Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel - Jewish Actors, Career and Childhood

Violet FieldHome › AmericanIdina MenzelMay 30, 1971356 views

0 based on 0 rates
Idina Menzel Biography Stories 

Idina Menzel's Personal Details

Idina Menzel is an illustrious American actress, theater personality, singer and songwriter

InformationDetail
BirthdayMay 30, 1971
NationalityAmerican
FamousJewish Actors, Film & Theater Personalities, Actresses, Singers
City/StateNew Yorkers
SpousesTaye Diggs
Known asIdina Kim Menzel
Universities
  • Tisch School of Arts
Birth PlaceNew York City, New York, United States
Height163
GenderFemale
FatherStuart Mentzel
MotherHelene Mentzel
Net Worth$10 million
Sun SignGemini
Born inNew York City, New York, United States
Famous asActress
Socials

// Famous Jewish Actors

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf is one of the most popular American film and television actors. This biography profiles his childhood, career, works, achievements, life and timeline.

Jack Black

Jack Black

Jack Black is a renowned American actor-producer and voice artist. Explore this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, career and timeline

Sean Penn

Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn is an Academy award winning American actor, screenwriter and director, known for his films like ‘Mystic River’ and ‘Milk’. If you would like to learn more about his profile, childhood, life and timeline, scroll further.

Idina Menzel's photo

Who is Idina Menzel?

Idina Menzel is an illustrious American actress, theater personality, singer and songwriter, who came to limelight by portraying the lesbian persona of Maureen Johnson in ‘Rent’—a Broadway musical. She also featured in the musical’s movie adaptation, re-enacting the character of Maureen Johnson. She bagged a ‘Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical’ for her poignant depiction of Elphaba in ‘Wicked’, a musical co-composed by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz for Broadway. She has garnered encomiums from fans as well as critics for illustrating Shelby Corcoran in ‘Glee’—a musical comedy drama TV series. That she was a refined singer was established when Hollywood Records released her debut solo album ‘Still I Can’t Be Still’, and she entrenched her crooning skills with the unveiling of records including ‘Here’, ‘I Stand’, and ‘Idina’. She has also appeared in a string of Hollywood movies, notable amongst these being ‘Enchanted’, ‘The Tollbooth, ‘Water’, and ‘Frozen’. However, winning a Grammy for lending her vocals to a song “Let It Go” for the original soundtrack of the Disney movie ‘Enchanted’ has been the crowning glory in her career till date. The song which also won the Academy Award as well as several other awards was Idina’s first and only single to finish at number 5 on Billboard Hot 100 chart.

// Famous Singers

Isaak Presley

Isaak Presley

All about American actor and singer Isaak Presley including his age, birthday, family life, girlfriends, net worth, and some fun facts.

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell is an American singer and songwriter. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, birthday, etc.

Sophia Montero

Sophia Montero

Sophia Montero is an American singer and YouTuber. Let’s have a look at her family and personal life including age, date of birth, net worth, relationships, and fun facts.

Childhood & Early Life

Idina Menzel was born as Idina Kim Mentzel in Syosset hamlet of New York on 30 May 1971. She grew up in Syosset and went to Syosset High School. She graduated from ‘Tisch School of the Arts’ affiliated to New York University, receiving a BFA degree with a major in Drama.

Following the split-up of her parents, Idina was who 15 then, began performing as a Bat Mitzvah and wedding songstress to make ends meet as well as to fund her university education. Eventually, she dropped the‘t’ in her surname, Mentzel, in order to make the pronunciation of her name easier.

Career As a Theater Artist

Idina Menzel debuted at Broadway by successfully auditioning for the role of Maureen Johnson in the musical theater ‘Rent’ in 1995. She earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in ‘Rent’ and appeared as Maureen Johnson for the last time on 1st July, 1997.

Riding on the popularity of the Broadway musical, Menzel launched her debut album ‘Still I Can’t Be Still’ which was promoted by Hollywood Records. She was also part of the original cast of ‘Summer of ‘42’, ‘Hair’ and ‘Aida’.

She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for depicting Kate in the off-Broadway musical theater ‘The Wild Party’. She has also performed in numerous other off-Broadway productions, notable amongst them being ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and ‘See What I Wanna See’.

Idina co-starred with actress-cum singer, Kristin Chenworth, in the theatrical adaptation of ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’—a novel penned by Gregory Maguire. She won the 2004 Tony Award in the category ‘Best Leading Actress in a Musical’ for enacting Elphaba, the protagonist of ‘Wicked’.

Menzel repeated her act as Elphaba when ‘Wicked’ was staged at Apollo Victoria Theater in the West End area of London in 2006. Idina was the most expensive female performer for the entire 3 months the show ran on West End, amassing a cool $30,000 every week.

Idina returned to Broadway in early 2013 featuring in the musical ‘If/Then’ where she played out the character of Elizabeth. This Broadway musical which premiered at National Theater in Washington D.C. began staging in theaters from March 30, 2014 onwards.

