‘Les Miserables’ Actor Kyle Jean-Baptiste Dead At 21
21-year-old Kyle Jean-Baptiste made Broadway history when he became the understudy for the ‘Les Miserables’ character Jean Valjean. He was able to become both the first African American as well as the youngest actor to ever play Jean Valjean on Broadway. When he wasn’t portraying the role of Valjean, he could be seen playing the role of Courfeyrac and Constable in the Broadway musical. The young actor died after falling from his mother’s fire escape last Friday. The company that produced the ‘Les Miz’ musical released a statement giving their condolences to Jean-Baptiste’s family.
“The entire LES MISERABLES family is shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle, a remarkable young talent and tremendous person who made magic – and history – in his Broadway debut. We send our deepest condolences to his family and ask that you respect their privacy in this unimaginably difficult time.”
Back in July, Kyle Jean-Baptiste told HuffPost Live that it was always his dream to play Valjean when he was a young child. He never thought it would be possible for him to become the first African American actor to portray the role on Broadway. “I had always wanted to play Valjean when I was younger, but never thought it possible on Broadway because I’m black. Now that I’ve done the role, I’ve realized how this news can inspire.”
Kyle Jean-Baptiste was scheduled to join the cast of ‘The Color Purple’ Broadway musical on September 6th. ‘Les Miz’ producer Cameron Mackintosh said that the loss of Kyle is a tragedy to the entire company and he will be truly missed. “The tragic loss of Kyle to our company, just as he was on the threshold of a brilliant career, is a numbing reminder of how precious life is.”
