Bio
Stef Tovar is a Jeff Award winning professional actor with over twenty-five years in the business. Stef has lived and worked in both Los Angeles and Chicago, where he currently resides. He founded Route 66 Theatre Company in 2008 with its inaugural production of ON AN AVERAGE DAY, playing the role of Jack in both Los Angeles and Chicago and is the company’s Artistic Director. Most recently for Route 66, Stef played Don in the Chicago premiere of Halley Feiffer's A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY UNIT AT MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER OF NEW YORK CITY, directed by Keira Fromm. He then reprised his role as Nolan in William Donnelly's NO WAKE Off-Broadway, at 59E59 Theaters in New York City. Other Route 66 roles include Miller in the critically acclaimed production of THE DOWNPOUR at Greenhouse Theater Center (nominated for five 2015 Jeff Awards including Best Production); Rob in the Chicago premiere of the musical HIGH FIDELITY and Noah in the world premiere of A TWIST OF WATER, which had a sold-out run in Chicago before transferring Off-Broadway to 59E59 Theaters in New York.
Most recently, Stef reprised his role as Knute Rockne in the American Musical Theatre Project's SOMETHING IN THE GAME, directed by David H. Bell. Last winter, he was seen as Doug in the Chicago premiere of BOY at TimeLine Theatre, directed by Damon Kiely. Other Chicago credits include Edward Bloom in the Midwest regional premiere of BIG FISH and Cookie in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT at Theatre at the Center. Stef played the role of Peter Stossel in Mercury Theater Chicago’s production of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER for 4 years. He was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Luther Billis in SOUTH PACIFIC at the Marriott Theatre. Stef also has played Franz in APPROPRIATE at Victory Gardens directed by Gary Griffin; Harold Hill in the critically acclaimed Paramount Theatre production of THE MUSIC MAN directed by Rachel Rockwell; Bernard in BOEING BOEING directed by Dennis Zacek at Drury Lane Theatre; Jeffrey Skilling in ENRON for TimeLine Theatre; Kenneth Tally Jr. in FIFTH OF JULY for Oak Park Festival Theatre; David O’ Selznick in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS at Fox Valley Rep, as well as shows at Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, American Blues and Apple Tree Theatre, where he won a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Vinal in BLADE TO THE HEAT, also directed by Gary Griffin. His Los Angeles credits include George in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, Jamie in THE LAST FIVE YEARS (L.A. premiere); Homer in FLOYD COLLINS (L.A. premiere) and Che in a national tour of EVITA. Stef's Recent film credits include THE UNTITLED BOBBY ROBERTS PROJECT (with Fred Willard); OLYMPIA and WIDOWS; (with Colin Farrell) directed by Steve McQueen. Other film credits include Kenny in EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH directed by Mitch Rouse (with Matt Dillon, Steve Zahn and Christina Applegate), which premiered at Sundance in 2004; Dan in the award winning THE GYMNAST, directed by Ned Farr; and CONTAGION, directed by Steven Soderbergh, giving some very bad news to Matt Damon as Dr. Arrington. On television, Stef was seen as Daniel Schwartz the premiere season of CHICAGO FIRE as well as BOSS and the 2018 season finale of EMPIRE. Stef is represented by Stewart Talent in Chicago and is the proud father of Sam.
Upcoming projects include THE AERIALIST (reprising his role as Dan in the sequel to the award-winning THE GYMNAST) filming in Los Angeles in October); Harry in Drury Lane Theatre's upcoming MAMMA MIA directed by Bill Osetek (January 2019)) and making his debut at The Court Theatre in THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH, adapted from the Saul Bellow's novel by David Auburn and directed by Charles Newell (Spring 2019).
Most recently, Stef reprised his role as Knute Rockne in the American Musical Theatre Project's SOMETHING IN THE GAME, directed by David H. Bell. Last winter, he was seen as Doug in the Chicago premiere of BOY at TimeLine Theatre, directed by Damon Kiely. Other Chicago credits include Edward Bloom in the Midwest regional premiere of BIG FISH and Cookie in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT at Theatre at the Center. Stef played the role of Peter Stossel in Mercury Theater Chicago’s production of THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER for 4 years. He was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Luther Billis in SOUTH PACIFIC at the Marriott Theatre. Stef also has played Franz in APPROPRIATE at Victory Gardens directed by Gary Griffin; Harold Hill in the critically acclaimed Paramount Theatre production of THE MUSIC MAN directed by Rachel Rockwell; Bernard in BOEING BOEING directed by Dennis Zacek at Drury Lane Theatre; Jeffrey Skilling in ENRON for TimeLine Theatre; Kenneth Tally Jr. in FIFTH OF JULY for Oak Park Festival Theatre; David O’ Selznick in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS at Fox Valley Rep, as well as shows at Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, American Blues and Apple Tree Theatre, where he won a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Vinal in BLADE TO THE HEAT, also directed by Gary Griffin. His Los Angeles credits include George in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, Jamie in THE LAST FIVE YEARS (L.A. premiere); Homer in FLOYD COLLINS (L.A. premiere) and Che in a national tour of EVITA. Stef's Recent film credits include THE UNTITLED BOBBY ROBERTS PROJECT (with Fred Willard); OLYMPIA and WIDOWS; (with Colin Farrell) directed by Steve McQueen. Other film credits include Kenny in EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH directed by Mitch Rouse (with Matt Dillon, Steve Zahn and Christina Applegate), which premiered at Sundance in 2004; Dan in the award winning THE GYMNAST, directed by Ned Farr; and CONTAGION, directed by Steven Soderbergh, giving some very bad news to Matt Damon as Dr. Arrington. On television, Stef was seen as Daniel Schwartz the premiere season of CHICAGO FIRE as well as BOSS and the 2018 season finale of EMPIRE. Stef is represented by Stewart Talent in Chicago and is the proud father of Sam.
Upcoming projects include THE AERIALIST (reprising his role as Dan in the sequel to the award-winning THE GYMNAST) filming in Los Angeles in October); Harry in Drury Lane Theatre's upcoming MAMMA MIA directed by Bill Osetek (January 2019)) and making his debut at The Court Theatre in THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH, adapted from the Saul Bellow's novel by David Auburn and directed by Charles Newell (Spring 2019).
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