She received her 2nd Tony Award nomination for her performance in ‘If/Then’ but ultimately lost out to Jessie Mueller. When the musical was being staged across theaters in different states during a National Tour, she performed as Elizabeth in seven consecutive showings before bowing out for good.

Music Career

Idina gave her debut public performance as singer at the ‘Lilith Fair’ concert in 1998. She recurrently performs in New York City during her nationwide tours. Her first solo record ‘Still, I Can’t Be Still’ was released in 1998 by Hollywood Records.

She released her second record, ‘Here’, independently in 2004 which was endorsed by Zel Records. She featured on the soundtracks of ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Beowulf’, released in 2005 and 2007 respectively. She also sang a duet “What If’ with Rhydian Roberts, the Welsh baritone songster.

Idina unveiled another solo album, ‘I Stand’, her third record, in 2008. The album featured several new tracks and opened at number 58 on Billboard 200 and was her debut album to rank on the chart. Majority of the songs included in the album were composed by her.

On 1 April 2008, Menzel embarked on a musical tour to promote ‘I Stand’ and the first four stops were complete sellouts. She sang the title track from the album during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2008.

On 19 July 2010, Idina crooned “What I Did for Love” and “Defying Gravity” in a Broadway event held in White House where President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama were present. Earlier in 2010, she had embarked on a concert trip titled ‘Barefoot at the Symphony Tour’.

She launched her fourth album, ‘Holiday Wishes’, on 14 October 2014. The album peaked at the 10th spot on the Billboard 200 making it her top charting record.

During the 2014 Billboard Women in Music award ceremonial, Idina was bestowed with the ‘Breakthrough Artist Award’.

On 23rd September 2016, Menzel launched her eponymous fifth album ‘Idina’.

Film & TV Career

Idina’s received a good opportunity to demonstrate her acting skills on the big screen in 2005 when she received an offer to reenact Maureen Johnson in the movie version of the Broadway musical ‘Rent’. Previously, she had played bit roles in films like ‘Tollbooth’, ‘Just a Kiss’, ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’, and ‘Water’.

She played the part of Nancy Tremaine in the movie ‘Enchanted’ in 2007. She recurrently guest starred as Shelby Corcoran in the TV series ‘Glee’. She came back to perform in the third season of ‘Glee’ for the episode ‘I am Unicorn’ where she played the role of a teacher.

Idina carved her name permanently in the hallowed portals of Hollywood when she portrayed Elsa in ‘Frozen’—an animation movie—in 2013. The movie went on to gross about $1.3 billion in global box office proceeds making it the most successful animation film ever. Menzel’s performance was acclaimed by film critics. She also won a Grammy Award for the film’s soundtrack.

Major Works

Idina Menzel in her professional career spanning over 2 decades has performed in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions, films, TV series as well as released a host of indie and studio albums. She’ll be long reminisced for her performances in ‘Rent’, ‘Wicked’, ‘If/Then’, ‘Enchanted’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Glee’ and ‘Julie’s Greenroom’.

Awards & Achievements

In 2003, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Broadway musical 'Wicked'.

In 2014, her song "Let It Go" for the movie 'Frozen', won an Academy Award and a Grammy Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Personal Life & Legacy

Idina Menzel married actor Taye Diggs on January 11, 2013. The couple had a son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, on September 2, 2009. Idina and Taye got divorced on December 3, 2014.

She is in a relationship with actor Aaron and the two got engaged on September 23, 2016.

// Famous Actresses

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.

Riele Downs

Riele Downs

Riele Downs is a Canadian-American actress & Musical.ly star. Let’s take a look at her family and personal life including age, birthday, net worth, boyfriends and fun facts.

Kaylee Quinn

Kaylee Quinn

Kaylee Quinn is an American dancer, model, and actress. Let’s have a look at her family and personal life including age, date of birth, net worth, relationships, and fun facts.

