Brooks Ashmanskas

Brooks Ashmanskas (born June 14, 1969) is an American actor. He has appeared both on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as in regional theatres. Ashmanskas has done limited film and television work, appearing in the 2022 Netflix series Uncoupled. He received Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for playing various characters in Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Barry Glickman in The Prom (2018), and Nigel Davies in Smash (2025).

Early life Ashmanskas is originally from Salem, Oregon, but grew up in Beaverton, just outside of Portland. He is of Lithuanian descent. He graduated from Bennington College. He is openly gay.

Career Off-Broadway and Broadway Ashmanskas was in the original productions of Dream (1997), Songs for a New World (Off-Broadway, 1995) and the Broadway revival of Gypsy: A Musical Fable (2003). He was a replacement "Carmen Ghia", starting in 2004, in The Producers, occasionally acting opposite original Carmen Ghia actor Roger Bart as Leo Bloom.

In 2006, he played several characters in the Broadway production of Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical.

He appeared in the Broadway revival of The Ritz as Chris in 2007. He played the character of Mr. Dobitch in the 2010 Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. Also in 2010 he appeared in the Broadway revival of Present Laughter.

Ashmanskas appeared in the stage musical adaption of Bullets Over Broadway, which opened on Broadway in April 2014. In March 2015 he appeared in Something Rotten! on Broadway. In 2016, he appeared in Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.

He starred as Barry Glickman in the original Broadway production of The Prom, which opened in October 2018 at the Longacre Theatre, for which he was nominated for a 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

In 2025, Ashmankas originated the role of Nigel in the Broadway production of Smash. He received a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Nigel, the director of the show.

Regional theatre He appeared in the Arena Stage production of Animal Crackers in 1999.

He has performed at the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, in Present Laughter in 2007 and in She Loves Me in May and June 2008 (which transferred to the Williamstown Theatre Festival in June and July). He appeared in God of Carnage in 2012 as Alan. His appearances at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts, include She Loves Me in 2008, Knickerbocker in 2009 and in July and August 2013 in a new musical, Johnny Baseball.

In 2008, he participated in a staged concert presentation of "Broadway: Three Generations" at the Kennedy Center, appearing in Girl Crazy and Bye Bye Birdie. He performed in Burn This as "Larry" at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, in 2011.

He appeared in the musical 1776 as John Adams at the Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., in 2012.

Credits Theatre

Film

Television Awards and nominations