The former 'American Idol' judge has been added to the cast ensemble of the upcoming live TV adaptation of 'Annie' to play billionaire Sir Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks.
- Jun 29, 2021
AceShowbiz - Singer/actor Harry Connick Jr. is stepping into the role of Daddy Warbucks for the upcoming "Annie Live!" U.S. TV event.
The "Hope Floats" star will tackle the part previously made famous by Albert Finney in the classic 1982 movie adaptation of the hit musical, and will feature opposite Taraji P. Henson as the villainous Miss Hannigan.
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to play Daddy Warbucks in Annie Live! and working alongside Taraji P. Henson is a dream come true," Harry said. "I love this show, and its musical message of love and hope couldn't come at a better time."
He added to People.com, "It's such a classic show and it's a show that I'm so familiar with, just from seeing it a million times."
"And it's one of those things where you watch it and enjoy it and never really imagine yourself a part of it, so when I was asked to play Daddy Warbucks, it was kind of surreal because that's such an iconic role. It wasn't something I ever really thought about. I was just thrilled that I was asked to do it."
Casting is currently underway to find a young actress to take on the titular role of the famous stage musical, about an orphan who captures the heart of billionaire Sir Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks.
Like previous TV events, such as 2016's "Hairspray Live!" and "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" in 2018, the stars will be performing during a live broadcast, and Harry is thrilled to take on the challenge.
"I love the idea of live television - the more difficult the tightrope walk is for me the more excited I get, so I'm just really fired up about it," he shared.
"It's this intersection of live theatre and film and television, so I think there's an opportunity to do things that can exist in any of those mediums."
And Harry shouldn't have too much trouble mastering the lyrics for the Annie tunes, having previously covered a number of the famous tracks for a children's album, called Songs I Heard, in 2001.
"Annie Live!" will air on 2 December (21).
