Tituss Burgess

Tituss Burgess is a gay actor, singer, and television personality who has been openly gay throughout his professional life. He began his career on Broadway, originating the role of Sebastian the crab in "The Little Mermaid" musical (2008) and developing a reputation as one of New York's most gifted comedic performers. Tina Fey saw him in that role and wrote the character of Titus Andromedon — a relentlessly fabulous, delusional gay actor convinced of his imminent stardom — specifically for him in Netflix's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (2015–2019). The role became one of the most beloved gay character creations in modern American comedy: extravagant, vulnerable, hilarious, and rooted in a specifically gay experience of performance and resilience. Burgess received multiple Emmy nominations for the performance. He has also appeared in "Dolemite Is My Name" (2019), various Broadway productions, and as a contestant on "The Masked Singer." A gifted vocalist and performer in the tradition of Broadway showmanship, Burgess has brought a specifically and proudly Black gay sensibility to everything he does, making him one of the most distinctive queer voices in American entertainment.