Todd McKenney
Todd McKenney | |
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| Born | May 31, 1965 Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, theatre artist, television personality |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Known for | Judge on Australia's Dancing with the Stars; role as Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz |
Todd McKenney (born 31 May 1965) is a prominent Australian dancer, theatre artist, and television figure. He initially gained recognition through Channel 7’s program Simon’s Battered Sav and is widely acknowledged for his role as a judge on the Australian version of the talent competition Dancing with the Stars.
In his theatrical career, McKenney has been featured in various stage shows, most notably taking on the role of singer Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz.
Early life
Raised in Perth, McKenney’s father worked as a prison warden while his mother was engaged in dance instruction. His entry into entertainment began with a children’s TV program where he played Percy Penguin.
He received formal training in jazz, tap, acrobatics, and ballroom dance styles. Representing Australia on an international level, he competed in ballroom and Latin American dance contests, securing several accolades.
Career
Beginning in 1983, McKenney’s stage appearances have included productions such as 42nd Street, The Pirates of Penzance, Camelot, La Cage aux Folles, Singin' in the Rain, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical. In Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 film Strictly Ballroom, he portrayed ballroom dancer Nathan Starkey alongside future Dancing with the Stars judge Sonia Kruger.
McKenney achieved widespread acclaim in 1998 when he originated the lead character Peter Allen in Australia’s production of The Boy from Oz, performing this role 766 times between 1998 and 2000. The Broadway production later cast Hugh Jackman in this part in 2003.
Apart from musical theatre, McKenney is best recognized for his continuous role as a judge on all fifteen seasons of Australia's Dancing with the Stars since its debut in 2004.
In 2006, he took on the role of Michael Minetti in Richard Alfieri’s two-person play Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks at the Sydney Opera House for Ensemble Theatre. This production became Ensemble Theatre’s most successful show and was revived a decade later.
That same year, McKenney hosted the game show You May Be Right, which was discontinued after one month. From January 2008 to September 2009, he co-hosted Mix 106.5’s morning radio show in Sydney alongside Sonia Kruger and Andy Grace.
In 2010, during Larry Emdur’s leave, McKenney appeared as a guest co-host on The Morning Show with Kylie Gillies.
He portrayed Lord Evelyn Oakley in a limited Melbourne season of Anything Goes in 2011. The following year, he played Rooster in the successful musical Annie, sharing the cast with Anthony Warlow and Nancye Hayes.
Between 2013 and 2014, McKenney toured nationally portraying Teen Angel in Grease, performing alongside Bert Newton among others. Despite minimal stage time, critics noted his performance as a standout moment.
In music ventures, McKenney released an album titled Just a Gigolo in 2005 featuring seven Peter Allen songs and collaborations including Maggie Kirkpatrick. Later, in November 2013, he issued a tribute album called Todd McKenney sings Peter Allen.
More recently, McKenney has led productions such as Barnum (2019), appeared in Cinderella (2022), and began playing The Wizard in Wicked starting from 2023.
Personal life
McKenney identifies as gay and is a father to a daughter named Charlotte Wood, who was conceived through IVF and currently resides in Melbourne with her mother, Anne Wood. At twelve years old, his first romantic relationship was with dancer and television presenter Sonia Kruger.
He is actively learning Auslan, the Australian sign language, and has engaged extensively with the deaf community throughout Australia. McKenney is a supporter of The Grace Centre For Newborn Intensive Care at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, as well as the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
An enthusiastic advocate for greyhound welfare, McKenney has represented Greyhounds As Pets National Adoption Day for four consecutive years and holds the position of GAP NSW Ambassador. In 2024, Australian artist John Klein created a portrait of McKenney alongside his greyhound 'Nancye Hayes' for submission to the Archibald Prize.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, McKenney initiated Todd Creates, an online platform designed to help theatre and entertainment professionals manufacture face masks, thereby sustaining their income during theatre shutdowns. Subsequently, he collaborated with Woolworths' Everyday Market to offer small and medium-sized Australian enterprises an opportunity to broaden their customer base.
In 2017, McKenney received a $375 fine and a three-month driving suspension following a drink-driving incident in Sydney’s central business district, where his blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 0.05.
In a 2019 interview on a Melbourne LGBTQI+ podcast, McKenney disclosed that he had previously been involved in a relationship with Simon Gallaher, who later married his sister.
Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards honor outstanding achievements in live entertainment and performing arts across Australia, presented annually by Live Performance Australia since 2001.
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| 2001
| Todd McKenney – The Boy from Oz
| Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical
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| 2009
| Todd McKenney – Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical
| Best Male Actor in a Musical
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| 2012
| Todd McKenney – Annie
| Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
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| rowspan="2"| 2015
| Todd McKenney – Anything Goes
| rowspan="2"| Best Male Actor in a Musical
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| Todd McKenney – La Cage aux Folles
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Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards celebrated excellence in live performance from 1975 until 2016. Throughout this timeframe, Todd McKenney earned three distinct accolades.
(wins only)
|- | 1998 | Todd McKenney | Male Musical Theatre Performer of the Year | |- | 1999 | Todd McKenney | Male Musical Theatre Performer of the Year | |- | 2004 | Todd McKenney | Versatile Variety Performance of the Year |
External links
- Todd McKenney - Biography featured on Dancing With The Stars
- Todd McKenney interview at Mix 106.5
- Todd McKenney appearance on Talking Heads
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1965 births
- Australian male stage actors
- Australia's Got Talent
- Australian gay actors
- Helpmann Award winners
- Australian LGBTQ singers
- Australian LGBTQ broadcasters
- Living people
- Australian male musical theatre actors
- Actors from Perth, Western Australia