Gavin James Creel (April 18, 1976 – September 30, 2024) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter best known for his work in musical theater. Over his career he received a Grammy Award, a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award. Creel made his Broadway debut in 2002 in the leading role of Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie before starring as Claude in the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair, both Tony Award–nominated performances. From 2012 to 2015, he starred as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon; he received a Laurence Olivier Award for originating the role in the West End version of the musical and played the role in the U.S. National Tour and on Broadway. He received a Tony Award in 2017 for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway. Creel's other stage credits include La Cage aux Folles (2004), She Loves Me (2016), Waitress (2019), and Into the Woods (2022) on Broadway; Mary Poppins (2006), Hair (2010) and Waitress (2020) in the West End; and the national tours of Fame (1998) and Into the Woods (2023). In 2023, Creel's self-written musical, Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice, had its world premiere Off-Broadway. Primarily a theater actor, his most notable screen acting role is as Bill in Eloise at the Plaza and its Christmas-themed sequel.
