Amid the many familiar faces of "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration" — including Josh Groban, Martin Short, Shania Twain, David Alan Grier and Rita Moreno — is one TV viewers may not know yet: Joshua Henry as Gaston, the hunky himbo in pursuit of Belle (H.E.R.). With his powerful baritenor voice and a striking facial resemblance to the late Sidney Poitier, Henry steals the show by performing with lengthy locs, subtle prosthetics and, as Gaston himself says, "biceps to spare." (The chest hair and cleft chin are fake; the bulging muscles are real.)
It's genuinely rare for a male actor this — strapping — to take center stage as Henry does here, singing, dancing and landing punchlines. But if you've arrived at this story after thirstily Googling "Who is that??" during Thursday's telecast, know that the 38-year-old performer has built an impressive resume.
Though ABC's two-hour anniversary special, now streaming on Disney+, is arguably Henry's most high-profile screen project to date, Henry — who was born in Winnipeg, raised in Miami and lives in New York City with his wife and three sons — is a three-time Tony Award nominee, previously appeared in Netflix's "Tick, Tick... Boom!" movie and has established a career on the stage with roles in "Hamilton," "Carousel," "American Idiot," "In the Heights" and "The Scottsboro Boys."
