Jonathan Groff

February 10, 2026·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

Jonathan Groff came out as gay one month after leaving Spring Awakening because playing a character who 'didn't let the world define him' gave him the muscle to do it.

Amy starts with delight. She presents Jonathan Groff as talented and funny, the kind of guest she is clearly happy to fuss over, then steers the conversation toward theater and old memories. Gracie Lawrence comes up early, with the promise that someone close to Groff will help crack the door open before the main hang gets going. Broadway is the center of it. Amy points listeners to Just In Time, where Groff is playing Bobby Darin for a few more weeks. The Dorothy bit is sweet too. Both of them played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, though they brought different things to it. Then the story gets practical. Groff talks about chasing theater before he had much of a safety net, starting with an open call for The Sound of Music and then life on the road. His parents come off tender and clear-eyed. College was there if he wanted it, but they could hear that theater was what he actually wanted. The money makes the choice sharper. Groff made $10,000 on the non-union tour while Carnegie Mellon would have cost $40,000 a year. New York became the trial run. His parents told him to take the money, try the city, and come home for another path if it did not work. It worked. By 21, he had a Tony nomination after Spring Awakening, which Amy remembers seeing and loving. Amy keeps nudging gently, asking what he sees now in that younger version of himself after producing a documentary and looking back with distance. Groff teases her for knowing her stuff, which keeps it loose. It feels more like friends comparing notes than a career interview.

As heard by us

A warm Broadway conversation that turns a funny hang into a thoughtful career portrait.

Good Hang gives Jonathan Groff an easy, affectionate spotlight. Amy Poehler opens with real warmth, and the conversation is at its best when it drifts through Broadway, horses, work friendships, and the shared joke of both of them playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want Jonathan Groff stories, Broadway detours, and Amy Poehler's very friendly chat with a huge fan.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Good Hang with Amy Poehler