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Adrian Zmed

Adrian Zmed has built a career that moves easily among film, television, musical theatre and live performance. Born in Chicago on March 14, 1954, he initially played football at Lane Tech High School. A serious leg injury in 1968 ended that path, and acting soon took its place, beginning with a school production of Guys and Dolls. He later studied drama at the Goodman School of Drama and voice at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. That combination of acting and musical training quickly shaped his career. Zmed’s first major professional role was Johnny in the national touring company of Grease. He would return to the musical several times, including Broadway appearances as Danny and the 1995 Broadway revival, when he played the role again at 40. His television debut came in a 1978 episode of Starsky & Hutch, followed by regular roles in Flatbush and Goodtime Girls. Across the 1980s and 1990s, he also appeared on series including Hotel, Empty Nest, Murder, She Wrote and Caroline in the City. After working as Officer Romano on ABC television, he hosted the final two seasons of Dance Fever. On film, Zmed played T-Birds leader Johnny Nogerelli in Grease 2, a role that brought his musical-theatre experience directly to the screen. He followed it with appearances in The Final Terror and Bachelor Party, and later appeared in The Craving Heart. Stage work has remained a steady part of Zmed’s career. His credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, Funny Girl, Children of Eden, Falsettos, Blood Brothers and Chicago. Later performances included Surf the Musical, regional productions of Grease as Teen Angel, and a 2017 UK tour of La Cage aux Folles as Georges. It is a career defined less by one format than by a willingness to keep moving between the screen and the stage.