Meet stage and movie actor Norm Lewis, the first African American to play Phantom of the Opera

Norm Lewis is not your average actor. He has accomplished some of the highest achievements possible by a stage actor. Many consider him to be the foundation of the revolution for African Americans stage actors.

Norm has accomplished many things over his long and illustrious career. So much so that he is one of the leading men in the field of Stage acting. But, his most important achievement came when he was cast as the first African American Phantom In the classic Phantom of the Opera play.

Many have said that this is an achievement in a magnitude which is forever going to change the way people see classic plays and musicals. Norman has said that it took him twenty three years of his life and commitment to the field of acting, bettering his skill set year by year, enhancing his abilities and finally he was cast in the role he always dreamed of, the role that led young Lewis to dream of doing something that had never been done before – to be the first African American phantom in Broadway.

Many actors and actresses from leading industries have applauded him for paving the way for the lead or major roles for actors of color. Over the years, Lewis had been rejected several times for the lead roles in other classic plays like “The Big River” and “Ragtime”.

When it was announced that Lewis was going to be the next Phantom, several black actors who were there to begin their practice for another play, were seen in tears and some were crying wildly as they just couldn’t believe that it was possible. Many other black actors reported that they see him, not as a man filled with pride and boasting of his grandeur, but as an inspiration for all he has done.

Norm is also one of the few actors on Broadway to have an impressive resume. He has starred in almost ten different classical productions in over four continents and in a number of countries.

Norman has also been hinting at a move to Television and was seen as a recurring guest star in the hit US TV show “Scandal”. Most recently, just this Sunday night in fact, he surprised fans and people alike by appearing on “Gotham”, a TV series based on the teenage life of legendary character Batman.

Norm is also known as a baritone singer and his songs have had record number of downloads from major online stores. However, the age group that listen to his songs are mostly elderly people – forty years and above.

Norm hasn’t been featured in movies yet and he has been known to reject many offers due to his dedication and commitment to stage acting. Norm’s net worth remains undisclosed. Norm also is an active social net worker and is known to tweet regularly and can be followed @normlewis777 on Twitter.