Actor Tim Wright shares his journey from growing up in Albany to appearing in hit Broadway productions

Tim Wright is an accomplished stage and screen actor, appearing in Broadway shows and alongside big US names including stars from Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy, but his career all started performing in school musicals in his childhood home of Albany. Wright is now based in Melbourne with his family after spending about 12 years living in the US. He recently returned to his home country after spending several months appearing in the Broadway revival of Take Me Out, a baseball-based comedy drama. The production almost didn’t happen, falling victim to delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I got the job a few years ago now, pre-pandemic,” Wright said. “We were due to start rehearsals, I think on a Monday and on the Saturday before that, just a few days prior, Broadway was shut down with COVID.” As it became clear that COVID was sticking around, Wright and his wife Emma and their two young sons Lachlan and Harrison moved across the world to New Zealand as they were unable to get into Australia. Wright was kept in the loop with regular updates on the show’s status and it was eventually confirmed to start in April this year. The actor decided to return to New York City on his own for the duration of the show, leaving his family behind. “It was a big decision to go back and do it but I really wanted to be a part of Broadway coming back,” he said. “It was a job I really wanted to do, but it was also extra appealing knowing it was going to be a part of this season where Broadway returns and what a big deal that is for the artistic community and especially for New York City as well.” Wright served as the understudy to Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who played the role of Mason Marzac, one of the lead characters alongside Suits’ Patrick J. Adams and Jesse Williams, who appeared in Grey’s Anatomy. “Understudying is kind of a strange job because you do a tonne of work, a lot of it sort of by yourself, and you just don’t know if you’re going to be needed or not,” Wright said. During the run of the show, Ferguson was struck down by a virus and bowed out for two shows as he recovered, allowing Wright to step in. “He was on 48 hours of vocal rest so I got to go on for those shows which was amazing, like really kind of the highlight of my theatrical career, I would say,” he said. “The audience response was incredible and the cast and everyone was incredibly supportive. “And it really was an amazing couple of shows and made the whole thing worthwhile for me, because it was hard being away from my family, but that really made it worthwhile.” The play’s run was extended and closed the day before the prestigious Tony Awards, recognising the top Broadway theatre performances of the year, which Wright attended with the Take Me Out cast. The show received Best Revival of a Play and Wright and the cast ran on stage to collect the trophy. Ferguson was awarded Best Actor in a Play — and even gave Wright a shout-out in his acceptance speech. He said throughout the night there was a focus on the role understudies had played in helping productions survive the pandemic. “I think with COVID and the cancellations and stuff, understudies have kind of come to the fore a little bit more, or audiences I think now have a greater awareness of what that role is and are grateful that those people are around to keep shows up,” he said. The performance capped off several years of success on Broadway for the actor, who starred in the smash-hit production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for two years before touring it around the US for a year. Wright’s career has also taken him into film, including appearing twice alongside Heath Ledger, once in Two Hands, Wright’s first film role, and again opposite the late actor in a scene in Ned Kelly. After completing a nursing degree out of high school and working as a nurse, Wright decided to follow his passion for acting and attended the WA Academy of Performing Arts. His love of performing began as a child in Albany, singing in the choir at Spencer Park Primary School and in school musicals. Later, as a student at Albany Senior High School, he joined the CoCo Youth Theatre where his passion for acting blossomed and he had the opportunity to write and tour shows. Wright has fond memories of spending his Saturdays playing soccer in Centennial Park and is looking forward to introducing his sons to the sights of Albany he remembers from his childhood — including Frenchman Bay, Cosi’s Cafe and pizza at Venice — when his family returns to Albany for Christmas this year. For now though, he is focusing on spending time with his sons and re-establishing his career in Australia. “I kind of always felt we would end up back in Australia, because this is where our family and most of our friends are,” Wright said. “And as much as America had to offer, there was always a kind of pull drawing us back here.”