Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, Rapp reprised it in the film version of the show and then the show's United States Tour in 2009. He also performed the role of Charlie Brown in the 1999 Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and originated the role of Lucas in the musical If/Then in 2014. He currently plays Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets on the television series Star Trek: Discovery. Early life Rapp was born on October 26, 1971, in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in nearby Joliet, Illinois, to Mary Lee (née Baird) and Douglas Rapp. After his parents' divorce in 1974, he was raised by his mother, a trained nurse. His older brother is playwright, novelist, and filmmaker Adam Rapp. He also has an older sister. Rapp participated in community theater as a child and won awards for his singing in junior high school. Rapp attended high school at Joliet West High School and theatre camp at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. He moved to New York in 1989 to attend New York University as a film student, but dropped out after a semester. Career Rapp first performed on Broadway in 1981 in The Little Prince and the Aviator, a musical based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's novel The Little Prince. The show closed during previews. His screen debut was as a member of the starring ensemble in the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting, directed by Chris Columbus, who would later direct him in the film version of Rent. He has appeared in several movies and Broadway shows. His notable roles include those in such films as Dazed and Confused, A Beautiful Mind, School Ties, Road Trip, Six Degrees of Separation (stage and film versions), An American Family, Danny Roane: First Time Director, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Rapp went on to play the character of Mark Cohen in the off-Broadway and original Broadway casts of Jonathan Larson's musical Rent. For his audition, Rapp sang R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", and received his callback in September 1994. After offering him the role, Jonathan Larson wrote new songs for the production with Rapp's voice in mind. He reprised that role in the film adaptation, which was released on November 23,