Megan Hilty

Megan Hilty is an American actress and singer born on March 29, 1981. She rose to prominence through her work in Broadway theater and on television. She is best known for portraying Glinda in Wicked, Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical, Brooke Ashton in Noises Off, and Madeline Ashton in Death Becomes Her, as well as Ivy Lynn on the musical-drama television series Smash.

Born in Bellevue, Washington, to parents Donna and Jack Hilty, she began vocal lessons at age 12 with an interest in performing opera. She attended Sammamish High School, transferred to the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School, and later attended the Chrysalis School. She graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2004. Hilty is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and received the National Society of Arts and Letters Award for Excellence in Musical Theater.

Before graduating, Hilty was initially cast as Audrey for a national tour of Little Shop of Horrors, but was let go when producers deemed her too young to play opposite Anthony Rapp. Moving to New York City after graduation, she made her Broadway debut in August 2004 as the standby for Glinda in Wicked. She took over the full role from May 2005 to May 2006, and later reprised Glinda on the show's first national tour and in its Los Angeles production through early 2009.

Hilty starred in the premiere engagement of the musical Vanities in Mountain View, California. In 2008, she originated the role of Doralee Rhodes in the musical adaptation of 9 to 5 during its pre-Broadway Los Angeles run, followed by its Broadway run in 2009. Her performance earned her nominations for an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama League Award, and a Drama Desk Award.

Alongside stage roles, Hilty appeared on television series such as The Closer, Ugly Betty, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Desperate Housewives. She provided the singing voice of Snow White in Shrek the Third and voiced characters in animated projects like Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return and Secret of the Wings. In 2011, she was cast as Ivy Lynn in the NBC series Smash, where she sang the Grammy Award-nominated song "Let Me Be Your Star." She later co-starred as Liz on the sitcom Sean Saves the World, recurred on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, and played Lily St. Regis in Annie Live!.

Hilty released her debut solo album, It Happens All the Time, in March 2013. In 2015, she returned to Broadway in a revival of Noises Off as Brooke Ashton, earning nominations for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Drama League Award. In 2024, she starred as Madeline Ashton in the stage adaptation of Death Becomes Her, receiving her second Tony Award nomination. Outside of acting, she also launched a coffee and tea product line.

Hilty was in a relationship with actor Steve Kazee from 2005 to 2012. On November 2, 2013, she married actor Brian Gallagher in Las Vegas, Nevada. The couple has two children: a daughter, Viola, born in 2014, and a son, Ronan, born in 2017.