Introduction
Susan Farrell Egan (born February 18, 1970,) is an American actress, singer, dancer, voice actress, and comedian, known for her work on the Broadway stage. She is best known for originating the role of "Belle" in the Broadway musical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast (1994), as well as for providing the voice of "Megara" in Hercules (1997), and the voice for "Rose Quartz" on Steven Universe.
Early life
Egan was born as Susan Farrell Egan on February 18, 1970, in Seal Beach, California. She attended Los Alamitos High School and the co-located Orange County High School of the Arts and UCLA.
Career
Stage and other work
Having long desired to become a performer, Egan spent most of her time taking dancing, concentrating on ballet, and singing lessons as a child, and trained as a competitive figure skater from ages five to ten.
While attending Los Alamitos High School, the Orange County High School of the Arts, and the UCLA, she started her career touring with the performance group the Young Americans. While attending UCLA, Egan took time off when Tommy Tune cast her as "Kim" in his touring production of Bye Bye Birdie. After the tour ended, she was cast in the tour of State Fair and won the coveted role of "Belle" in the original Broadway cast of Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Musical.
On Broadway, Egan portrayed "Belle" for one year and reprised the role in the Los Angeles production in 1995, along with many of the original Broadway cast members. At the Sacramento Music Circus, she portrayed "Maria" in The Sound of Music in 1996 and "Molly Brown" in The Unsinkable Molly Brown in 2002. Egan joined Thoroughly Modern Millie in February 2004 as "Millie."
Egan has performed in one-woman cabaret-style concerts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in 2000 and at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in October 2001. In August 2001, Egan appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in the concert version of Show Boat as "Julie." She sings with symphonies as well; she performed in concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles in November 2004.
From 2002 to 2003, she was the Interim Artistic Director of the Orange County High School of the Arts.
On June 6, 2016, Egan appeared alongside Brad Kane at the Hollywood Bowl as opening acts for Disney's The Little Mermaid Live show. Egan performed a medley of songs from Beauty and the Beast. The June 6th performance also included the original Little Mermaid voice actress Jodi Benson performing with the rest of the "Live" cast.
From July 20–29, 2018, Egan reprised the role of "Belle" in the 5-Star Theatre's production of Beauty and the Beast at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.
Television
Over the years, Egan made several appearances on television, but she is perhaps best known for her co-starring role as Nikki Cox's best friend Mary in the television series Nikki. She was seen in 40 episodes from 2000 to 2002.
She made her television debut in 1979 in a minor role as a music student in an episode of Live from Lincoln Center. Ten years later, in 1989, she was seen as playing the role of a model in "The First Story" episode of the TV series Body Surfer. The following year, in 1990, she was cast as "Mei-Ling" in Micky Dolenz's TV movie Aladdin, starring Barry Bostwick and I.M. Hobson. In 2002, Egan was seen as "Jennifer Martin" in an episode of acclaimed TV series NYPD Blue, appearing alongside Dennis Franz and Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
Voice acting
Egan's voice has been featured in the English language versions of two feature films by Hayao Miyazaki: Spirited Away and Porco Rosso. She is most widely known for voicing "Megara" in Hercules and reprised her role in Kingdom Hearts II.
Egan provided Angel's singing voice in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure and the voice acting for "Rose Quartz" on the Cartoon Network animated series Steven Universe.
Most recently, in July 2020, Egan lent her voice to "Renne Frodgers" character in "Truck Stop Polly/A Caravan Named Desires" episode of the animation TV series Matt Braly's Amphibia, alongside Fred Tatasciore and Amanda Leighton.
Personal life
Egan is married to Robert Hartmann and has two daughters, Nina and Isla. She currently resides in Orange County, California.
Filmography
- Men Don't Tell (1993) – Florist
- Hercules (1997) – Megara
- Man of the Century (1999) – Samantha Winter
- The Disappearing Girl Trick (2001) – Bridget Smith
- Revolution OS (2001) – Narrator
- Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001) – Angel (singing voice)
- Spirited Away (2002) – Lin
- Gotta Kick It Up! (2002) – Heather Bartlett
- Porco Rosso (2003) – Madame Gina
- 13 Going on 30 (2004) – Tracy Hansen
- Steven Universe (2014–present) – Rose Quartz, Various characters
- Achmed Saves America (2014) – Ginny
Broadway and stage
Source: Internet Broadway Database
- Bye Bye Birdie (1992, U.S. Tour as Kim MacAfee)
- State Fair (1992, tour; 1996, replacement Margie)
- Beauty and the Beast (1994, Belle)
- Triumph of Love (1997, Princess Léonide)
- Cabaret (1998 revival) (various, 1999, 2000, 2003, Sally Bowles)
- Putting It Together (1999, The Mark Taper Forum, California)
- The Unsinkable Molly Brown (2002, "Molly Brown", Sacramento Music Circus)
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (2004, replacement Millie Dillmount)
Discography
- 2002: So Far...
- 2004: Coffee House
- 2005: All That & More
- 2006: Winter Tracks
- 2007: Susan Egan Live!
- 2011: Secret of Happiness (includes Save me video, Brian Haner music video, filmed in 2011)
- 2015: Softly