater Pizzazz, April 30, 2020 he won the Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for the latter role.Clement, Olivia. "Octet and Heroes of the Fourth Turning Lead 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Winners", Playbill, May 3, 2020 He was also nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Soft Power,Clement, Olivia. "Moulin Rouge! Leads 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees", Playbill, May 11, 2020 and the show's cast album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.McPhee, Ryan. "Jagged Little Pill, Soft Power, Little Shop of Horrors, More Earn 2021 Grammy Nominations", Playbill, November 24, 2020 In 2021 Jue starred in the documentary theatre piece Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 produced by Signature Theatre Company at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York.Feldman, Adam. "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992", TimeOut.com, November 1, 2021; and Meyer, Dan. "Read the Reviews for Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at Signature Theatre", Playbill, November 2, 2021 The production won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival, and the cast was nominated for the Lortel Award for Outstanding Ensemble.Eckmann, Sam. "2022 Lucille Lortel Awards winners list: Kimberly Akimbo and Oratorio for Living Things tie with 3 apiece", Goldderby.com, May 2, 2022 Jue created the role of Howard in Audible Theater's Good Enemy, by Yilong Liu, at the Minetta Lane Theatre in October and November 2022.Bernardo, Melissa Rose. "Good Enemy", Time Out, November 8, 2022; and Gans, Andrew. "Cast Complete for Off-Broadway's Good Enemy, Starring Francis Jue", Playbill, September 20, 2022
In early 2024, Jue played the Wizard in the Encores! staging of Once Upon a Mattress. Jue returned to Broadway in 2024 in Yellow Face reprising the roles of HYH and others, which he had created off-Broadway in 2008; the production was aired by PBS.Weinert-Kendt, Rob. "He’s Getting Raves for a Role He Wasn’t Supposed to Play", The New York Times, November 6, 2024 In the role, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a PlayHall, Margaret. "Francis Jue Wins 2025 Tony for Featured Actor in a Play", Playbill, June 8, 2025 and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play. Jue played Cleante in Tartuffe off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in late 2025.Tran, Diep."Matthew Broderick, Francis Jue, Bianca Del Rio, Amber Gray to Lead Tartuffe Off-Broadway", Playbill, June 16, 2025 In mid-2026, he played Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare in the Park. A reviewer wrote that "Jue charms as a particularly gossipy Friar Laurence whose long-standing affectionate mentorship of Romeo seems believable here."Rubins, Dan. "Review: Free Shakespeare in the Park's Romeo and Juliet, on ICE!", TheaterMania, June 11, 2026 Jue became ordained as a minister before the run began and married dozens of couples onstage at the Delacorte, while in costume, at the end of the show.Hall, Margaret. "Every Night, Francis Jue Is Marrying Dozens of Real Life Couples Onstage at Romeo and Juliet, Playbill, June 25, 2026 PBS is set to air a recording of the show on November 13, 2006, and stream it on their app.Buchwald, Linda. "Shakespeare in the Park's Romeo and Juliet Will Air on PBS", TheaterMania, August 6, 2026 From October to November of the same year, he is scheduled to reprise his role as the father in King of the Yees off-Broadway at Signature Theatre.Gans, Andrew. "Francis Jue Will Star in Lauren Yee’s King of the Yees, Part of Signature's 2026-2027 Season", Playbill, April 15, 2026
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