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Who Is Aaron Lazar? Know More About Broadway Star As He Opens Up About 'Fighting' ALS
Aaron Lazar is dealing with a lot medically. The Broadway legend made the brave choice of not fighting ALS, with which he was diagnosed in 2022. Here is everything you need to know about him:
Aaron Lazar wears many hats. He is a singer, an actor, and an entrepreneur as well. He is widely known for his work on Broadway, television, film, and concerts. The exemplary actor steers clear of headlines and lives a tranquil life. But recently, he’s been in the news for his medical battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which was diagnosed in 2022. But the actor made the brave choice of not fighting. Here is everything you need to know about him:
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Who is Aaron Lazar?
Aaron Scott Lazar was born on June 21, 1976. He is an American actor, singer, and entrepreneur who has appeared on Broadway, television, in films, and at concerts. Lazar was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West, where he participated in musicals and threw the discus and javelin. Lazar also attended Duke University, where he got a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, while also taking the required classes for medical school and taking the MCAT. He received his MFA in musical theater from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Moving on to his career, Lazar has eleven Broadway and national tour credits, including The Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma!, The Last Ship, Impressionism, A Little Night Music, Dear Evan Hansen, Les Misérables (a Drama Desk Award nominee), and The Light in the Piazza.
Since he started to perform at the age of nine, Lazar has appeared in over forty professional shows, including A New Brain and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at New York City Center Encores! In 2007, he played Lieutenant Joseph Cable in the Hollywood Bowl production of South Pacific. In 2016, he appeared as Franklin Shepard in a Los Angeles production of Merrily We Roll Along. He most recently appeared in The Secret Garden, a pre-Broadway production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. He also participated in a workshop production of Anastasia.
Speaking of acting, Lazar has appeared in more than 20 television episodes, including the character of Reverend Paul Thomas on Fox's Filthy Rich. He has also appeared in the films The Wolf of Wall Street, This Is Where I Leave You, J. Edgar, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Besides acting, he is also a singer. Lazar has appeared as a guest artist and soloist with some of the world's top symphonies, including the New York Philharmonic, the NYPops, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Masada, as well as his own one-man shows Broadway to Hollywood and All For You, with Tony nominee Kate Baldwin, maestro Luke Frazier, and members of the American Pops Orchestra.
His voice can be heard on several Broadway and off-Broadway cast CDs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lazar collaborated with a group of Broadway friends and parents to create the album Broadway Lullabies, which features reinterpreted Broadway songs to comfort families.
Aaron Lazar’s battle with ALS
Aaron Lazar made a dramatic decision when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in January 2022: he would not fight. In an interview with People, the stage veteran said, "Don't get me wrong; I'm passionately fighting for my life; I'm just not fighting the disease. I've learned to surrender to ALS in a way that allows me to enjoy the moments between life's peaks and valleys. I do not want to miss them.
Some people may be afraid of what is ahead. However, Lazar decided not to live life afraid and instead focused on healing himself emotionally, spiritually, and, yes, physically. He said, "Life's very nuanced. It's not black and white. I thought it was. I had a movie vision of life, and I intended to be a hero. I've always been successful at anything I put my all into. I had the energy of Rocky, you know? 'Never give up, never quit.' But now I see that in order to survive this, I need to recover rather than try to fight it like an opponent. This is a neurological illness.”
That unshakable optimism is demonstrated in the face of a severe illness with no known cure. ALS, often known as Lou Gehrig's disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in a loss of muscular control that frequently confines sufferers to their own bodies, unable to move, speak, swallow, or, eventually, breathe.
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