Sebastian Arcelus

Sebastian Arcelus was born on November 5, 1976, in New York City, New York. He grew up in Port Washington, New York, and is a second-generation American of Uruguayan, Italian, and Russian descent. He attended Williams College before embarking on his acting career in the early 2000s. His early career involved a mix of international business firm work, amateur theater, and regional productions, including ‘The Who’s Tommy’ in Newark, New Jersey (2000) and ‘Big River’ in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He honed his stage skills with the Weathervane Theatre repertory company in Whitefield, New Hampshire in 2001, featuring in productions such as ‘Floyd Collins’ and ‘Cabaret.’ He also participated in a bilingual production of ‘West Side Story’ in Guatemala, showcasing his linguistic abilities and international experience.

Arcelus made his Broadway debut in 2002 in ‘Rent,’ initially as a swing covering multiple male roles, including Mark and Roger, and later playing Roger throughout much of 2003 and into 2004. He also lent his voice to English-language dubs of animated TV shows, including ‘Winx Club’ and the ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ franchise. In 2004, he appeared in the movie musical ‘Temptation.’ His Broadway career continued with significant roles, starring as Jan in ‘Good Vibrations’ (2005), Fiyero in the national tour (2006) and then the Broadway production (2007) of ‘Wicked,’ and Bob Gaudio in ‘Jersey Boys’ (2008-2009, and again 2009-2010). He originated the role of Buddy in ‘Elf the Musical’ for its limited Broadway run (2010-2011) and was part of the ‘Where’s Charley?’ concert production (2011).

His transition to screen began to gain prominence with a recurring role as Lucas Goodwin in the Netflix series ‘House of Cards’ (2013–2016) and a main cast role as Jay Whitman in the CBS political drama ‘Madam Secretary’ (2014–2019), appearing in 100 episodes. Film credits include ‘The Last Day of August’ (2012), ‘The Best of Me’ (2014), ‘Ted 2’ (2015), and ‘Split’ (2016). He has also made guest appearances in television series such as ‘The Leftovers,’ ‘FBI,’ and ‘Bull.’ In 2022, he returned to Broadway as the Baker in the revival of ‘Into the Woods,’ a role he reprised for its national tour in 2023, often alongside his wife, Stephanie J. Block. Arcelus has also co-written the musical ‘Gettin’ the Band Back Together,’ which played on Broadway in 2018.