William Frederick Roland (born March 5, 1989) is an American actor and singer, best known for originating the role of Jared Kleinman in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, for which he received a Grammy and Daytime Emmy Award.
[3][failed verification][better source needed] After initially living in Greenwich Village,[4] his family moved to Locust Valley, Long Island, when he was eight years old.
Roland reprised this role in 2013 from October 27, 2013, to November 24, 2013, in Los Angeles, California, for the show's world premiere at the Center Theatre Group.
Starting in July 2014, Roland participated in readings and workshops of the show that would become Dear Evan Hansen, playing the role of Jared Kleinman.
[12] While in Washington, D.C. for the workshop and original production of Dear Evan Hansen, and Roland was also cast as Collin in the independent film One Penny.
[14] In 2016, Roland reprised his role as Jared when Dear Evan Hansen went Off-Broadway for a limited engagement run at the Second Stage Theatre.
On April 13, 2018, it was announced that Roland would play the role of Jeremy Heere in Joe Iconis' Be More Chill Off-Broadway limited engagement run at the Pershing Square Signature Center.
[19] Through Ghostlight Records, Roland released a new song called "Loser Geek Whatever" that had been introduced to the show as the new act 1 finale for its Off-Broadway run.