Jordan Fisher performs on Broadway eight times a week in a Tony Award-winning juggernaut of a musical. While starring in Hadestown is obviously demanding, he said, raising a toddler in New York City carries even more weight.
The actor lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Ellie Woods, and their 18-month old son, Riley, and he finds being a dad in the city is the greatest test of endurance and character of all.
“Look, I have a toddler. My maintenance is so that I can survive in New York City with a toddler,” Fisher exclusively told The Messenger while discussing how he sustains the energy to perform in what has become a staple on the Great White Way.
“That, I promise you, is so much harder — and I’ve played some hefty tracks on Broadway, from a vocal perspective, from an emotional perspective,” he continued. “Nothing is harder than or [more] physically demanding than being a parent of a toddler in New York City.”
The Dear Evan Hansen alum said his routine includes going to the gym and ensuring he is being active outside of performing and rehearsing, drinking plenty of water and getting a full eight hours of sleep each night.
These are all things he has to specifically carve out time in his schedule for as they are necessities for living a healthy lifestyle, Fisher shared, adding that he has performed while in poor health and has no desire to revisit that experience.
“If you don’t live in New York City and have a toddler, you won’t get it,” Fisher declared. “You can imagine what it’s like picking up a stroller with a 30-lb. kid in it and going up and down the F train steps, but until you’re doing it, and you’re doing it every day…” he continued, adding that from this point on, doing a show — even of Hadestown caliber — becomes less daunting.
Fisher made his name predominantly in film and television before he began showcasing his live theater chops on Broadway, and he has found that working in front of a camera requires an entirely different schedule and set of skills. Being a family man now, he prefers theater.
“I think that there’s a little bit of a nine-to-five aspect [performing on] Broadway [as opposed to film and television],” the Sweeney Todd star said. “I love that. And that’s also because I have a life of things outside of the theater that are, frankly, much, much more important — being a dad, and providing, and supporting, and being a loving partner, and taking care of family and my animals and my home.”
And, while he acknowledges that he is fortunate to be able to make a living by pursuing his passion for the arts, he also has no qualms admitting that all of those aspects of his personal life are his true purpose and priority.
“I’ve been doing theater for over 20 years in January, so this is something that just kind of will never stop,” Fisher said of life on Broadway. “And that was always going to be the case. It was always going to be: work in film and television and music and the gaming industry and always have a tether to New York. As long as a show will have me, I’m going to be there and do it because this is my favorite thing that I can do. I love all of the things that I get to do. And the most important thing, my absolute favorite thing that I get to do, is have a family.”
Trying to keep his little one safe, comfortable and happy while also absorbing as much of the city’s culture as possible may be no easy feat, but Fisher feels it’s a fulfilling place to plant some roots.
It’s a place where he and his wife can allow Riley, and any additional children they might welcome in the future, to discover themselves, be open to endless opportunities and find community anywhere that sparks joy, he said.
“It’s a whole different element of survival and culture that thrills me and Ellie,” he shared. “Every morning, we wake up, and the options are limitless in terms of what we can do, where we can go, what we can experience and what we can learn. And we super look forward to building fun family traditions all over the city at different times of the year.”