MAX CASELLA
Birthdate: June 6, 1967
Born Max Deitch, Max was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His first aspirations as a child were to be involved in art, one that he still pursues today. At age twelve, while still in elementary school, a local high school was running a production of Pippin, one they needed a younger boy cast in. They approached Max with the role, and he accepted. From there, he caught the acting “bug.” Art, however, was another love of his. In the same year he designed the t-shirt for his jr. high school.
Throughout the rest of his school days, Max appeared in many plays. He performed in productions at the Huntington Playhouse, Charles Playhouse and the Next Movie Theater, among others. At Huntington, he received the Massachusetts Drama Festical Award for his outstanding performance in a play. In 1981, still at Huntington, Max appeared in a production of Cyrano de Bergerac, where his professional career blossomed.
He graduated from high school at eighteen, and moved to New York to study theater, and possibly took on the stage name of Casella at this time. He nabbed a job at Theatre 22 and was tutored under veteran actor Sid Armus. When he turned twenty, he spent his summer in London and studied Shakespeare at London Academy. After the semester ended and he returned to the States, he landed guest spots on TV shows Kate and Allie and Equalizer. Shortly afterward, he hit his big break by being cast in a new TV show, Doogie Howser, M.D. as title character Doogie’s best bud, Vinnie Delphino.
He lasted the entire series before branching out into film. He made his debut as wisecracking newsie Racetrack Higgins in the Disney musical, Newsies. For fun behind the scenes, Max and castmember Michael Goorjian wrote, directed, filmed and cast other castmembers in a murder mystery (and filmed with Kevin Stea’s personal video camera). Max also hosted the “Making of Newsies” special.
Max appeared in several other movies after Newsies, but also began pursuing a life-long dream to perform on Broadway. In 1997, his dream was achieved when he was cast in the Disney’s Tony Award winning Broadway debut of The Lion King. Max landed the role of the smart-alecked meerkat, Timon. His performance won him a Drama Desk nomination and a Theatre World award for Outstanding Broadway Debut. He was also featured on the original Broadway recording soundtrack.
After leaving the Lion King, Max went on to star in yet another Broadway musical. This time, he landed the role of Marcellus Washburn in Tony Award nominated The Music Man. He also sings on this soundtrack too. He has recently left the show to pursue screenwriting, and is currently producing a screenplay for 1933 was a Bad Year, directed by Michael Corrente. His screenplay is about a young boy growing up in Boulder, CO., he pursues his love of baseball despite his dad’s opposition. More info when it’s available.
Max has done a voice-over for the Playstation 2 game Jack and Baxter, and may be doing a voice in the sequel game, set to be released soon. He has also appeared in Neil Simon’s play, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and the show is available on videocassette. He's recently recorded Tyler on Primetime, narrating the story by Steve Atinsky (order it here) and Son of the Mob by Gordan Korman. He is also featured in the indie film Chips as the character James. He'll also be voicing an upcoming voiceover of Tom Morrow at Disney’s California Adventure, and was seen on an episode of Law and Order, Criminal Intent.
Recently, he appeared on an episode of the short-lived CBS show, Queens Supreme, and has also done voice-over work on the Cartoon Network show, Courage the Cowardly Dog. Just released is Jak II, where again Max voices Jak's sidekick, Daxter. Max was featured in the November 2003 issue of Nickelodeon Magazine and was featured on E! special "More Child Stars of the 80s."
This just in: it has been confirmed that Max just recently gotten married! Check here for shots of Max and his lovely bride! And since then he has made a guest appearance on Disney's cartoon Kim Possible and will be appearing in an indie film known as Bristol Boys.
Max Casella Randomness
Max Casella to the Maximum!
Sniper's Race Shrine
Max, Racetrack and Timon
Just Max
We Love Max Casella!
The Unofficial Max Casella Site!
Bix’s Max Casella Corner
The VERY Unofficial Max Casella Club
Anna's Max Casella Site
The Music Man Online
The Lion King WWW Archive: The Broadway Musical
FILMOGRAPHY
Bristol Boys (2005) .... Donny
Jak II: Renegade (2003) (VG) (voice) .... Daxter
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) (VG) (voice) .... Daxter
Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, The (2000) (V) (voice) .... Tip
Dinosaur (2000) (voice) .... Zini
Freak Talks About Sex (1999) .... Freak's High School Friend
... aka Blowin' Smoke (1999) (USA: DVD title)
Analyze This (1999) .... Nicky Shivers
Trial and Error (1997) .... Dr. Brown, Psychiatrist
Sgt. Bilko (1996) .... Dino Paparelli
Windrunner (1995) .... Denny LeBlanc
"Adventures of Hyperman, The" (1995) TV Series .... Studd Puppy
Ed Wood (1994) .... Paul Marco
"Cro" (1993) TV Series (voice) .... Cro
Newsies (1992) .... Racetrack Higgins
"Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989) TV Series .... Vinnie Delpino
TELEVISION APPEARANCES
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "All Due Respect" (episode # 5.13) 6 June 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Cold Cuts" (episode # 5.10) 9 May 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Unidentified Black Males" (episode # 5.9) 2 May 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "In Camelot" (episode # 5.7) 18 April 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Irregular Around the Margins" (episode # 5.5) 4 April 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "All Happy Families" (episode # 5.4) 28 March 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Two Tonys" (episode # 5.1) 7 March 2004
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Whitecaps" (episode # 4.52) 8 December 2002
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Eloise" (episode # 4.51) 1 December 2002
"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2001) playing "Nicky" in episode: "Shandeh" (episode # 2.9) 1 December 2002
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "The Strong, Silent Type" (episode # 4.10) 17 November 2002
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Mergers and Acquisitions" (episode # 4.8) 3 November 2002
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Watching Too Much Television" (episode # 4.7) 27 October 2002
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Christopher" (episode # 4.3) 29 September 2002
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "No Show" (episode # 4.2) 22 September 2002
"Legend of Tarzan, The" (2001) (voice) in episode: "Tarzan and the Enemy Within" (episode # 1.9) 9/12/2001
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Telltale Moozadell, The" (episode # 3.9) 4/22/2001
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "He is Risen" (episode # 3.8) 4/15/2001
"Sopranos, The" (1999) playing "Benny Fazio" in episode: "Fortunate Son" (episode # 3.3) 3/11/2001
"Working" (1997) playing "Quentin" in episode: "Greenery"
"Hey Arnold!" (1996) playing "Tony B./Philly D."(voice) in episode: "Cool Jerk" (episode # 1.10) 1996
"Cosby Mysteries, The" (1994) playing "Simon Cosler" in episode: "Comic Book Murder" (episode # 1.12) 1/11/1995
"Kate & Allie" (1984) playing "Max Sheridan" 1989
"Equalizer, The" (1985) playing "Slick" in episode: "Child Broker, The" (episode # 3.13) 1/20/1988
CONTACT
Max Casella
c/o Innovative artists
1999 Ave. of the Stars #2850
Los Angeles CA, 90067
Max Casella
9150 Wilshire Blvd. #205
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
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