Jeffrey Carlson, Star of TABOO and THE GOAT, Has Passed Away at 48

According to various reports, Jeffrey Carlson, best known for originating the role of Marilyn in TABOO and Billy in Edward Albee's THE GOAT on Broadway, has passed away. He was 48.

Jeffrey Carlson, a native of Long Beach, California, attended the University of California at Davis. Originally majoring in animal science with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, he was persuaded by the Dramatic Arts department to pursue a different path. By the time he entered his junior year at UCD, Jeffrey had changed his major; he graduated with a B.A. in Dramatic Art.

Following UCD, Jeffrey attended the prestigious Juilliard School. He graduated in 2001 with a diploma, Drama Division. During his time at Juilliard, Jeffrey was one of five students included in a documentary on the school for the PBS series, American Masters. One student from each division of study (music, drama, dance, vocal arts) and one pre-college student was chosen and followed for a year; Jeffrey represented the drama division.

Two weeks before graduating from Juilliard, Jeffrey was cast in Lee Blessing's Thief River, directed by Mark Lamos, at the off-Broadway Signature Theatre. Thief River was part of the two year premiere season which included new works from all of the previously featured playwrights (past seasons dedicated to playwrights included Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, and Lanford Wilson.)

From Thief River, Jeffrey was cast as Romeo opposite Sarah Drew in Romeo and Juliet, directed by Emily Mann at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. Following Romeo and Juliet, Jeffrey spent time in New London, Connecticut at the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Center with Jean Giradoux's Sodom and Gomorrah, translated by Michael Feingold and directed by David Esbjornson. A week later, he returned for a benefit reading of Long Days Journey Into Night with Brian Dennehy and Maureen Anderman.

Jeffrey made his Broadway debut as Billy in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, originally starring Bill Pullman and Mercedes Ruehl, and later Sally Field and Bill Irwin; The Goat was also directed by David Esbjornson. Three weeks prior to The Goat's closing, Jeffrey left to do the Broadway revival of Tartuffe with Bryce Dallas Howard, Brian Bedford, Henry Goodman, J. Smith Cameron, and Kathryn Miesle. Jeffrey then departed from Tartuffe one week early for the Broadway revival of The Miracle Worker with Hilary Swank and Skye McCole Bartusiak, directed by Marianne Elliott. Although set to open in The Music Box in Manhattan on April 8, 2003, The Miracle Worker closed out of town at the Charlotte Repertory Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After The Miracle Worker, Jeffrey returned to New York City, only to leave a few weeks later to film a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie for CBS entitled Plainsong, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Plainsong features Aiden Quinn, Rachel Griffiths, and America Ferrera.

After taking a break back home in Los Angeles, California, Jeffrey returned to the East Coast to work on Paul Grellong's Manuscript at the Cape Cod Theatre Project in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Manuscript, directed by Ethan McSweeney, also featured Anna Paquin and Rick Wasserman. It was there that Jeffrey received a phone call asking him to audition for the role of Marilyn in Taboo, a Rosie O'Donnell production with an entirely original score by Boy George. He auditioned in August, and was cast a week prior to rehearsals.

Following the closing of Taboo on February 8, 2004 after 16 previews and 100 performances, Jeffrey made his way back to the McCarter in Princeton, NJ for the role of Marchbanks in George Bernard Shaw's Candida, directed by Lisa Peterson. Candida ran from March 23, 2004 through April 11, 2004.

In July of 2004, Jeffrey participated in Rosie O'Donnell's inaugural r Family Vacations cruise to Key West, FL. and then to the Bahamas. The same week, he returned to Falmouth, Massachusetts and the CCTP to do a staged reading of Julia Cho's BFE, directed by Gordon Edelstein.

On September 16, 2004, previews began for a new play called Last Easter by Bryony Lavery, writer of the Broadway hit Frozen. Jeffrey played the role of Gash, a female impersonator, co-starring with Veanne Cox, Clea Lewis, Florencia Lozano, and Jeffrey Scott Green. The limited run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre ended on October 23. Directed by Doug Hughes, Last Easter was part of the MCC Theatre Company's 2004-2005 season.

In early December of 2004, Jeffrey will left New York City yet again to tackle Alfred De Musset's Lorenzaccio at the Shakespeare Theater in Washington D.C. Directed by Michael Kahn, Lorenzaccio enjoyed a successful run from January 18, 2005 until March 6th.

The summer of 2005 brought the return of a familiar piece from Cape Cod; June 1st marked the first preview of Manuscript, directed by Bob Balaban. Jeffrey reprised his role as Chris, alongside his new co-stars Marin Ireland and Pablo Schreiber. Manuscript ran from June 16, 2005 through August 14, 2005.

Soon after the close of Manuscript, and after a short visit home to California, Jeffrey began working on Itamar Moses's Bach At Leipzig for the New York Theatre Workshop in the East Village. The hilarious production ran from October 28, 2005 through December 18, 2005.

Following the holidays, spent in Washington DC reuniting with the bunch from Lorenzaccio, things on the work front calmed a bit as Jeffrey eagerly awaited to begin shooting the film The Killing Floor in February of 2006. The Killing Floor is directed by GIDEON RAFF and stars Marc Blucas.

Almost immediately after the wrap of the film, Jeffrey embarked upon another out-of-town venture; though he is no stranger to participating in Regional theatre, this piece is like none he's ever worked on before. Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2, directed by Barbara Gaines, ran a total of 5 1/2 hours at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. After the close on June 18, Jeffrey returned to New York for only a few short weeks before Henry jumped over the pond to London, to be performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-Upon-Avon, marking Jeffrey's first trip across the Atlantic.

Following the close of Henry in London mid-July, Jeffrey did some teaching back in Chicago, and is now back in New York. On August 28, 2006, he appeared in an episode of All My Children as Zarf, a demanding British rock star.

Beginning on November 30, 2006, Jeffrey made daytime television history as he returned to All My Children as Zarf, who eventually came out as a trans woman on the show, now called Zoe, making her the first trans character on daytime television.

Watch Jeffrey appear on The View to discuss his role in 2006.

As Zoe exited All My Children on April 26, 2007, Jeffrey was preparing to return to the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC to take on the title role of Hamlet, which opened on June 5, 2007 and ran through July 29, 2007. Those who also returned to this company with Jeffrey included his former Lorenzaccio co-star Robert Cuccioli, performing as Claudius.

When Hamlet was just about over, Jeffrey was offered the part of Richard II in the play of the same name, another Shakespeare piece, to be performed at the Yale Repertory Theatre from September 21, 2007 through October 13, 2007. In the meantime, Jeffrey made a guest appearance at the All My Children Fan Club Luncheon at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on August 5, 2007.

Richard II at Yale Rep in New Haven, Connecticut entertained a short run, from September 21, 2007 through October 13, 2007.

Additional credits include Psycho Therapy at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York in 2012 and the Taboo: Ten Years Later reunion concert at 54 Below in 2014. In recent years, he was teaching and living in Chicago. 

Watch Jeffrey perform "Guttersnipe" with Matthew Rowland at Taboo: Ten Years Later below.

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