In 2006, Adam Garcia graced the glittering lights of the West End as Prince Fiyero in the original production of Wicked alongside Broadway star Idina Menzel. Talking to HELLO! from his dressing room in Birmingham almost 20 years later, he revealed he is still as passionate about the beloved Stephen Schwartz musical as he was almost two decades ago.
"I love the film. Obviously, it's a very special story for me," he said when asked about the Wicked film ahead of the recent release of Wicked: For Good, directed by Jon M. Chu. "I think it's a really powerful message for all different communities that are possibly dispossessed of a voice, which is why it found its place. I'm thrilled the world can't resist it."
As for his opinions on Jonathan Bailey, the handsome British actor (and recently crowned Sexiest Man Alive) who has stepped into his shoes as Prince Fiyero on the big screen, Adam's verdict is one we can all agree on.
"He's hot", laughed the former Coyote Ugly star. Adding: "He's very handsome and clearly a very bright actor; he is the perfect embodiment [of the character]."
"He's hot. He's very handsome and clearly a very bright actor."
But Adam, 52, isn't the only one in his family who loves the hit show, which has won over 100 awards, including three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and one Grammy Award.
His daughters "love it" and play it around the house, but their only rule, unbelievably, is that Adam doesn't sing a note. "They are not interested in me singing," the West End star confessed. "There is a there is a video of me online doing Dancing Through Life, and they're like: 'Is that you?'"
However, one of his daughters, eldest Arya, got the ultimate seal of approval from the aforementioned original Elphaba, Idina Menzel.
"My eldest was trying to sing "Defying Gravity" when she was six or seven, maybe even younger. She did a really good job as well. She's got a little witch dress on and a stick. It was really good. It was cute. I sent it to Idina. Idina was like, she said: 'She's really good at pitching!'"
"I sent it to Idina. Idina was like, she said: 'She's really good at pitching!'"
But instead of the Australian-born actor dancing through life, his latest role as Frank Farmer in the stage production of The Bodyguard is worlds away from what audiences are used to seeing from the world-class dancer.
"I like this character because one, he's completely different to Caractacus Potts (from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) who I just played. He couldn't be more polar opposite, without getting too actor-y. He has trust and intimacy issues, with himself as well as other people, and I find that a fascinating sort of psychological construct."
He added: "I'm not gonna lie, it's frustrating not being able to be like dance or sing to this music," citing the show's "incredible" choreographer Karen Bruce.
"I think Karen's choreography is unbelievable. I remember watching it and going: "Holy Toledo, these dancers are working their butts off.' It's impressive, it's lifts and throws, and it's very street-based, but they need technique. The dancers in this show are, as we say in Australia, 'fitter than a butcher's dog.'"
Ever the doting dad
But while his passion for his job is roaring, there's no doubt that being a family man on tour can be difficult at times. "I really love travelling but I've got two young daughters and a wife, and it's odd because you don't really want to miss anything. One of my daughters lost her tooth, you know, and you want to be there for that."
Thankfully, this tour allows Adam to be more present at home, as the venues aren't too far from his London family home. "Fortunately, with this tour, you know, we don't do Sundays, and we have Monday normally off as well.
"There are a lot of places I can commute to. So I can do all the mornings with them, hang out, and then go to Oxford or Milton Keynes or Woking, or Wimbledon. All those places are are very commutable. It's a blessing and a curse, but it's manageable, and just one of those things of having to be a working actor."
Meaningful milestone
"I never imagined myself being married, and now I am. I can't remember my life really prior to that. It's quite strange. It seems like the most natural thing in the world, to be part of a team and go through life together."
As for his secret to a happy marriage, Adam added: "There are lots of things. It's turning up. It's being there. Not taking things for granted and appreciating things in the moment."
"I never imagined myself being married, and now I am. I can't remember my life really prior to that. It's quite strange. It seems like the most natural thing in the world, to be part of a team and go through life together."
Coyote Ugly sequel?
While he may famously be a star of the stage, Adam garnered global fame when he starred as Kevin O'Donnell in Coyote Ugly, directed by David McNally.
"They were heady days. I think that's probably the best way to put it," Adam said, reflecting on shooting to fame from the success of the cult classic. "It just sort of took off, but it wasn't until a couple of months later. Then there were lots of movie roles, and I found myself living in Hollywood unexpectedly. It was certainly a surprise, there was a lot of naivety, and a lot of fun."
As for whether he'd like to make a comeback as Kevin, it's safe to say the Hollywood actor would be game: "[I'd] Absolutely [be on board]. It's a really good film, and it'd be interesting to see what the writers would do. It'd be like, 'Where are Kevin O'Donnell and Violet Sanford now?' I really enjoyed making that film."