If you've never heard Jeremy Jordan belt Celine Dion, you're missing out on a transformative experience. Singing, dancing, acting — the actor and Broadway legend can do it all. He can give a soprano a run for their money when it comes to glass-shattering high notes and do a gravelly baritone in the same breath. Jordan is a Tony-nominated performer for his work on Newsies, and he went on to star in a slew of films and TV shows — all while showcasing his natural vocal talent.
Even when projects don't necessarily call for a singing performance, more often than not, Jordan gets the chance to sing a tune (or ten). Even on shows like Supergirl, Jordan has been known to belt a karaoke number, partake in a musical episode, and sing a duet with Melissa Benoist in the series finale. He also played a vital role in the iconic musical series Smash, which inspired the Marilyn Monroe-centric upcoming Broadway musical, Bombshell.
Though the stage is often Jordan's home — whether he's on Broadway or doing a 54 Below showcase — fans who don't live near New York certainly welcome his onscreen performances that make theater accessible to all. We've come a long way since Broadway bootlegs, and it's refreshing to see how a once largely shunned art form has become so integral and universal in the pop culture zeitgeist.
We have actors like Jordan to thank for that. In fact, the actor is going back to his Broadway Rock of Ages roots (where he played a swing and filled in for lead roles on more than one occasion) in the new movie Spinning Gold, which premieres in theatres on March 31. To prepare for another of Jordan's rock-centric music-laced films, fans can rewatch some of his best movie roles — that have some significant vocal work more often than not.
Spinning Gold
In Spinning Gold, Jordan plays a fictionalized version of Casablanca Records founder and music producer legend Neil Bogart as he works with a slate of incredible musicians to get the label off the ground. Jordan leads the movie, and it's clear that he nails the role from his narration during the very first second of the trailer. According to the soundtrack, Jordan participates in four of the film's songs: "Cherry on Top," "Oh Happy Day," "Last Dance," and "Greatest." Fans can pump themselves up for the movie with Jordan's "Last Dance" duet with Tayla Pax — which is already available to listen to. It should come as no surprise that both performers kill it, but fans can hear for themselves on RHINO.
The Last Five Years
There's nothing quite as beautifully tragic as telling the demise of a love story from the beginning and the end simultaneously. In The Last Five Years, Anna Kendrick plays a heartbroken Cathy regaling the tale of her failed marriage from its demise to its start, while Jeremy Jordan plays Jamie, whose saga begins at the dawn of their story.
Both performers nail their roles, giving audiences whiplash as the movie toggles between the tragedy of Cathy's story and the burgeoning love between the couple from Jamie's point of view. Fans will go from hating Jamie to getting swept up in his whimsical charm in the span of minutes — creating a powerful use of storytelling that mirrors memory and the duo's conflicting viewpoints.
Only Jordan could pull off such a dynamic role as Jamie's fun-loving innocence charms fans through "The Schmuel Song" and breaks their hearts during "If I Didn't Believe in You." Every moment of The Last Five Years is raw emotion — whether it's unbridled happiness or pure devastation. Both actors' ability to powerfully emote during their vocals makes it one of Jordan's most influential pieces of work.
Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical!
No one can deny that Jeremy Jordan carries the banner in Disney's Newsies: The Broadway Musical! Jordan originated the role of Jack Kelly in the Broadway adaptation of the '90s Disney movie that puts the newsboy strike of 1899 center stage. Luckily for fans, Jordan reprised the role for the live film five years later.
If Jordan's Brooklyn accent isn't enough to win fans over, his take on Jack’s hope for a better life will do the trick — all while belting the musical's most ambitious numbers. Jordan proves, once again, that he can toggle between infectious charm and making audiences cry in the next breath. The level of emotion Jordan can pack in a single note is unparalleled, and we can't help but hope that Jack finds a better life in Santa Fe — where it's clean and green and pretty.
Joyful Noise
It's no small feat to score a debut feature film alongside the likes of Dolly Parton, Queen Latifa, Jesse L. Martin, and Keke Palmer — to name a few of the icons in Jordan's first movie, Joyful Noise. Jordan plays Parton's onscreen grandson Randy in the movie musical, and neither skips a beat. The film puts a soulful spin on small-town church-based films like Footloose. Naturally, Randy is the wild, seemingly negative influence on the preacher's daughter, who teaches the town how to live a little within the parameters of their spirituality.
Jordan gets to dust off his pipes during the movie, too. He sings a gorgeous rendition of "Maybe I'm Amazed" that shows both the character and actor's depth early on. The Broadway legend also performed the duet "From Here to the Moon and Back" with Parton. Though some moments in the movie haven't aged particularly well, it's a sweet movie with more than a few dynamite performances.
American Son
No matter what role he takes on, Jordan usually infuses a lovable component into his character's DNA — except for the 2019 movie American Son. Here, Jordan plays a cop named Paul Larkin, who shifts between microaggressions to straight-up aggressive racism. The hard-hitting film features an intimate cast in this gut-wrenching story that chronicles a Black mother's terror over her missing son and his run-in with law enforcement.
The movie expertly tackles the subject of police brutality and the systematic racism that exists in the United States. While American Son is one of the few roles that Jordan doesn't vocally perform in, it's one of his most impactful and essential roles of all time. Jordan's stint as the kind of insidious villain the Black community faces daily is purposeful and powerful. People can learn a lot about the prejudices that marginalized groups go through that other people don't have to think about.
Spinning Gold premieres in theatres on March 31st! See it at Regal.
