Biography

Fred Inkley was born on July 14, 1965 in Hyannis, MA to Fred J. and Janet Inkley. The youngest of three boys, Fred was singing at the feet of his piano-playing mother by the age of 2. Throughout his younger years, Fred performed in local Cape Cod school productions and regional youth theater. Upon graduating from Dennis-Yarmouth high school, Fred attended college at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. As a Musical Theater major, Fred had starring roles in Pippin, Hair, A Chorus Line, Oedipus Rox, Orphans, and Cloud Nine to name a few. After receiving his BFA from Catawba, where he met his future wife, Fred moved to southern California to pursue his theater career.

After marrying his wife, Tori, in 1988, Fred left his job in banking (yes…banking) and pursued acting full-time. Performing throughout San Diego and LA at venues such as the Starlight Bowl and the Lawrence Welk Resort Theater, and with companies such as the San Diego Civic Light Opera and the San Diego Opera, Fred was granted his first “big” break when he was cast in the ensemble of the Third National Tour of Les Misérables. Fred quickly became the Jean Valjean understudy and toured the US, Canada, and Singapore. Upon returning to the US in 1994, Fred took over the role of Valjean and continued in that role until April of 1995. While touring, Fred was nominated for Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Fred made his first Broadway appearance, again as Valjean in Les Misérables, in July of 1995. He left the show in September and originated the Beast in the First National Tour of Beauty and the Beast. Fred toured the country from 1995 through August of 1998, and once again garnered a Jefferson Award nomination, as well as a Helen Hayes Award nomination in Washington, DC. Fred returned to Les Misérables on Broadway in the fall of 1998, and remained with the show for a year this time.

After leaving Les Miz, Fred began to perform with various symphonies and orchestras around the United States, including both the Miami and Detroit Symphonies. Fred travelled to San Jose, CA, in 2001 where he portrayed Porthos in the World Premiere of The Three Musketeers and can also be heard on the Original Cast Recording. In 2002, Fred returned to Broadway as the Sergeant in Roundabout’s revival of Boys from Syracuse.

Fred has performed in numerous readings and workshops in the New York/New Jersey area, and in 2008 was fortunate to be cast in the role of Stryver in the original Broadway musical Tale of Two Cities. Following the run of Tale, Fred again returned to readings/workshops of original theatrical works, such as Take Flight, a new production by Maltby and Shire. In addition, Fred continues to perform regionally with theater companies such as North Shore Musical Theater and Pittsburgh CLO. Fred also enjoys performing with the Boston Pops each August and with the Cape Cod Symphony on a regular basis.

Currently, Fred can be seen in the new musical version of The Addams Family, running at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater on Broadway, starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. Fred portrays one of the Addams ancestors and understudies both Lurch and Mal Beineke.