Next in our spotlight is Vanessa’s Rent co-star Aaron Tveit.

No stranger to the Jonathan Larson musical, Aaron left college in his sophomore year to join the 2005 national tour of Rent. He went on to play Link Larkin in Hairspray’s first national tour, the role which also gave him his Broadway debut in 2006.

Continuing to make his mark on stage, he was the first to play the role of Gabe in Next to Normal’s Broadway run. The Washington Post singled him out saying,

“All the voices are splendid, and particularly that of the captivating Aaron Tveit, who plays the role of the couple’s other child, the source of much of their pain and confusion.”

Another review pointed out:

“Like the rest of the cast, Tveit bites deep into his role and never lets go. Tveit’s talent is nimble, full of life, and direct. Singing the show’s stand out power-romp duet, Superboy, and the Invisible Girl with Jennifer Damiano, it’s clear ‘Tveit’ will be a name everyone will soon know how to pronounce.”

Which, by the way, is “Ta-VATE” (rhymes with “eight”).

His other stage roles have included Fiyero in Wicked and Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can, which producers are hoping to premiere on Broadway in 2011.

Aaron has also brought his talent to film and television, most popularly as Trip van der Bilt, a recurring character in the popular CW series, Gossip Girls. He has also guest-starred on Ugly Betty and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

On the big screen, Aaron played opposite James Franco as the poet Peter Orlovsky in Howl, which premiered in Sundance earlier this year.

And, of course, this summer Aaron plays Roger Davis opposite Vanessa’s Mimi Marquez in the much-anticipated Hollywood Bowl staging of Rent.