Daniel Breaker (born June 2, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Donkey in the original cast of Shrek the Musical. His other Broadway credits include principal roles in Hamilton, Hadestown, Once Upon a Mattress, and The Book of Mormon.
Career Beginning his career in 2002, immediately after graduating from Juilliard, Breaker has performed in Off-Broadway, London, and U.S. regional theatre productions. He performed in five plays at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C. His first major role was the Youth, protagonist of the Off-Broadway premiere of Passing Strange, for which he won an Obie Award in 2008. He was then nominated for a Tony Award for the show's Broadway transfer, in which he again played the Youth; he also played this role in Spike Lee's filmed version of the musical.
One of his most recognizable roles was Donkey in the original Broadway production of Shrek the Musical, which ran from November 2008 through January 2010. He starred alongside long-time Broadway stars Brian d'Arcy James, Sutton Foster, John Tartaglia, and Christopher Sieber. For his portrayal, Breaker earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. His voice can be heard on the original cast recording of the show.
He has also appeared in the plays Well and Cymbeline. In 2009, he co-hosted the Obie Awards.
Breaker previously played Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. He also appeared as the King of Navarre in The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of the Love's Labour's Lost musical. He played Aaron Burr in Hamilton in Chicago and joined the musical's Broadway cast.
Breaker has also been a guest star on TV. Since 2021, he has been part of the supporting cast of the Peacock show Girls5Eva. Breaker starred as the Jester alongside his former Shrek the Musical co-star Sutton Foster in the 2024 Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress. On January 9, 2025, it was announced that Breaker would take over the role of Hermes in the Broadway production of Hadestown starting February 18, and on December 26, 2025, it was announced that he would take over the same role in the London production at the Lyric Theatre.
Personal life Breaker has been married to theatre director Kate Whoriskey since 2008. They have two children.
Stage credits Year Title Role Theater Notes 2003 Pericles Pericles Red Bull Theater 2004 Fabulation, or the Re-Education of UndineAgent Duva/Flow/Dealer/Addict #2/EnsemblePlaywrights HorizonsOff-Broadway 2005 The Tempest Ariel Shakespeare Theatre Company 2006 Well Jim and others Longacre Theatre Broadway 2007 Passing Strange Youth The Public Theater Off-Broadway 2007–2008 Cymbeline Gentleman Lincoln Center Theatre Broadway 2008 Passing Strange Youth Belasco Theatre Broadway 2008–2010 Shrek the Musical Donkey Broadway Theatre Broadway 2011 By the Way, Meet Vera StarkLeroy Barksdale/Herb ForresterSecond Stage Theater Off-Broadway 2012 The Performers Lee Longacre Theatre Broadway 2013 Love's Labour's LostKing Ferdinand of NavarreDelacorte Theater 2014–2017 The Book of Mormon Mafala Hatimbi Eugene O'Neill Theatre Broadway 2017HamiltonAaron Burr PrivateBank Theatre 2017–2020 Richard Rodgers Theatre Broadway2024 Judgment Day Father Michael Chicago Shakespeare TheaterOnce Upon a MattressThe JesterHudson Theatre Broadway2024–2025Ahmanson TheatreLos Angeles2025HadestownHermesWalter Kerr TheatreBroadway2025–2026Lyric TheatreWest End
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2011LimitlessCampaign Manager2012Red Hook SummerCliff2013He's Way More Famous Than YouEMTShrek the MusicalDonkey2015SistersAirport Bartender
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2002Law & Order: Criminal IntentZachEpisode: "The Pilgrim"2009Great PerformancesYouthEpisode: "Passing Strange"2011UnforgettableMarkEpisode: "Lost Things"2014Submissions OnlyDean Klausen5 episodes2014–2016Mozart in the JungleVirgil16 episodes2017–2018Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtAgent Dunleavy2 episodes2020HelpstersArtist AndrewEpisode: "Camper Cortez/Artist Andrew & Detective Dudley"2020–2023BillionsRoger 'Scooter' Dunbar34 episodes2021–2024Girls5evaScott12 episodes2022The Good FightRandy Elkin5 episodes
References
External links