Idina Menzel is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She became famous for playing Maureen Johnson in the Broadway musical Rent and also appeared in the 2005 movie version of the show. She is best known for voicing Elsa in the animated movie Frozen.
Idina Menzel Biography
Idina Kim Menzel was born on May 30, 1971, in Manhattan. She lived in New Jersey until she was about three years old, then her family moved to Syosset, Long Island, New York. Idina is Jewish.
When she was 15, her parents divorced, and she started working as a singer at weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs. She changed the spelling of her last name from “Mentzel” to “Menzel” to make it easier to pronounce in the U.S. Before working together in Rent, she was friends with actor Adam Pascal.
Family & Husband
Idina Menzel’s parents were Helene Goldberg, a therapist, and Stuart Mentzel, a pajama salesman. She has a younger sister named Cara. Idina’s family is Jewish, and her grandparents came to the U.S. from Russia.
She married Taye Diggs on January 11, 2003. They met in 1995 while working on the musical Rent, where Taye played the role of Benjamin Coffin III. They also acted together in several movies. On September 2, 2009, Idina and Taye had a son. After 10 years of marriage, they separated in late 2013.
Idina later started dating actor Aaron Lohr. In August 2015, they bought a house together in Encino, Los Angeles. On September 23, 2016, Idina announced their engagement, and they married on September 22, 2017, in a small ceremony at their home.
Education & Early Life
Idina Menzel attended J. Irving Baylis Elementary School in Plainview, H. B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset, and Syosset High School. Later, she studied drama at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Her big break came in 1995 when she was cast as Maureen in Rent, her first professional theater role and Broadway debut. She earned a Tony nomination for her performance, but after Rent, she faced challenges finding success for several years.
She released her first solo album, Still, I Can’t Be Still, and took on various theater roles, including Summer of ’42, Hair, and Aida. She also earned a Drama Desk nomination for her role in The Wild Party and appeared in The Vagina Monologues.
Filmography & TV Show Career
- Early Appearances (2001–2010):
- Menzel began her film career with small roles in movies like Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) and Just a Kiss (2002).
- She played notable supporting roles in The Tollbooth (2004) and Ask the Dust (2006).
- Her major film breakthrough came in 2005, reprising her Broadway role as Maureen in Rent. Critics praised her performance despite the film’s mixed reviews.
- Disney and Worldwide Recognition (2007–2016):
- In Enchanted (2007), Menzel played a supporting role as Nancy Tremaine, though she didn’t sing in the film, which disappointed some fans.
- She gained global fame by voicing Elsa in Disney’s Frozen (2013), particularly for singing “Let It Go,” which became a cultural phenomenon and earned her a top-10 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Television Success:
- From 2010 to 2013, she played Shelby Corcoran on Glee, showcasing her singing talent in various episodes.
- Later Film Career (2017–Present):
- She starred in the Beaches (2017) remake, delivering musical performances that were well-received.
- In Uncut Gems (2019), she earned critical acclaim for her non-musical role as a frustrated wife opposite Adam Sandler.
- She played the stepmother Vivian in Cinderella (2021), where her performance and original song “Dream Girl” received praise.
- Menzel reprised her role as Nancy in the Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted (2022), singing for the first time in the series.
Music Career Highlights
- 1998: Idina Menzel released her first album, Still I Can’t Be Still. It didn’t sell well at first, but people noticed it later after she became famous for her role in Wicked.
- 2004: She released her second album, Here, and contributed songs to the soundtracks of TV shows like Desperate Housewives and movies like Beowulf.
- 2008: Her third album, I Stand, became her first big hit, debuting at #58 on the Billboard 200 chart. She started touring, performing with symphony orchestras, and recording live shows, including a PBS special called Barefoot at the Symphony.
- 2014: Idina released her holiday album Holiday Wishes, which became her highest-charting solo album, reaching #10 on the Billboard 200 chart.
- 2015: She sang at the Super Bowl and started her first world tour.
- 2016: She released her fifth album, Idina., followed by another world tour in 2017.
- 2017-2018: She joined Josh Groban on his Bridges Tour.
- 2019: She released a second holiday album called Christmas: A Season of Love and performed at Carnegie Hall.
- 2022: Idina launched a Disney+ concert special, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?, featuring clips from her Madison Square Garden show and reflecting on her journey since her early days in Rent.
Networth
She has a total net worth of $15 million. She earned this money through her work in movies, music albums, and other projects.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Idina Kim Menzel |
| Profession | Actress, Singer, Songwriter |
| Birthday | May 30, 1971 |
| Father | Stuart Mentzel (worked as a pajama salesman) |
| Mother | Helene Mentzel (worked as a therapist) |
| Siblings | Cara Mentzel (sister) |
| Spouse | Taye Diggs (m. 2003, div. 2014) and Aaron Lohr (m. 2017) |
| Children | Walker Nathaniel Diggs (son of Taye Diggs) |
| Net Worth | $15 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, YouTube |
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