Noah Galvin on Stepping into Dear Evan Hansen’s Blue Polo & Putting Himself on the Map in The Real O’Neals

Unlike the uncertain character of Evan Hansen, Noah Galvin does have a map. Fresh off two seasons of scene-stealing on ABC’s The Real O’Neals, the 23-year-old actor is about to take center stage in the titular role of the Tony-winning smash Dear Evan Hansen beginning on November 21, replacing Tony winner Ben Platt. Though this marks Galvin’s Broadway debut, the Westchester native has been a stage and screen regular since childhood. While he will be sobbing and saaanging as socially awkward Evan Hansen eight times a week at the Music Box Theatre, Galvin is a refreshingly self-assured star on the rise. We caught up with the young performer before his big Broadway bow to talk about his early ambition and the one thing a dream role like Evan Hansen is missing.



I Dreamed a Dream...on the DL
Though his family is chock full of performers (his sister is an actress, his brother is a musician and his cousins are performers as well), Galvin's parents were surprised by his early professional ambition. “I sort of snuck behind their back. I secretly sang over the phone for an agent, who basically right then said, ‘There’s an audition for the tour of Les Miserables later this afternoon. Do you think you could make it?" A couple of weeks later, Galvin nabbed the role of Gavroche, which led to an "upheaval in our house; we had to figure out a way for me to go on tour. My parents both worked full-time, so we hired a 19-year-old guardian. We went on tour together for about nine months. As soon as I started working professionally, I knew I needed to keep doing it.”

Feeling Sheepish
Before he went on tour as a professional, Galvin was in a lot of school plays—and had his share of onstage mishaps. “The first real musical I remember doing was Charlotte’s Web. I played the sheep. My mom had run my lines with me. That was the thing that I was most nervous about. I remember reading the script moments before I went onstage, and I walked out with my script in my hand. Realizing it was in my hand, I threw it backstage. Then there was a moment in the show where there was this long, horrible pause in which someone was supposed to say a line. Guess who that someone was? Finally, it came to me, but it was a strong 30 seconds of silence before I spoke up.”

Getting Real for the Camera
Galvin credits his persistence to landing his breakout TV credit on The Real O'Neals. Without much experience in front of the camera, his learning was hands-on. “I was a capable actor, but I didn’t know what I was doing on camera. I went out to L.A. and tested for a pilot that I didn’t get. The next year, the same exact thing happened. The next year, I auditioned for two pilots. After I bombed the first one, I had 20 minutes to drive across L.A. to ABC to audition for The Real O’Neals. I showed up very harried, feeling downtrodden. They basically sat me down and told me they thought I was really right for the role, but I just had no idea how to be on camera. Our director Todd Holland worked with me for about 35 minutes, and we made the perfect little test tape. My response to the role was, ‘This is mine.’ And then it was.”



Much Love, Mom
While Galvin shares that he does not struggle with anxieties like Evan Hansen, he relates to his character's relationship with his mother. “My parents divorced when I was 13. Unlike Evan, I have a lovely relationship with my father, but both my siblings had left for college at this point, so it was just me and my mom. We have this intense bond because we had to learn how to be roommates and friends and cohorts and comrades and sometimes therapists and everything else.”

The “Getaway” Golden Trio
Of course, we had to ask Galvin about that epic '70s music video starring himself, Ben Platt and Dear Evan Hansen-bound Hello, Dolly! standout Taylor Trensch. “That was totally Ben’s creative child. He took the ‘passing of the polo,’ if you will and spiced it up with some vintage Gucci.”

Five, Six, Seven, Sob!
Galvin participated in workshops [as Jared] for Dear Evan Hansen, but he truly set his sights on the "perfect musical theater role" when he saw his pal Ben Platt perform at a matinee during the musical's premiere in Washington, D.C. “It is truly a showcase of any actor’s abilities. You get to be funny. You get to make people laugh. You get to make people cry. You get to sing for the heavens. You get to do it all. Although, I wish there was a tap number in there, so I could really show off my skills.”



Photos: Emilio Madrid-Kuser | Makeup and Hair: Rachel Estabrook