At only 20 years old, Hackley alumna Celia Rose Gooding was nominated for a Tony Award, becoming one of the youngest nominees in history. 

Gooding’s passion for musical theater began during her time at Hackley. According to Middle and Upper School drama instructor and her former mentor, Mr. Teacher, “beyond being incredibly talented, she [Gooding] is a wonderfully caring, inclusive and understanding person. I could opine at length about her, her experiences at Hackley, and her goals and aspirations for the future…” In school, she was a part of the Honors Performing Arts Program and partook in multiple acting opportunities, such as school plays and Coffeehouses. During her junior year, she started taking time away from school to rehearse with her Broadway castmates for Jagged Little Pill. She used this dedication of time and work as her senior project, blowing away the senior project panels with her commitment to theater and genuine love for it. As one of the panel judges, Ms. Crepeau said, “I remember being blown away by the maturity and growth in Celia.”

During and after high school, Gooding attended various other theatrical schools such as Berridge Conservatory in Normandy, France and the Alvin Ailey Institute in New York City, each reflecting her growing love for acting and the theater. 

Thus far, Gooding has been a part of the hit Broadway musical, Jagged Little Pill, and several other Broadway-level productions. However, her biggest aspiration is to be the first female to play Aaron Burr in Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.

On November 12th, 2019, a group of about 30 faculty/staff members went to see Gooding’s Broadway debut in Jagged Little Pill at the Broadhurst Theater in New York. As one of the people who attended her performance, Ms. Crepeau described the show as “excellent” and “an amazing performance.”

As a result of her performances, Gooding has been nominated for and won many awards, such as a Tony, a Grammy, a Clives Barnes Award, and more. She has also appeared on several talk shows, including Good Morning America, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Dick Clarke’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. 

Currently, Gooding is in the process of shooting two films, Star Trek and Breakwater. These will be her first appearances on screen rather than on a stage. In Star Trek, which will be arriving in theaters in 2022, she will be playing a recurring character, Nyota Uhura. In Breakwater, a crime thriller also coming out in 2022, she’ll be portraying the role of Jess, a supporting role alongside Dermot Mulroney. 

In addition to being a talented actress and singer, Gooding is outspoken about modern human rights issues, where she often uses her social media platforms to advocate for various causes, including the BLM movement, the LGBTQ+ community, and others. 

At a young age, Celia Gooding has already had a successful career and is sure to continue to be a trailblazer in theater and performing arts. Hackley should be proud to count her as one of its illustrious alumni.