Bailey Hanks Weidman
Hanks at Mumbai
Born (1988-02-06) February 6, 1988
Anderson, South Carolina
Occupation(s)Stage, television actress, singer, dancer

Bailey Noel Hanks Weidman (born Bailey Noel Hanks; February 6, 1988) is an American singer, actress, and dancer best known for winning MTV's Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods.[1] She performed on Broadway as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical in 2008.[2]

Early life and career

Hanks was born on February 6, 1988, in Anderson, South Carolina,[3][2] to Brad and Angie Hanks. She has one older sister, Brooke, and one younger sister, Bradlee. Her father is a pastor and youth minister in addition to being a highway patrolman, and her mother is a nurse.[3] Hanks attended Westside High School in Anderson. She transferred to and graduated from Pendleton High School in 2006.

Hanks performed the National Anthem for president Bill Clinton in 2000, at age 12.[4][5]

Growing up in local theater, her notable appearances were as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz; Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical the Musical; Elle Woods in Legally Blonde; Baby June in Gypsy; Hello, Dolly!; The Music Man; A Year With Frog and Toad; Annie; Bye Bye Birdie; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; and High Steppin' Country.[6]

Hanks was crowned Miss Liberty Teen 2005[5][7] and competed in the Miss SC Teen Pageant.

She attended Tri-County Technical College in Pendleton, South Carolina, as well as Coastal Carolina University,[3][2] where she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, though she did not graduate.

Career

In 2008 Hanks appeared on the reality television show Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods and was declared the winner. She made her Broadway debut as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde at the Palace Theatre on July 23, 2008,[2] and continued performing in the role until the musical ended its run on October 19, 2008.[8] Later that year she starred as Sharpay Evans in a production of High School Musical which ran from November 5 to December 7, 2008, at the Paper Mill Playhouse.[9]

Hanks appeared in the daytime television soap opera Guiding Light in April 2009.[10]

She played the part of the NYU Tour Guide in the third installment of Touchstone Pictures' "Step Up" franchise. The film, titled Step Up 3D, premiered in August 2010.[11]

Personal life

Hanks currently resides in Piedmont, South Carolina. Hanks is currently Worship Leader at her father's church, Living Hope, and is a hair stylist.[12] Hanks married Jason Weidman in 2014.[13] They have one daughter.[14]

Work

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Legally Blonde: The Musical Elle Woods Broadway debut; Palace Theatre
High School Musical Sharpay Evans Paper Mill Playhouse
2009 VOTE! New York International Fringe Festival[15]
Freckleface Strawberry Emily Manhattan Movement Arts Center
2012 Legally Blonde: The Musical Elle Woods Diablo Theatre Company[16]
Red Mountain Theatre[17]
9 to 5: The Musical Doralee Rhodes Roxy Regional Theatre[18]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods Self Winner
2009 Guiding Light Amy 2 episodes
2010 Meet the Browns
Wiener & Wiener Bridgette's assistant Webseries[19]

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Step Up 3D NYU Tour Guide

References

  1. ↑ "Bailey Hanks Wins MTV Competition And Will Be Next Elle Woods!". BroadwayWorld. July 21, 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hetrick, Adam (2008-07-21). "Omigod! Bailey is New Star of Broadway's Legally Blonde; Three Finalists Also Land Roles". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Simonson, Robert (August 14, 2008). "PLAYBILL.COM'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER With Bailey Hanks". Playbill.
  4. ↑ "Bailey Hanks Biography". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Zielinski, Peter James (July 24, 2008). "Photos: Legally Blonde's Bailey Hanks and 'Bruiser' Meet the Press". BroadwayWorld.
  6. ↑ "Bailey Hanks" broadwayworld.com, accessed February 26, 2019
  7. ↑ "Bailey Hanks will play a bitchy attention starved wannabe actress...I know, it's a stretch". bwaydaily.livejournal.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  8. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (October 19, 2008). "Case Closed: Legally Blonde Ends Broadway Run Oct. 19". Playbill.
  9. ↑ Gans, Andrew (October 7, 2008). "Blonde's Hanks Will Star in Paper Mill's High School Musical". Playbill.
  10. ↑ "Legally Blonde's Bailey Hanks to Appear on CBS' GUIDING LIGHT". BroadwayWorld. February 20, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Step Up 3D (2010) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Bailey Weidman". Blondies the Salon. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Bailey & Jason's Wedding Website". OurWedding.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  14. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (June 1, 2018). "The Oral History of Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods". Playbill.
  15. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (July 13, 2009). "Hanks, Goodwin, Karr and Beard Cast in VOTE! for FringeNYC". Playbill. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  16. ↑ Lipton, Brian Scott (July 14, 2011). "Bailey Hanks to Star in Diablo Theatre Company's Legally Blonde". TheatreMania.
  17. ↑ "Bailey Hanks Leads Red Mountain Theatre Company's LEGALLY BLONDE, Now thru 8/6". BroadwayWorld. July 12, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Roxy Unveils 30th Anniversary Season". Roxy Regional Theatre. April 24, 2012. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013.
  19. ↑ "LEGALLY BLONDE's Bailey Hanks Guests On WIENER & WIENER". BroadwayWorld. January 5, 2010.
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