Emmy and SAG nominated actor, musician, and writer Tituss Burgess is quickly emerging as one of the entertainment industry’s most versatile and dynamic performers.
His work in television and theater has generated both critical and commercial acclaim. Burgess will next be seen in Season 2 of the hit Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon. He recently starred as ‘Rooster’ in the 2021 NBC special Annie Live! opposite Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr., Jane Krakowski, and Nicole Scherzinger. He currently stars in Central Park, an animated musical comedy series that follows the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Burgess stars alongside Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, Stanley Tucci, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr. The animated comedy globally premiered on Apple TV+. Burgess was nominated for the 2021 Emmy® for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for his portrayal of ‘Cole Tillerman,’ his sixth Emmy® nomination. Burgess also appeared as ‘Reverend Dr. James Cleveland’ in MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. The film also stars Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Forest Whitaker, and Marc Maron.
Previously, Burgess appeared in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name, alongside Eddie Murphy, Keegan Michael Key, Mike Epps, and Craig Robinson. The film tells the story of performer Rudy Ray Moore, who assumed the role of an iconic pimp named Dolemite during the 1970s and was released Fall 2019. Additionally, he appeared in the Netflix romantic comedy Set It Up alongside Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, Glen Powell, and Zoey Deutch, and lent his voice to two major studio films: The Angry Birds Movie and Smurfs: The Lost Village. Burgess also served as the host of Quibi/Roku’s hit cooking competition, Dishmantled. Most notably, Burgess starred as ‘Titus Andromedon’ in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Recognized for the actor’s scene-stealing performance on the series’ four seasons, Burgess was nominated for four Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series, and two Critics’ Choice TV Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also awarded Best Actor at the 2015 Webby Awards and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy at the 2015 Gold Derby TV Awards. In 2020, Burgess was nominated for another Emmy® for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for reprising his iconic role as ‘Titus Andromedon’ in Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend interactive special, which featured the characters from the original series.
First introduced to television audiences in Tina Fey’s Emmy®-winning NBC series 30 Rock, where he played the scene-stealing ‘D’Fwan,’ a vivacious hairdresser and the sidekick of Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepherd), Burgess quickly became a breakout star in the series’ fifth and sixth seasons. His other television credits include A Gifted Man, Blue Bloods, and Royal Pains.
A veteran of the stage, Burgess made his Broadway debut in 2005 as Eddie in Good Vibrations. Since, he has held many memorable roles on the Broadway stage including Hal Miller in Jersey Boys, Sebastian the Crab in The Little Mermaid, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls.
In 2019, Burgess acquired the rights to the beloved film The Preacher’s Wife. The movie turned Broadway Musical will include an original score and lyrics by Burgess, book by Azie Dungey.
In music, Burgess debuted his third album, Saint Tituss, on July 26, 2019. In its opening week, it was No. 16 on the Billboard Top 100 album sales chart. Most recently, he released his first official dance track, “Dance M.F.” that’s a sultry sexy stomper with an attitude.
Burgess was born and raised in Athens where he attended Cedar Shoals High School and graduated from the University of Georiga with a BA in music. He currently resides in New Jersey.