Isaac Cole Powell (born December 30, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He played the role of Daniel in the 2017 Broadway revival of the musical Once on This Island and Tony in the 2019 Broadway revival of West Side Story.

Early life and education Powell was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, the youngest of three children born to Terry and Will Powell, a three-time world CrossFit champion. His father is Black; his mother is white. His sister, Jessica Powell, is a Certified Personal trainer at their father's fitness studio and is featured on TLC's My Big Fat Fabulous Life as Whitney's fitness trainer. Powell began to act in middle school with the Community Theatre of Greensboro. He attended Philip J. Weaver Academy, a performing arts high school, before transferring to a boarding program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) during his senior year of high school. He graduated from UNCSA with an acting degree in May 2017.

Career 2010s While in college, Powell began to accumulate professional acting credits, playing Nikos in the musical Legally Blonde at the Barn Dinner Theatres."Isaac Powell", Backstage. Retrieved July 13, 2019 After graduation, in the summer of 2017, he appeared in Newsies and Mamma Mia! with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and originated the title role in Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat at the Adirondack Theatre Festival in Glens Falls, New York.

Powell played the role of Daniel in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, which began previews in November 2017 and opened officially in December. Jesse Green, writing in The New York Times called Powell's solo, "Some Girls," a "quietly sensitive rendering."Green, Jesse. "Review: Once on This Island, Revived and Ravishing", December 3, 2017 Robert Hofler, in TheWrap, wrote that Powell makes the song "the most poignant moment in this revival."Hofler, Robert. "Once on This Island Broadway Review: A Middling Musical Revival About a Long-Suffering Woman", TheWrap, December 3, 2018 TheaterMania's review deemed Powell, "charismatic and silvery-voiced."Levitt, Hayley. "Once on This Island", TheaterMania.com, December 3, 2017 He recorded his role on the revival's cast album.Ahrens, Lynn and Stephen Flaherty. "Breaking Down the Once on This Island Revival Cast Album Track by Track", Playbill, May 23, 2018

Powell competed in May 2018 on the live Broadway game show, I Only Have Lies for You.Hetrick, Adam. "Betsy Wolfe and Isaac Powell Are Upcoming Contestants on I Only Have Lies for You", Playbill, May 18, 2018 In the spring of 2018, he signed on with the New Pandemics modeling agency and modeled for Palomo Spain's and NIHL's fall 2019 lines at New York Fashion Week. In W Magazine, Powell notes that "[M]odeling is a new thing ... I've been basically shooting all the gay publications, which is really, really great." He models in addition to acting, and was featured in the final issue of Hello Mr.

2020s Powell played Tony in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story. The production, directed by Ivo van Hove, began previews on December 10, 2019, and officially opened on February 20, 2020, at the Broadway Theatre, but closed early on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Rooney, David. "West Side Story Broadway Revival Cast Unveiled", The Hollywood Reporter, July 10, 2019

In November 2020, Powell was cast in Universal Pictures and director Stephen Chbosky's film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen as new character Rhys, a high school jock.

On August 29, 2021, Powell was featured in the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network's aired concert for the musical Wicked which was hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. Other featured artists were Rita Moreno, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana DeBose, Ali Stroker, Amber Riley, Mario Cantone, Jennifer Nettles, Stephanie Hsu, Alex Newell, Gavin Creel and Gabrielle Ruiz performing many of the musical's numbers.

In the summer of 2024, he starred as Jay Gatsby in the world premiere of Florence Welch's Gatsby: An American Myth at the American Repertory Theatre. He appeared in The Moment. In June of 2026, Powell was announced to have a guest appearance in the season 2 of Adults.

Personal life Powell is gay and came out at the age of 16. In 2016, Powell met Broadway actor, Wesley Taylor, when Taylor was visiting University of North Carolina School of the Arts where Powell was a junior in the school's theatre program. The two then began a relationship in 2017 and were engaged in May 2019. They ended their relationship in 2021. Powell than began a relationship with Tate Justice in late 2023 to early 2024 and are currently still together.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2015 Just a Body Pastor Dave Short film 2019 XaveMePlease Xavier Short film 2021 Dear Evan Hansen Rhys 2022 Susie Searches Ray Garcia 2023 Cat Person Clay 2023 Past Lives Guy 2023 Our Son Solo 2026 The Moment Lloyd

Television Year Title Role Notes 2018 Broadway.com #LiveatFive Himself 1 episode 2018 Murphy Brown Jack Episode: "A Lifetime of Achievement" 2018–2019 Indoor Boys Logan 6 episodes 2021 Modern Love Vince Episode: "A Life Plan for Two, Followed by One" 2021 American Horror Story: Double Feature Troy Lord 4 episodes 2022 American Horror Story: NYC Theo Graves 7 episodes 2024 The Franchise Bryson Main role 2026 The Beauty Manny (Post Beauty) Episodes: "Beautiful Chimp Face" and "Beautiful Living Rooms" Adults EricEpisode: "Fake ID"

Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Director(s) 2017 Nikola Tesla Drops The Beat Nikola Tesla Adirondack Theatre Festival Marshall Pailet NewsiesEnsemblePittsburgh Civic Light Opera(at the Benedum Center) Richard J. Hinds Mamma Mia! Barry Ivan 2017–19 Once on This Island Daniel Beauxhomme Circle in the Square Theatre Michael Arden 2019–20 West Side Story Tony Broadway Theatre Ivo van Hove 2024Gatsby: An American MythJay GatsbyAmerican Repertory TheatreRachel Chavkin

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Nominated work Result 2019 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Once on This Island 2020 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance West Side Story

References

External links

Resume at University of North Carolina School of the Arts Powell sings excerpt from "Some Girls", Once on This Island (2017)