David Cryer

Donald David Cryer is a veteran American stage, television and film actor and singer and one of the founders of San Franciscos American Conservatory Theater which began in Pittsburgh and New Yorks Mirror Repertory Theatre. In recent years, he is best known for the role of Firmin in The Phantom of the Opera, which he has played for nearlyyears on the road and on Broadway. He has also played more performances of the Bernstein Mass, as The Celebrant and more performances as Juan Peron in Evita than any other actor. Cryer and his first wife, the songwriter Gretchen Cryer, are the parents of the actor Jon Cryer and his sister Robin Cryer Hyland. With his second wife, the dancer and actress Britt Swanson, he is the father of four children Rachel, Daniel, Carolyn, and Bill. He has eight grandchildren.

Cryer was born Donald David Cryer in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Pauline and Donald Walter Cryer , a wellknown Methodist minister in the West Ohio Conference. At the time of his birth, his father was attending Garrett Biblical Institute at Northwestern University. He grew up in Toledo, Carey, Westerville, and Findlay, Ohio, where his father served congregations he graduated from Findlay High School in 1954. He has three siblings Jonathan Douglas a retired professor of statistics and actuarial science at The University of Iowa, Daniel Walter Cryer author of a biography of theologian Forrest Church as well as a former Newsday critic and Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Mary Kathleen a teacher. His mother Pauline died in 1952. His father married Mary Garrison in 1955, adding stepsiblings William, Katherine and Rebecca Garrison.

Source: Wikipedia