Thomas Grant Gustin (born January 14, 1990) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Barry Allen / The Flash on The CW series The Flash (2014–2023) as part of the Arrowverse and as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series Glee. Trained in musical theater, his first major credit was as part of the 2010 national tour of West Side Story; he returned to theater in the original Broadway production of Water for Elephants, originating the starring role of Jacob Jankowski.
Grant Gustin | |
|---|---|
 Gustin in 2023 | |
| Born | Thomas Grant Gustin January 14, 1990 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse |
Andrea "LA" Thoma (m. 2018) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Thomas Grant Gustin was born on January 14, 1990,[1] in Norfolk, Virginia. He is the son of Tina Haney, a pediatric nurse, and Thomas Gustin, a college professor.[2][3][4] During his high school years, he attended the Governor's School for the Arts program in Norfolk for musical theater. He also went to Hurrah Players Incorporated which is a theater organization in Virginia. In 2008, he graduated from Granby High School and went on to attend the BFA Music Theater Program at Elon University in North Carolina for two years.[5] He has been a friend of actor Chris Wood since college.[6]
Career
Gustin's first known screen role came while he was still in high school in the film Rain (2004). In this student film, by director/producer Neil Grochmal, during his studies at Regent University. Gustin plays a young mute who dreams of a man's tragic loss of his wife in a robbery, then later crosses paths with the man, stirring visions that help the man solve the mystery of who murdered his wife. Grochmal said Gustin showed raw talent and figured the youngster would be a future achiever in acting.[7]
In 2010, Gustin left school to take the role of Baby John in the Broadway Revival Tour of West Side Story, and performed with the tour from its opening on September 30, 2010, through September 23, 2011.[5][8][9]
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Glee
On November 8, 2011, he debuted on the television series Glee as Sebastian Smythe, an openly gay member of the Dalton Academy Warblers.[5] Gustin won the recurring role of Sebastian, a promiscuous and scheming character, after "an exhaustive, weeks-long casting search". He originally auditioned for a background role as a tap dancer but did not get the part. However, Ryan Murphy kept him in mind.[10] He began filming the role early on Monday, September 26, 2011, after having finished his final West Side Story performance the previous Friday night.[11] In January 2012, Naya Rivera (as her character Santana Lopez) and Gustin (as Smythe) performed "Smooth Criminal" as a duet in the season three episode "Michael", backed by musical duo 2Cellos. The song was filmed in a similar environment as the 2Cellos music video, in a room surrounded by empty chairs as the two musicians play. This cover debuted and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 10 on the Billboard Digital Songs, and number 28 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart during the week of February 18, 2012.[12]
In 2012, Gustin began filming A Mother's Nightmare, an original film for the Lifetime network, in late May. The project also stars actresses Annabeth Gish and Jessica Lowndes and was shot in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.[13] On July 11, 2012, it was announced that Gustin had landed a major role in the independent film Affluenza.[14]
The Flash
On September 13, 2013, it was announced that Gustin would play Barry Allen in the second season of Arrow. He was initially supposed to appear in three episodes, the last one serving as the backdoor pilot for a potential spin-off Flash series.[15] However, the backdoor pilot plan was dropped in favor of a standalone pilot, titled The Flash.[16] The pilot was picked up with an initial order of thirteen episodes, and the series premiered on October 7, 2014, with 4.8 million viewers, the most for a premiere on The CW in five years.[17][18] With 184 episodes aired across nine seasons in total, The Flash concluded on May 24, 2023.[19] As part of the greater Arrowverse, Gustin reprised his role as Allen on Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow, as well as the web series Vixen.
