Edward Hibbert is an Anglo-American actor, literary agent, and voice artist. He was born on 9 September 1955 to actor Geoffrey Hibbert and a theatre actress Prudence Rennick. Edward Hibbert grew up in Surrey, England, and went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts to pursue acting.
Hibbert is known for his role of Gil Chesterton in Frasier and his voice acting in The Lion King: Simba’s Pride as Zazu. Read more interesting facts about The Lion King here.
The Early Life of Edward Hibbert
Edward Hibbert was born in Long Island, New York, US, and was raised in Surrey, England. Being the son of two actors Geoffrey Hibbert and Prudence Rennick, he inherited the acting skills from his parents. Edward himself told in an interview that he would turn the backyard of his parent’s house into an open-air theatre when he was just 11 years old.
Edward used to write stories and act on them by himself in that self-made backyard theatre. He said that as a kid, he produced a play called “The Fairy Forest” and played the role of “Sparkle Eyes” (The prince of fairies). Later in life, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London, and pursued acting. After this, in the mid-80s, Hibbert moved back to New York.
Apart from his parents, Edward Hibbert has only one sister, who is reportedly not involved in the entertainment industry.
Career
After moving back to New York, Hibbert worked in several regional theatres and Broadway productions and debuted as a “Gryphon” in Alice in the Wonderland. He also appeared in a co-starring role as “Sterling” in a play by Paul Rudnick called Jeffrey and won an Obie Award for it in 1993.
In 1984, Hibbert secured a starring role in the BBC’s The Life and Death of King John and appeared as “Faulconbridge.” His role as Fredrick Fellows/Philip Brent was said to be “delightfully discombobulated” by a reviewer.
Hibbert appeared as a guest star in shows like “Murder,” “Cosby,” and “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” However, his most famous role was of Gil Chesterton (the physicist) in the TV series Frasier. Gil Chesterton’s first appearance in Frasier was when he took over Frasier’s time slot (Frasier had the flu) and even acted as an antagonist in that episode; however, things were a little different in the next episodes. The character claimed to be married to Deb; however, by the finale of the series, it came out that Gil is homosexual.
Hibbert played major roles in Broadway musicals, such as Curtains (2007 premier) and The Drowsy Chaperone. Recently in 2010, Hibbert appeared as “Mr. Praed” in Roundabout Theatre’s production Mrs. Warren’s Profession and a Broadway Musical It Shoulda been You (2015). He also appeared in films including The First Wives Club, The Prestige, Everyone Says I Love You, The Paper, and Taking Woodstock.
Besides being an actor, Hibbert is also a voice actor; he worked in some famous animated productions, such as in the TV series Earthworm Jim. He voiced the character of “Evil the Cat” and “Zazu” in The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride.
Edward Hibbert is also a literary agent and a partner in the literary agency called Donadio & Olson, Inc. His clients include some famous writers such as Christopher Bram, Chuck Palahniuk, Steven DeRosa, and Ed Sikov.
Hibbert has also represented the rights to films such as Gods and Monsters, Fight Club, and many others.
Personal Life
Edward Hibbert’s personal life hasn’t been much public, and he has always kept a low profile regarding his personal and love life. However, it is true that Hibbert hasn’t married anyone yet, and he is probably single at the moment. According to rumors, Hibbert had one relationship in the past, but he never got engaged.
Conclusion
Along with being a great theatre and Broadway actor, Hibbert also marked his name as a TV and film actor. He is a multi-talented person who even gave voice to “Zazu,” a major character of The Lion King. He will always be remembered for his role in Frasier, as that was the point where he reached the peak of his career. Hibbert still works in Broadway and theatre productions, and we hope to watch him in many more shows and plays to come.