Paolo Montalban
Filipino-American actor & singer (born 1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paolo Montalban (born May 21, 1973) is an American actor and singer best known for his performance in the 1997 Disney television film Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Christopher, opposite Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother.[1] He reprised that role in a stage version of the musical with Deborah Gibson and then Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Cinderella and Eartha Kitt as the Fairy Godmother.[2][3]
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Paolo Montalban | |
|---|---|
Montalban in 2023 | |
| Born | May 21, 1973 |
| Education | St. Peter's Preparatory School |
| Alma mater | Rutgers University (BS) |
| Occupations | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Notable work |
|
Personal life
Montalban was born in Manila, Philippines, to Paul and Vivian Montalban.[4] His family immigrated to the United States when he was a year old and lived in a studio apartment in Manhattan's West Side across the street from The Juilliard School and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.[4] He is an alumnus of St. Peter's Preparatory School and holds a degree in pre-med psychology from Rutgers University.[5]
On December 6th, 2025, Paolo announced his engagement to Yoanna Nikolova on Instagram.[6]
Career
In 1997, Montalban starred in Cinderella as Prince Christopher alongside Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, and Brandy. He also played Kung Lao (ancestor of Kung Lao) in the syndicated series Mortal Kombat: Conquest along with Daniel Bernhardt and Kristanna Loken.
Montalban was also cast in John Dahl's The Great Raid as Sgt. Valera, and played Raul[7] in the independent film American Adobo. He also appeared in Just Wright starring Queen Latifah, The Adjustment Bureau, and the short film Two Weeks.
Montalban was named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1998.[8]
He has appeared on Broadway in Pacific Overtures, The King and I and Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Emilia Clarke. Off-Broadway, he was in Two Gentlemen of Verona at Shakespeare in the Park, The Romance of Magno Rubio at Ma Yi Theater Company, among others.[9] He also guest starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 8, episode 20: "Annihilated") and One Life to Live.
Montalban has appeared in productions of The King and I on Broadway and around the country, where he has played both Lun Tha, the young lover, and the title role of the King.[10] In 2022, Montalban starred as Captain Von Trapp in the Dallas Theater Center production of The Sound of Music at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre.[11] On March 28, 2023, he succeeded Peter Francis James as Florenz Ziegfeld in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl and remained with the show until it closed on September 3 of that year.[12][13]
He reunited with Brandy in the Disney+ movie Descendants: The Rise of Red, part of the Descendants franchise, which premiered July 12, 2024.[14] He is set to reprise the role in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.[15]
On January 17, 2024, he originated the role of Kurt Huber in the world premiere of the off-Broadway musical White Rose.[16]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | American Adobo | Raul | |
| 2005 | The Great Raid | Sgt. Valera | |
| 2010 | Just Wright | Sommelier | |
| 2012 | Two Weeks | Dad | Short film |
| 2020 | The Girl Who Left Home | Tony | |
| 2023 | Asian Persuasion | Lee-Kwan Lee | |
| 2024 | Descendants: The Rise of Red | King Charming | |
| 2026 | Descendants: Wicked Wonderland |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Cinderella | Prince Christopher | Television film |
| 1998–1999 | Mortal Kombat: Conquest | Kung Lao | 22 episodes |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Wahid | Episode: "Annihilated" |
| 2010 | One Life to Live | Tahiti Cop #1 | 1 episode |
| 2013 | City of Dreams | Paolo Montalban | Episode: "The Ballad of Ofagina" |
| 2015 | Madam Secretary | Military Tech | 2 episodes |
| Nurse Jackie | Second Investigator | Episode: "Jackie and the Wolf" | |
| The Blacklist | Forensic Agent | Episode: "Arioch Cain" |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The King and I | Lun Tha | Neil Simon Theatre | Revival Broadway Cast |
| 2004 | Pacific Overtures | Manjiro | Studio 54 | Revival Broadway Cast |
| 2005 | Two Gentlemen of Verona | Eglamour | Delacorte Theater | Off-Broadway |
| 2013 | Breakfast at Tiffany's | u/s Jose, u/s Yunioshi | Cort Theatre | Original Broadway Cast |
| 2017 | Bella: An American Tall Tale | Tommie Haw/Skeeter | Playwrights Horizons | Off-Broadway World Premiere Nominated - Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical |
| 2020 | The Unsinkable Molly Brown | Arthur | Abrons Arts Center (Transport Group) | Original Off-Broadway Cast |
| 2023 | Funny Girl | Florenz Ziegfeld | August Wilson Theatre | Broadway Replacement |
| 2024 | White Rose: The Musical | Professor Kurt Huber | Theatre Row | Original Off-Broadway Cast |
Discography
All credits adapted from Apple Music and Spotify.[17][18]
As featured artist
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | "Capricorn (Gravity)" (Retrograde The Musical featuring Paolo Montalban) |
Retrograde The Musical (Studio Cast Recording) | Nick Laughlin, Richard C. Walter, Drew Louis, Jesse Saint John | Drew Louis |
| "Sale" (Christine Toy Johnson featuring Jasmine Forsberg, Michael K. Lee, Cecilia Lin, and Paolo Montalban) |
Fusong | Cecilia Lin, Christine Toy Johnson | No producer credited | |
| 2024 | "So This Is Love" (Brandy featuring Paolo Montalban) |
Descendants: The Rise of Red (Original Soundtrack) | Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, Mack David | TheRon "Neff-U" Feemster |
| 2022 | "I Ain't Down Yet" (The Cast of The Unsinkable Molly Brown featuring Paolo Montalban) |
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (The New Off-Broadway Cast Recording) | Meredith Willson | Michael Croiter, Michael Rafter, Dick Scanlan |
| "Just Becuz" (The Cast of The Unsinkable Molly Brown featuring Paolo Montalban) | ||||
| "I've A'ready Started In" (The Cast of The Unsinkable Molly Brown featuring Paolo Montalban) | ||||
| "Belly up to the Bar, Boys" (The Cast of The Unsinkable Molly Brown featuring Paolo Montalban) | ||||
| "He's My Friend" (The Cast of The Unsinkable Molly Brown featuring Paolo Montalban) | ||||
| 2005 | "My Lord Governer of Uraga, You Have Saved My Life" (Stephen Sondheim featuring Michael K. Lee and Paolo Montalban) |
Pacific Overtures (The New Broadway Cast Recording) | Stephen Sondheim | No producer credited |