Additional roles
On March 30, 2016, it was announced that Gustin would star in William H. Macy's film Krystal.[20] The film premiered in 2017 at the Virginia Film Festival and was released on April 13, 2018, by Great Point Media and Paladin[21] In March 2020, Gustin was cast in Operation Blue Eyes as Barry Keenan.[22]
Personal life
Gustin announced his engagement to Andrea "LA" Thoma on April 29, 2017,[23] and they married on December 15, 2018.[24] They have two children: a daughter born in 2021 and a son born in 2024.[25][26]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Kid Fitness Jungle Adventure Exercise Video | Club Fit Kid | Direct-to-video |
| 2004 | Rain | Logan | Regent University Student Film |
| 2014 | Affluenza | Todd Goodman | |
| 2017 | Krystal | Campbell Ogburn | |
| 2018 | Tom and Grant | Grant | Short film |
| 2022 | Rescued by Ruby | Dan | Netflix film |
| 2023 | Puppy Love | Max | [27] |
| TBD | Operation Blue Eyes | Barry Keenan | Upcoming project[22] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | A Haunting | Thomas (Stacy's boyfriend) | Episode: "Hungry Ghosts" |
| 2011–2013 | Glee | Sebastian Smythe | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| 2012 | CSI: Miami | Scott Ferris / Trent Burton | Episode: "Terminal Velocity" |
| A Mother's Nightmare | Chris Stewart | Television film | |
| 2013 | 90210 | Campbell Price | Recurring role; 8 episodes |
| 2013–2020 | Arrow | Barry Allen / The Flash [a] | Recurring role; 14 episodes |
| 2014–2023 | The Flash | Lead role; 184 episodes | |
| 2016–2019 | Supergirl | 5 episodes | |
| 2016–2020 | Legends of Tomorrow | 4 episodes (2 voice, 2 live) | |
| 2019 | Batwoman | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two" | |
| 2023 | Titans | Episode: "Dude, Where's My Gar?" |
- ^ Also makes appearances as Hannibal Bates / Everyman in the episode "Who Is Harrison Wells?", Barry Allen (Earth-2) in the episodes "Welcome to Earth-2" and "Escape from Earth-2", and Harrison Wells in the episodes "Gone Rogue" and "All's Wells That Ends Wells".
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2016 | Vixen | Barry Allen / Flash | Voice; 8 episodes |
Theater
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | All Shook Up | Dean Hyde | Regional | [28] |
| 2010–2011 | West Side Story | Baby John | Broadway revival tour | [29] |
| 2024 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Producer | Broadway one night cameo | [30] |
| Water for Elephants | Jacob Jankowski | Original Broadway production | [31] |
Discography
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
CAN [32] |
IRL [33] |
UK [34] |
US [35] | |||
| "Uptown Girl" | 2011 | — | 93 | — | 140 | 68 | Glee: The Music, Volume 7 |
| "Bad" | 2012 | — | 90 | — | 193 | 80 | Glee: The Music, The Complete Season Three |
| "Smooth Criminal" with Naya Rivera (featuring 2Cellos) | 59 | 28 | 46 | 86 | 26 | ||
| "I Want You Back" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Stand" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Glad You Came" | — | 74 | — | — | 90 | ||
| "Live While We're Young" | — | — | — | — | — | Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1 | |
| "Super Friend" with Melissa Benoist | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | The Flash – Music from the Special Episode: Duet |
| "Runnin’ Home to You" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards | 2024 | Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male) | Water for Elephants | Won | [36] |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | 2021 | Best Actor in a Superhero Series | The Flash | Nominated | [37] |
| 2023 | Best Actor in a Superhero Series | The Flash | Nominated | [38] | |
| IGN Awards | 2014 | Best TV Hero | The Flash | Won | [39] |
| 2015 | Best TV Hero | The Flash | Nominated | [40] | |
| IGN People's Choice Awards | 2014 | Best TV Hero | The Flash | Nominated | [39] |
| 2015 | Best TV Hero | The Flash | Won | [40] | |
| Kids' Choice Awards | 2015 | Favorite TV Actor | The Flash | Nominated | [41] |
| 2016 | Favorite Male TV Star — Family Show | The Flash | Nominated | [42] | |
| 2018 | Favorite TV Actor | The Flash | Nominated | [43] | |
| 2019 | Favorite Male TV Star | The Flash | Nominated | [44] | |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | 2017 | Best Hero | The Flash | Nominated | [45] |
| 2018 | Best Hero | The Flash | Nominated | [46] | |
| Poppy Awards | 2015 | Best Actor, Drama | The Flash | Nominated | [47] |
| Saturn Awards | 2015 | Breakthrough Performance | The Flash | Won | [48] |
