I Believe...in Puppies! The Book of Mormon's Matt Doyle Shows Off His Doggy Duo, Jacob and Laila

Broadway stars greet dozens of admirers daily at the stage door, but sometimes their biggest fans are waiting at home: their dogs! In honor of the annual Broadway Barks dog and cat adoption event (on July 13 in Shubert Alley), we reached out to some of our favorite pet-owning performers and asked them to spill about their loyal four-legged friends. Today, The Book of Mormon star Matt Doyle gave us the dish on his two mixed-breed companions Jacob and Laila.

MATT DOYLE (Elder Price in The Book of Mormon)

What is your pet's name and breed?
Jacob, the little guy, is a Dachshund/Maltese mix. Laila, the big girl, is a Carolina Dog (American Dingo) mix.


How did your pet get its name?
I love a human name on a dog. Jacob has a very wise look about him. I wanted to give him an older gentleman's name. Something professorial. Laila is very striking and cat like. She does her own thing. I wanted to give her a pretty and simple name to match her looks and aloof attitude.


Does your pet know any tricks?
Jacob has started to howl when I do vocal warm-ups in the living room...

What's the funniest thing your pet has done?
Laila catches pigeons on the street. It's a game she likes to play on our morning walks. She stalks them like prey and they usually fly away as she gets close. A couple times, however, the pigeons didn't fly away. If you ever see me on the street yelling at a very satisfied dog, as a very terrified bird hobbles off, you'll know why.


What's the naughtiest thing your pet has done?
Jacob has an affinity for headphones. I'm not sure why, but he's destroyed several pairs over the years. He will dig through an open backpack or purse, leaving everything untouched except for your tasty earbuds. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all of my friends who have lost their headphones in my apartment.

Do you look like your pet?
I don't think anyone could be as pretty as Laila. I look like Jacob on my worst days.