Draft:Burke Swanson
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 5 weeks or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 2,577 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
 | This article may incorporate text from a large language model, which is prohibited in Wikipedia articles. |
Burke Swanson | |
|---|---|
| Education | Savannah College of Art and Design |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Agent | Buchwald |
| Website | burkeswanson |
Burke Swanson is an American actor. He made his Broadway debut in the 2019 revival of The Rose Tattoo,[1] later played George McFly in the North American tour of Back to the Future: The Musical,[2] and originated the role of James Hopper Jr. on Broadway in Stranger Things: The First Shadow.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Swanson is from Spotsylvania, Virginia.[1] He has said that his interest in performing began during childhood after appearing in a talent show at summer camp and cited Billy Elliot as one of the first Broadway productions that inspired him to pursue performing professionally.[4] He later attended the Virginia Residential Governor's School for Arts & Humanities, where he studied devised and experimental theatre.[2]
Swanson later studied performing arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2019.[2][5] While studying there, Swanson appeared in university productions of Rent and The Foreigner, as well as the virtual-reality experience Destination Imagination.[5] While at SCAD, Swanson served as president of 3rd Act Productions, a student-run theatre organization.[6]
Career
[edit]Swanson's early stage work included a production of Hamlet with the Savannah Classical Touring Company.[7] He also performed in local dinner theatre and appeared in national commercials before graduating.[2] After graduating from SCAD, Swanson made his Broadway debut in the 2019 revival of Tennessee Williams's The Rose Tattoo at the Roundabout Theatre Company, appearing as Jack Hunter and serving as fight captain.[1] He subsequently played Brad in the first season of the Amazon series Harlem,[8] before joining the first North American tour of Back to the Future: The Musical as George McFly.[2][9]
In 2025, Swanson returned to Broadway as James Hopper Jr. in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a stage prequel to the Netflix series Stranger Things.[10] Swanson said he was cast while touring in Back to the Future and traveled to New York for an in-person callback on one of his days off.[3][10] Swanson also said he avoided directly imitating David Harbour's performance.[3][4]
During his final weeks in The First Shadow in 2026, Swanson hosted The Hop, a weekly Broadway.com backstage video series documenting the production.[11] The final episode included a conversation with Matthew Erick White, who succeeded him as James Hopper Jr.[12]
Selected credits
[edit]Stage
[edit]| Year | Production | Role | Production / Venue | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Rose Tattoo | Jack Hunter | Broadway revival; also fight captain; American Airlines Theatre | [1] |
| 2024 | Back to the Future: The Musical | George McFly | First North American Tour | [13] |
| 2025-2026 | Stranger Things: The First Shadow | James Hopper Jr. | Original Broadway production, Marquis Theatre | [14] |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Hit the Road, Jacks | Kazoo | [15] |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Harlem | Brad | Recurring role | [8][16] |
Reception
[edit]Reviews of the 2019 revival of The Rose Tattoo noted his performance opposite Ella Rubin as Rosa Delle Rose, with Talkin' Broadway highlighting the younger pair as a counterpart to the production's central romance.[17]
His performance as George McFly in the North American tour of Back to the Future: The Musical also received praise. Reviewing the production for MPR News, Jacob Aloi praised Swanson's chemistry with Caden Brauch and his physical comedy, comparing one sequence involving a broom to the work of Rowan Atkinson.[18] Chicago Theatre Review similarly praised his comic physicality in the role.[19]
In 2026, Swanson's performance as the younger James Hopper in Stranger Things: The First Shadow received further critical attention. A review in the Southern Review of Books praised his portrayal and highlighted his comic chemistry with Alison Jaye as Joyce Maldonado.[20]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Burke Swanson (Performer)". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Lanes, Elliot (2024-08-05). "Interview: Theatre Life with Burke Swanson". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- 1 2 3 Rosky, Nicole (2025-05-08). "Interview: Burke Swanson Is Living a Strangely Awesome Dream". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- 1 2 "Riding The Wave with Burke Swanson". American Studies. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- 1 2 "Acting Careers". SCAD.edu. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Staff, District (2017-11-12). "3rd Act Productions offers opportunities outside the mainstage". District. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ "Emun Elliott to Star Opposite Marisa Tomei in Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- 1 2 "Broadway Buzz, Star File: Burke Swanson". www.broadway.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ "IN CONVERSATION WITH BURKE SWANSON". Numéro Netherlands. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- 1 2 "The Cast of 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Is Fighting Demogorgons on Broadway". ELLE. 2025-04-23. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ "Broadway Buzz, The Hop: Backstage at Stranger Things: The First Shadow With Burke Swanson, Episode 1: On the Radio". www.broadway.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ "Broadway Buzz, The Hop: Backstage at Stranger Things: The First Shadow With Burke Swanson, Episode 6: Hopper-on-Hopper". www.broadway.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (2024-04-11). "Full Cast & Route Set for BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL North American Tour". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ "Cast Complete for Broadway's Stranger Things: The First Shadow". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Collective, JMP! (2025-03-28). "Burke Swanson | Artist". www.jmpcollective.org. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Harlem: Pilot | TVmaze. Retrieved 2026-09-20 – via www.tvmaze.com.
- ↑ "Talkin' Broadway on Broadway Review: "The Rose Tattoo" 10/15/2019". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Aloi, Jacob (2024-09-12). "Review: 'Back to the Future' is a fun, slick ride". MPR News. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Douglas, Colin (2024-08-16). "The Power of Love | Chicago Theatre Review". Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Flores, Lael (2026-02-27). "From Hawkins to New York: "Stranger Things" on Broadway". Southern Review of Books. Retrieved 2026-09-20.