| Best Actor on Television | The Flash | Nominated | [49] | ||
| 2016 | Best Actor on Television | The Flash | Nominated | [50] | |
| 2017 | Best Actor on Television | The Flash | Nominated | [51] | |
| 2019 | Best Actor on a Television Series | The Flash | Nominated | [52] | |
| 2021 | Best Actor on a Television Series | The Flash | Nominated | [53] | |
| SFX Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | The Flash | Nominated | [54] |
| Teen Choice Awards | 2015 | Choice TV – Breakout Star | The Flash | Won | [55] |
| Choice TV – Chemistry (shared with Candice Patton) | The Flash | Nominated | |||
| Choice TV – Liplock (shared with Candice Patton) | The Flash | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi | The Flash | Won | [56] | |
| Choice TV: Chemistry (shared with Candice Patton) | The Flash | Nominated | |||
| Choice TV: Liplock (shared with Candice Patton) | The Flash | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | Choice Action TV Actor | The Flash | Won | [57] | |
| Choice TV Villain | The Flash | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Choice Action TV Actor | The Flash | Won | [58] | |
| Choice TV Ship (shared with Candice Patton) | The Flash | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Choice Action TV Actor | The Flash | Nominated | [59] |
References
- ^ Rose, Mike (January 14, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 14, 2023 includes celebrities Dave Grohl, Carl Weathers". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ "UPI Almanac for Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021". United Press International. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
…actor Grant Gustin in 1990 (age 31)
- ^ Ollison, Rashod (January 31, 2012). "More 'Glee' time for Norfolk actor Grant Gustin". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Elon University[dead link]
- ^ a b c "Norfolk actor lands a role on TV's 'Glee'". The Virginian-Pilot. October 27, 2011. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (March 20, 2017). "Grant Gustin on Being Back in his element". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
...But the weirdest person is actually Chris Wood, because we went to Elon University together, we were musical theater majors together, and we were very good friends in school.
- ^ Ward, Steven. "Neil Grochmal, Virginia Beach, Virginia, October 11, 2020" (Interview).
- ^ "West Side Story Tour Announces Cast". BroadwayWorld.com. August 23, 2010. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ Gustin, Grant [@grantgust] (September 23, 2011). "Premature last performance with #WSS tonight. It's been such an amazing year! I will miss you all so much" (Tweet). Retrieved September 30, 2011 – via Twitter.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (September 27, 2011). "Glee Exclusive: New Gay Warbler to Come Between Kurt and Blaine!". TVLine. PMC. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ Gustin, Grant (September 26, 2011). "@grantgust: Early morning. First day on set. #surreal". Twitter. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ Trust, Gary (February 10, 2012). "Weekly Chart Notes: Madonna, Michael Jackson, 'Godspell'". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 21, 2012). "'Glee's' Grant Gustin to Star in Lifetime Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (July 11, 2012). "'Glee' Star Grant Gustin Lands Lead in Indie Film 'Affluenza' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (September 13, 2013). "'Glee' Star Set as CW's Flash". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 18, 2013). "CW's 'The Flash' To Do Stand-Alone Pilot Instead Of 'Arrow' Backdoor Pilot Episode". Deadline Hollywood. PMC. Archived from the original on November 19, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 8, 2014). "Fall TV Scoop: In talks to do theatrical release of The Flash Movie (2018)The CW Orders Four Dramas, Including Flash, iZombie and Jane the Virgin, Passes on Supernatural Spin-Off". TVLine. PMC. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (October 8, 2014). "Ratings: The Flash Hits the Ground Running, CW's Best Debut in 5 Years; ABC Sitcoms Tumble, POI Slips". TVLine. PMC. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 1, 2022). "'The Flash' To End With Season 9 On the CW, Final Episode Count Revealed". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
