John Barrowman /

John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was nine years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and theatre by his high school teachers. He studied performing arts at the United States International University in San Diego before visiting Britain and landing the role of Billy Crocker in Cole Porter's Anything Goes in London's West End. Since his debut in professional theatre, Barrowman has played lead roles in various musicals both in the West End and on Broadway, including Matador, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard. After appearing in Sam Mendes' production of The Fix, he was nominated for the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical and, in the early 2000s, returned to the role of Billy Rocker in the revival of Anything Goes. His most recent West End credit was in the 2009 production of La Cage aux Folles. Aside his career in theatre, Barrowman is also known on British television for his acting and presenting work for the BBC.