Tony Award-winning Broadway star Gavin Creel passed away on September 30 at the age of 48. The celebrated stage actor-singer died due to a rare and aggressive form of cancer known as sarcoma. Creel’s publicist told The Associated Press that the actor died at his home in New York City after a two-month battle with metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma. Meanwhile, his partner and fellow actor Alex Temple Ward also confirmed his passing.
Gavin Creel passes away from a rare and aggressive form of cancer
Gavin Creel, known for his roles on Broadway shows like “Hello, Dolly!,” “Hair,” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” passed away after a tough battle with cancer called melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma. PEOPLE reported that the actor received his diagnosis in July 2024. He was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City before shifting to hospice care at home. According to Mayo Clinic, this rare form of cancer starts in the nerves that run from the spinal cord to the body. They mostly occur in the deep tissues of the arms, legs, and trunk.
At 48, Gavin Creel boasted multiple acting credits to his name. The veteran actor even won a Tony Award for “Hello, Dolly!” Born and raised in Findlay, Ohio, Creel landed his first big role as Jimmy Smith in Broadway’s “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Moreover, he won a Laurence Olivier Award for his role as Elder Price in “The Book of Mormon.” His role as Bill in “Eloise at the Plaza” and its sequel, “Eloise at Christmastime,” also earned him recognition. Besides these, Creel was cast as Troy in Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Stories.”
In a documentary by The Broadway Collection, Gavin Creel recalled falling in love with musical theater in high school. He had earned a role in their production of “Camelot.” The actor remembered getting “bit by the bug.” He said, “The show was fun, the music was great, but it was about the people I was with.” Creel further described how the cast had a “passionate goal to tell a story,” which motivated him to pursue the art professionally. “I wanted that for a living. I wanted to be apart of that for my life,” he shared.
Gavin Creel is survived by his parents, Nancy Clemens Creel and James William Creel, sisters Heather Elise Creel and Allyson Jo Creel, and his partner, Alex Temple Ward.
