


The nicest celebrity I’ve met
Killian Donnelly is a great talent, and great to fans
Any time I find out someone I know has met someone who’s well-known, the first question is always “So what were they like?”
That’s probably pretty standard, which is why you find questions like this on Quora (and ones about the rudest celebrities people have met).
Killian Donnelly is an Irish stage actor who was recently on Broadway starring as Charlie in “Kinky Boots,” having previously performed the same role in London. My wife and I saw the show few months ago, the third time we’ve seen him after “The Commitments” and “Memphis” in London.
He is a fantastic talent, with a tremendous voice.
And this wasn’t from a musical, but I’m amazed every time I hear it. Not only is a terrific performance, he makes it look so effortless.
OK, so he’s a talented guy, but every time my wife and I have seen him, I’ve left more impressed because of what happened after the curtain fell.
After each of the times we’ve seen him (and once before), we waiting outside the stage door for him to emerge — a trait of theater I still find endearing but odd. Updating a previous comparison I’ve made on the topic, it’s not like people stand outside the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium to tell Aaron Judge he had a great game.
For the shows we’ve seen in London, it’s more free-form, as fans gathered outside the door without any particular organization. In New York, fans had to line up behind a barrier, but the arrangement was such that the actors had to pass by them on their way out.
And each time, Killian was incredibly nice to everyone — saying hello, signing autographs, taking pictures. But that isn’t unique; most of the people we’ve seen appear to have been friendly, even the ones my wife and I weren’t personally trying to greet.
The thing that was different about Killian, however, is how appreciative he seemed not only that people wanted to see him perform, but meet him afterward. It’s like he was as happy to see his fans as they were to see him.
After finishing with “Kinky Boots,” Killian returned to London and the cast of “Les Miserables” to play Jean Valjean. (He shows up in this video at about the 3:10 mark.)
As my wife and I are planning a trip to London early next year, we’re hoping to be able to see him again.

