The Book of Mormon's Josh Gad Recalls Life as a Teenage Tevye

As kids all over America head back to school, Broadway.com decided to ask our favorite Broadway stars to look back at their own years in the classroom, sharing memories of favorite subjects and activities and describing their younger selves. Though The Book of Mormon's Tony-nominated star Josh Gad doesn't think he's changed too much since his school days, he confesses to feeling sentimental whenever he hears "Forever Young."

Who was your favorite teacher and why?
My favorite teacher was Brent Pesola, my speech and theater teacher in high school. He gave me the opportunities to hone my skills and allowed me to play [Fiddler on the Roof's] Tevye with the worldliness and life experiences that only a 15-year-old could bring to that role.

What advice would you give to your school-age self?
Lay off the double cheeseburgers, kid. One patty goes a long way.

In school you would have been named "most likely to…"
Play Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon in the 2011 fall season.

What song sums up your school experience and why?
"Forever Young," just because it's on my high school video and it always makes me feel nostalgic.

What’s your favorite back-to-school item?
Those beige pencils where you twist the top and lead comes out. I used to get 80 of them because they made me feel so powerful and smart.

What class did you dread and why?
Anything with the letters M-A-T-H in them, because I can't A-D-D.

What is your most embarrassing school moment?
Building up the nerve to ask out a girl I was really obsessed with and then being flat-out rejected. There wasn't even a "I just want to be friends conversation." It was just, no.

In which extracurricular activities did you participate?
Speech and debate. I was really into forensics. Not the cutting up and dissections of carcasses but the art of speaking and debating.

Describe your school-age self in three words.
Same as now.

Keep checking back for more School Days memories from your favorite stars.