For fans of Amazon Prime’s hit animated series Hazbin Hotel, the charismatic and power-hungry Overlord Vox is a standout character. The voice behind the television-headed demon is none other than two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway star Christian Borle. The actor brings a unique blend of showmanship and menace to the role, a perfect fit for a character who controls Hell’s media.
The series, which debuted on Amazon Prime on January 19, 2024, features a cast packed with theatrical talent, and Borle’s involvement adds a significant layer of professional stage prowess to the underworld antics.
From the Stage to the Screen
Christian Borle is a powerhouse in the world of musical theater, making his casting as the egotistical showman Vox a fitting choice. He is best known for his award-winning work on Broadway, having originated several iconic roles.
He won his first Tony Award for playing the pirate Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. His second Tony Award came for his scene-stealing performance as William Shakespeare in the musical comedy Something Rotten!. Other notable Broadway credits include originating the role of Emmett in Legally Blonde: The Musical and playing multiple parts, including Prince Herbert, in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
His television work includes starring as composer Tom Levitt on the NBC musical drama Smash. Interestingly, the creator of Hazbin Hotel, Vivienne Medrano, later confirmed that a song Borle performed in Smash was the exact reason he was offered the role of Vox. She had the song in a character playlist and thought, “This is the character.”
Who is the Character Vox?
In Hazbin Hotel, Vox is a major antagonist and one of the powerful Overlords of Hell. He is a technology-obsessed demon with a television for a head and is the founder and CEO of VoxTek Enterprises. He is also the de facto leader of the Vees, a powerful Overlord trio that also includes Valentino and Velvette.
Vox is a charismatic, egotistical, and manipulative businessman who craves attention and control over the citizens of Hell. He presents a friendly, public-facing image but is truly power-hungry and ruthless. A large part of his character revolves around his intense rivalry with the Radio Demon, Alastor, whom he utterly despises and views as a threat to his influence.
Before his life in Hell, Vox was a human named Vincent Whittman who worked as a TV weatherman. His desire for prominence drove him to murder to rise to higher positions, eventually forming a cult around entertainment where he served as its leader.
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Borle’s Other Notable Roles
Beyond his stage fame and demonic voice acting, Christian Borle has appeared in various other television and film projects. He portrayed Max Detweiler in the live television production of The Sound of Music Live! and doubled as Mr. Darling and Mr. Smee in Peter Pan Live!.
On film, he had a role in the 2010 romantic comedy The Bounty Hunter starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. He also made a guest appearance alongside his former wife, actress Sutton Foster, in the Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in the Life.
More recently, he starred as the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, a role that shares a similarly dark and comedic energy with Vox.
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