About
Hey there! I’m that baby in that sink!
My name is Zachary J. Willis, and I am an AEA actor, singer, and performer from Fort Worth, TX currently living in Dallas, TX.
My aspiration is to be the most fearless storyteller that I can be. All my life, I've been so fortunate to have the arts and a family who let me dive right in.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with several theatre companies in north Texas including Casa Mañana, Theatre Three, Uptown Players, Jubilee Theatre, Plaza Theatre Company, The Firehouse Theatre, and Circle Theatre as well as Stages Repertory Theatre, The Alley, and Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) in Houston, Texas. I am now a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company at the Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center.
When I’m not performing, I enjoy painting, reading a book, or listening to a good podcast. Peanut butter is my weakness and I’m a full fledged member of the Beyhive.
I'm so proud of where this craft has taken me and I look forward to whatever is up next.
That’s a pretty good starting point. Take a look around to learn more about me, my work, and my crazy. Thank you for visiting my site!
News
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Dallas Theater Center | Dee & Charles Wyly Theater
July 12 - August 4, 2024
Join us “Under the Sea” as DTC presents a large-scale Public Works version of the classic Disney musical, The Little Mermaid, in a production uniquely created for the people of Dallas, with the people of Dallas, and by the people of Dallas. 200 community members of all ages, many appearing onstage for the first time, will come together with DTC’s professional artists to retell the beloved Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.
Christmas in Vegas!
Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club | December 25, 2023
My full Christmas set at my aunt, The Original Bad Girl of Comedy, Luenell's comedy residency at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas, NV. December 25, 2023.
Fun on the Run with Yolanda
Yolanda Williams - CW33
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Yolanda Williams of Fun on the Run with Yolanda to talk about The Rocky Horror Show. The segment and article can out great! Take a look.
In Fun on the Run, host Yolonda Williams takes to new places across the DFW metroplex every day, whether it's in Downtown Dallas, the Stockyards of Fort Worth, or all cities in between.
Columbia, embodied
Rich Lopez - DallasVoice
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rich Lopez, Staff Writer for the Dallas Voice to talk about all things Rocky Horror. Thank you so much for the feature. It was so lovely chatting with you. Playing Columbia has been so much fun.
“With revealing costumes, fabulous fringe, chunky heels, and bright green hair, Willis is serving up an inspired performance, but he’s also taking away something from it as well: Columbia’s first rendering was not what audiences see today. Willis wanted to show more skin.”
DTC 2023-24 Season Announcement
Dallas Theater Center
We're excited to announce our 2023-24 season, including The Rocky Horror Show, I Am Delivered’t, Every Brilliant Thing, Dial M For Murder, Fannie: The Music & Life of Fannie Lou Hamer, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid!
“Our 2023-24 season is the biggest, most exciting season we’ve produced since 2019,” said Kevin Moriarty, executive director. “It’s a season filled with music, laughter, and great performances from DTC’s Diane & Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, who will be joined by outstanding artists from Dallas and across the country.”
Brierley Resident Acting Company
Dallas Theater Center
In 2009, with the generous support of Diane and Hal Brierley, Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty reinstated Dallas Theater Center’s resident acting company. His intent was to develop and nurture professional actors within the North Texas community and enable them to make Dallas their artistic home. At the same time, he sought to enhance Dallas Theater Center’s artistic profile and create ongoing collaborative relationships. The Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company has since become a signature component of Dallas Theater Center’s presence in the Dallas Arts District.
The Brierley Resident Acting Company with Hal and Diane Brierley at The 2021 AT&T Performing Arts Center Gala
Not pictured: Tiana Kaye Blair, Molly Searcy, Bob Hess
Headshot & Resume
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Press & Social
Awards
4th Annual Irma P. Hall Black Theatre Awards
Featured Actor in a Musical
Zachary J. Willis
(The First Noel - Jubilee Theatre)
Joyous Heart Awards
Best Male Identifying Actor
(Zachary J. Willis - Cruella de Vil)
Best Video Production Value
(Zachary J. Willis - Cruella de Vil)
Quotes
Into the Woods - Dallas Theater Center
“‘There are giants in the sky! There are big, tall, terrible giants in the sky!’ Zachary J. Willis with his soaring vocals and soulful eyes is quite possibly the best Jack I have ever seen.”
“Standouts include... Zachary J. Willis, endlessly cheery and guileless as Jack...”
Our Town - Dallas Theater Center
“Christina Austin Lopez and Zachary J. Willis make an engaging Emily and George, the young lovers of the play who are literally the girl and boy next door. Just kids at first, awkwardly charming, we soon find a grave, growing-up sweetness in them (they’re so watchful and concerned about each other) that lifts them up—and makes us root for their romance to go on forever.”
Annie - Casa Mañana
“One of the most watchable people onstage is actually in the ensemble, Zachary J. Willis. He doesn’t do anything to steal focus. He is a standout because of the sharpness and stylistic qualities of his movements. He has committed to his character from head to toe to the tiniest gestures and detail.”
A 3D Adventure - Circle Theatre
“Willis always commits to the humor of the piece with impressive conviction and confidence, busting a move or busting a gut and inviting the audience along for the fun.”
Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida - The Firehouse Theatre
“Zachary J. Willis as the adorable yet comical Mereb delivers equal amounts of comedy and when called upon, adds touching moments with Aida. Willis also possesses some stellar vocals.”
Tiny Beautiful Things - Dallas Theater Center
“Zachary J. Willis, portraying Letter Writer #3, often used his gestures and facial expressions to provide us with much needed comedic relief. I found myself watching him throughout the performance, even when he wasn’t speaking. Although his comforting mannerisms were enjoyable, his impressive performance as Orphan showed his true ability. It was clear that Orphan struggled to share his truth, but he found himself in a situation where he had no choice but to face his past. Willis did a flawless job portraying this character along with many others.”
A 3D Adventure - Circle Theatre
“Kudos to Zachary J. Willis for not only almost pulling off said mullet, but for his acrobatic dancing—in cowboy boots, no less!”
Spring Awakening - Uptown Players
“Zachary J. Willis is a clear-voiced and miserably unstable Moritz, the lost boy straining to pass his exams and find a friend, whose teachers and father scorn his efforts. Willis is strong throughout, and heartbreakingly touching in the final song when he returns with the sacrificed Wendla and a broken-hearted Melchior to lead the company in “Purple Summer,” a beautiful and deeply evocative song about the vision which is sexual ripeness and joy at its lovely, peaceful prime.”
Articles
Without more federal money, what will regional theaters do? - Sonari Glinton, NPR
Plays by Black writers are finally getting the spotlight, from Broadway to Dallas - Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News
Follow me on Instagram @zacharyjwillis.
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