Bret Hanna-Shuford, a Broadway actor whose career spanned stage, film and television and included performances in Wicked and The Little Mermaid, has died. He was 46.
Hanna-Shuford’s husband, Stephen Hanna-Shuford, announced his death Saturday in an Instagram post. Hanna-Shuford had been diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, a rare immune condition, and T-cell lymphoma.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that early this morning we said goodbye to the most amazing man, husband and Papa in the universe,” Stephen Hanna-Shuford wrote. “Bret Hanna-Shuford left this world peacefully with love surrounded by his family.”
Born May 20, 1979, in Beaumont, Texas, Hanna-Shuford began performing at a young age with The Gingerbread Company, a professional children’s theater based in Dallas. As a child and teenager, he appeared in community theater productions, regional commercials and independent films, building an early foundation that would later lead him to Broadway.
He made his Broadway debut in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, launching a long relationship with Disney Theatrical Productions. He later appeared in The Little Mermaid, where he met Stephen Hanna-Shuford, who would become his husband and creative partner.
Hanna-Shuford went on to appear in numerous Broadway productions, including Wicked, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, A Wonderful Life, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Amazing Grace and Cirque du Soleil Paramour. He also toured nationally in productions of South Pacific and Dreamgirls, bringing his performances to audiences across the country.
In addition to his stage work, Hanna-Shuford built a steady on-screen career. His film credits include The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). On television, he appeared in Only Murders in the Building, FBI: Most Wanted, The Good Fight, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, All My Children and Guiding Light.
Within the Broadway and LGBTQ community, Hanna-Shuford was known not only for his versatility as a performer but also for his warmth, mentorship and devotion to family. Friends and colleagues have remembered him as a generous collaborator who brought heart and humor to every project.
Hanna-Shuford is survived by his husband, Stephen, and their son, Maverick. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support the family during this time.
“Though our hearts are broken,” Stephen Hanna-Shuford wrote, “we will continue to make him proud.”