- ^ Patterson, Michael (March 30, 2016). "Grant Gustin Lands Major Film Role". moviepilot.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ^ "'Love, Simon' Star Nick Robinson Falls for a Stripper in 'Krystal' Trailer (Exclusive) | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ a b N'Duka, Amanda (March 11, 2020). "'The Flash' Star Grant Gustin To Play Frank Sinatra Jr.'s Kidnapper In 'Operation Blue Eyes'; Joe Mantegna Directing Film". Deadline. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- ^ Petit, Stephanie (April 30, 2017). "The Flash Star Grant Gustin Is Engaged to Girlfriend LA Thoma — Check Out Her Ring!". People. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
- ^ Johnson, Zach (December 17, 2018). "The Flash Star Grant Gustin and LA Thoma Are Married". E! Online. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (August 17, 2021). "The Flash's Grant Gustin, Wife LA Thoma Welcome Baby Daughter Juniper Grace Louise: 'Obsessed'". People. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ Becker, Emma Aerin (September 12, 2024). "Grant Gustin and Wife LA Thoma Welcome Second Baby, Son Arthur: 'Love This Little Family'". People. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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- ^ gutenberg
- ^ Evans, Greg (November 3, 2023). "'The Flash's Grant Gustin To Make Broadway Debut In 'Water For Elephants' Musical". Deadline. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ Peak chart positions for singles in Canada:
- "Smooth Criminal" and "Bad": "Canadian Hot 100: Week of February 18, 2012 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- "Uptown Girl": "Canadian Hot 100: Week of November 26, 2011 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- "Glad You Came": "Canadian Hot 100: Week of March 10, 2012 (Biggest Jump)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ^ "Smooth Criminal": "Irish Music Charts Archive: Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 15 March 2012". Chart-Track. GfK. March 15, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ Peak positions for singles in the United Kingdom:
- "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal": "UK Singles Chart: CLUK Update (17 March 2012 – week 10)". Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- "Uptown Girl": "UK Singles Chart: CLUK Update (19 November 2011 – week 45)". Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ Peak chart positions for singles in the United States:
- "Smooth Criminal" and "Bad": Grein, Paul (February 8, 2012). "Week Ending Feb. 5, 2012. Songs: Madonna & MJ". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- "Uptown Girl": Grein, Paul (November 16, 2011). "Week Ending Nov. 13, 2011. Songs: Taylor & Kenny". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- "Glad You Came": Grein, Paul (February 29, 2012). "Week Ending Feb. 26, 2012. Songs: Clarkson Sets "Idol" Record". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- ^ Merrily We Roll Along, The Great Gatsby and More Win Big at 2024 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards
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- ^ a b "Best of 2014: Television". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ a b "IGN's Best of 2015". IGN. Ziff Davis. January 28, 2016. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
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- ^ Brown, Tracy (April 29, 2015). "Saturn Awards: Noah Wyle and Grant Gustin among special honorees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^ "The 41st Annual Saturn Awards Winners 2015". Saturn Award. Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. June 25, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
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- ^ McNary, Dave (March 2, 2017). "Saturn Awards Nominations 2017: 'Rogue One,' 'Walking Dead' Lead". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
- ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (July 15, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame', 'Game of Thrones' Lead the 2019 Saturn Awards Nominations". Collider. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 4, 2021). "Saturn Awards Nominations: 'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker', 'Tenet', 'Walking Dead', 'Outlander' Lead List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "Vote in the SFX Awards 2015! Poll Now Closed". GamesRadar+. February 12, 2015. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
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External links