Idina Menzel biography timelines

  • // 30th May 1971
    Idina Menzel was born as Idina Kim Mentzel in Syosset hamlet of New York on 30 May 1971. She grew up in Syosset and went to Syosset High School. She graduated from ‘Tisch School of the Arts’ affiliated to New York University, receiving a BFA degree with a major in Drama.
  • // 1995 To 1st Jul 1997
    Idina Menzel debuted at Broadway by successfully auditioning for the role of Maureen Johnson in the musical theater ‘Rent’ in 1995. She earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in ‘Rent’ and appeared as Maureen Johnson for the last time on 1st July, 1997.
  • // 1998
    Idina gave her debut public performance as singer at the ‘Lilith Fair’ concert in 1998. She recurrently performs in New York City during her nationwide tours. Her first solo record ‘Still, I Can’t Be Still’ was released in 1998 by Hollywood Records.
  • // 2003
    In 2003, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Broadway musical 'Wicked'.
  • // 2004
    Idina co-starred with actress-cum singer, Kristin Chenworth, in the theatrical adaptation of ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’—a novel penned by Gregory Maguire. She won the 2004 Tony Award in the category ‘Best Leading Actress in a Musical’ for enacting Elphaba, the protagonist of ‘Wicked’.
  • // 2005
    Idina’s received a good opportunity to demonstrate her acting skills on the big screen in 2005 when she received an offer to reenact Maureen Johnson in the movie version of the Broadway musical ‘Rent’. Previously, she had played bit roles in films like ‘Tollbooth’, ‘Just a Kiss’, ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’, and ‘Water’.
  • // 2006
    Menzel repeated her act as Elphaba when ‘Wicked’ was staged at Apollo Victoria Theater in the West End area of London in 2006. Idina was the most expensive female performer for the entire 3 months the show ran on West End, amassing a cool $30,000 every week.
  • // 2007
    She played the part of Nancy Tremaine in the movie ‘Enchanted’ in 2007. She recurrently guest starred as Shelby Corcoran in the TV series ‘Glee’. She came back to perform in the third season of ‘Glee’ for the episode ‘I am Unicorn’ where she played the role of a teacher.
  • // 2008
    Idina unveiled another solo album, ‘I Stand’, her third record, in 2008. The album featured several new tracks and opened at number 58 on Billboard 200 and was her debut album to rank on the chart. Majority of the songs included in the album were composed by her.
  • // 1st Apr 2008 To Nov 2008
    On 1 April 2008, Menzel embarked on a musical tour to promote ‘I Stand’ and the first four stops were complete sellouts. She sang the title track from the album during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2008.
  • // 19th Jul 2010
    On 19 July 2010, Idina crooned “What I Did for Love” and “Defying Gravity” in a Broadway event held in White House where President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama were present. Earlier in 2010, she had embarked on a concert trip titled ‘Barefoot at the Symphony Tour’.
  • // 2013 To 30th Mar 2014
    Idina returned to Broadway in early 2013 featuring in the musical ‘If/Then’ where she played out the character of Elizabeth. This Broadway musical which premiered at National Theater in Washington D.C. began staging in theaters from March 30, 2014 onwards.
  • // 2013
    Idina carved her name permanently in the hallowed portals of Hollywood when she portrayed Elsa in ‘Frozen’—an animation movie—in 2013. The movie went on to gross about $1.3 billion in global box office proceeds making it the most successful animation film ever. Menzel’s performance was acclaimed by film critics. She also won a Grammy Award for the film’s soundtrack.
  • // 2014
    During the 2014 Billboard Women in Music award ceremonial, Idina was bestowed with the ‘Breakthrough Artist Award’.
  • // 2014
    In 2014, her song "Let It Go" for the movie 'Frozen', won an Academy Award and a Grammy Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
  • // 14th Oct 2014
    She launched her fourth album, ‘Holiday Wishes’, on 14 October 2014. The album peaked at the 10th spot on the Billboard 200 making it her top charting record.
  • // 23rd Sep 2016
    On 23rd September 2016, Menzel launched her eponymous fifth album ‘Idina’.
  • // 23rd Sep 2016
    She is in a relationship with actor Aaron and the two got engaged on September 23, 2016.

// Famous Film & Theater Personalities

Jacob Elordi

Jacob Elordi

Jacob Elordi is an Australian actor. Let’s take a look at his childhood, family, personal life, career, etc.

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller

Wentworth Miller is an American actor and screenwriter who achieved recognition for his role in the TV series ‘Prison Break’.

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.

Shemar Moore

Shemar Moore

Shemar Moore is a model turned actor best known for his role in the television series ‘The Young and the Restless’. This biography of Shemar Moore provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Riele Downs

Riele Downs

Riele Downs is a Canadian-American actress & Musical.ly star. Let’s take a look at her family and personal life including age, birthday, net worth, boyfriends and fun facts.

Jacob Tremblay

Jacob Tremblay

Jacob Tremblay is a Canadian child actor. Let’s have a look at his family & personal life including age, birthday, relationships, net worth and fun facts.

Idina Menzel's FAQ

  • What is Idina Menzel birthday?

    Idina Menzel was born at 1971-05-30

  • Where is Idina Menzel's birth place?

    Idina Menzel was born in New York City, New York, United States

  • What is Idina Menzel nationalities?

    Idina Menzel's nationalities is American

  • Who is Idina Menzel spouses?

    Idina Menzel's spouses is Taye Diggs

  • What was Idina Menzel universities?

    Idina Menzel studied at Tisch School of Arts

  • How tall is Idina Menzel?

    Idina Menzel's height is 163

  • Who is Idina Menzel's father?

    Idina Menzel's father is Stuart Mentzel

  • Who is Idina Menzel's mother?

    Idina Menzel's mother is Helene Mentzel

  • What is Idina Menzel's sun sign?

    Idina Menzel is Gemini

  • How famous is Idina Menzel?

    Idina Menzel is famouse as Actress

  • What is Idina Menzel's facebook?

    Idina Menzel's facebook is https://www.facebook.com/IdinaMenzel/

  • What is Idina Menzel's twitter?

    Idina Menzel's twitter is https://twitter.com/idinamenzel/

  • What is Idina Menzel's youtube?

    Idina Menzel's youtube is https://www.youtube.com/user/Idinamenzel/

  • What is Idina Menzel's instagram?

    Idina Menzel's instagram is https://www.instagram.com/idinamenzel/