Megan Hilty

Early life

Hilty was born in Bellevue, Washington, the daughter of Donna and Jack Hilty. She began taking vocal lessons at the age of 12, and was interested in performing opera. She attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue, then transferred to the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School in Redmond, and later attended the Chrysalis School, Woodinville.

She graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2004, and is a member of Actors' Equity Association. She is a recipient of the National Society of Arts and Letters Award for Excellence in Musical Theater.

Career

Shortly before graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, Hilty auditioned for the musical Wicked. She moved to New York City after graduating, and in August 2004 made her Broadway debut as the standby for Glinda the Good Witch, before taking over the role from Jennifer Laura Thompson on May 31, 2005. After playing the role for a year, Hilty ended her run on May 28, 2006 and was succeeded by Kate Reinders. She then reprised the role on the first national tour of the show from September through December 2006, replacing Kendra Kassebaum. She was succeeded by Christina DeCicco. Soon after, she originated the role in the Los Angeles sit-down production, which began previews on February 10, 2007, and opened February 21. She left the production on May 18, and was replaced by Erin Mackey, only to return on October 31, 2008, to close the production, which played its final performance January 11, 2009.

Hilty starred in the musical Vanities during its premiere engagement at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in Mountain View, California. In addition to her stage work, Hilty has made guest appearances on various television shows including The Closer, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Ugly Betty, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Desperate Housewives, and Shark. She was the singing voice of Snow White in the animated feature film Shrek the Third.

In 2008, Hilty joined Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, and Marc Kudisch in the musical adaptation of the 1980 film 9 to 5. The production was directed by Joe Mantello, with a pre-Broadway run at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, which opened on September 9, 2008. Hilty had participated in workshops and readings as the character Doralee Rhodes (the character Dolly Parton had played in the film version). The musical began preview performances on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on April 7, 2009, with an official opening on April 30, 2009, closing on September 6, 2009. For this role, Hilty was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

In 2009, Hilty appeared in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation entitled "Deep Fried and Minty Fresh", playing a fast food manager helping out with a murder at Choozy's Chicken. She also appeared in two episodes of Desperate Housewives as the other woman to Carlos' boss. Hilty also lent her talents in Rated RSO: The Music and Lyrics of Ryan Scott Oliver at The Boston Court Performing Arts Center in December 2009, alongside Lesli Margherita, Steve Kazee, Morgan Karr, Natalie Weiss, among others. Hilty also branched off into a coffee and tea product line. In 2010, Hilty confirmed that she would voice the character of the China Princess in the animated film Dorothy of Oz. In 2011, it was announced that she was cast in the NBC musical-drama series Smash, opposite Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston, and Brian d'Arcy James. The series premiered on February 6, 2012 and aired for two seasons.

In May 2012, Hilty appeared in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, as a part of the Encores! staged concert series. She appeared as Lorelei Lee alongside performers Brennan Brown, Simon Jones and Rachel York. Hilty received rave reviews for her performance, with The New York Times rating her performance on par with those of Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe.

In November 2012, it was announced that Hilty would appear on the album I'm Ready: The Songs of Rob Rokicki. Hilty released her debut solo album, It Happens All the Time, on March 12, 2013. On June 13, 2013, it was announced that Hilty would star alongside Sean Hayes in NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World.

In July 2015, it was reported that Hilty would return to Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Noises Off, portraying Brooke Ashton. For her performance in the role, Hilty received nominations for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. That same year, she recurred as Charlene on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. On July 7, 2016, Hilty appeared alongside Matthew Morrison for an evening with The New York Pops at the Forest Hills Stadium, Queens.

Personal life

Hilty was in a relationship with actor Steve Kazee from 2005 until 2012. On November 2, 2013, Hilty married actor Brian Gallagher in Las Vegas, Nevada. In March 2014, she announced that she was expecting their first child. Hilty gave birth to a girl, Viola Philomena Gallagher, on September 18, 2014. On September 24, 2016, she announced that she was pregnant with her second child. Their son Ronan was born on March 13, 2017.