Matthew James Morrison was born in Fort Ord, California. He studied at New York University’s famed Tisch School of the Arts, and got his start on Broadway at the age of 19. He was part of the chorus line in Footloose, and got his big break in 2002 playing Link Larkin in the hit musical Hairspray. In 2005, he co-starred in The Light in the Piazza, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. During his theatre stints, he guest-starred on various television shows and had minor roles in films like Music & Lyrics and Dan in Real Life. In 2009, he landed the role of teacher Will Schuester in the now-hit television series Glee, garnering Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations. He also has a music album coming out in February 2011. He was once engaged to soap opera actress Chrishell Stause, who ended their relationship.