American choreographer, tour manager, and director Kenny Ortega is well-known worldwide. In addition to “Newsies,” “Hocus Pocus,” “High School Musical,” Michal Jackson’s “This Is It,” “Descendants,” and “Julie and the Pantomimes,” Kenny also directed several well-known movies.
St. Elmo’s Fire, Ferris Bueller’s Day, Dirty Dancing, and Pretty in Pink were among the other movies he choreographed. His accomplishments as the tour director for Hannah Montana, Michael Jackson, Gloria Estefan, and Cher are something he takes great satisfaction in.
Net Worth of Kenny Ortega
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One of the most well-known and affluent directors is thought to be Kenny Ortega. High School Musical 3: Senior Year had an $11 million budget, yet Kenny grossed more than $250 million off of it.
On a $60 million budget, Michael Jackson’s This Is It brought in more than $260 million worldwide. As of December 2022, Kenny Ortega has a net worth of $16 million.
The biggest accomplishment for Kenny was getting his name out there after producing outstanding work. He has made a name for himself as a mentor in his own right by serving as an authentic example of perseverance, hard effort, and commitment.
Biography of Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega, the son of Madeline and Octavio “Tibby” Ortega, was born on April 18, 1950, in Palo Alto, California. His paternal grandparents, who were Spanish immigrants, as well as his mother and father were all born in Palo Alto. Octavio worked in a factory, while Madeline was a waitress. Marcela Ortega is the name of Kenny’s sister.
Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California is where Kenny received his diploma. He was a cheerleader at this school and an active member of the drama club.
Wife of Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega openly admitted to being gay in an interview he gave to the anti-bullying group Bystander Revolution in 2014. According to him, the field he works in is quite welcoming, and his sexual orientation nearly never receives criticism or judgment.
He has never been married, and nothing else is known about his prior relationships. Kenny Ortega and Dove Cameron are thought to be dating, although he hasn’t confirmed it.
Ortega’s Height, Weight
In 2022, Kenny Ortega will be 72 years old. He was born on April 18, 1950. He is 75 kg tall and 5 ft 10 inches wide.
Career
Kenny Ortega started as an actor, performing in Hair and Oliver touring shows. He experimented with choreography and directing in the past. The San Francisco band “The Tubes” spotted him on the dance floor of a club, and he later joined them on tour for ten years as their choreographer.
He declined the main role in the production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” before accepting this. Kenny was hired by Cher to choreograph a TV special after leaving the band, and he toured with Kiss on their Dynasty Tour.
He collaborated with Gene Kelly, who served as his instructor in the field of cinema choreography, on the 1980 movie Xanadu as a choreographer.
During this time, he served as a choreographer for several John Hughes movies, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty in Pink.
In 1987, he choreographed the music videos for Mr. Roboto by Styx, Material Girl by Madona, and Rock Me Tonite by Billy Squier in addition to the movie Dirty Dancing.
In 1992, he made his directorial debut with the Disney musical Newsies, and in 1993, he did the same with Hocus Pocus.
He worked with Michael Jackson to plan and construct the Dangerous Wild Tour in 1992 and 1993. This was followed by the HIStory World Tour in 1996–1997 and Michael Jackson & Friends in 1999.
High School Musical and The Cheeter Girls 2 are two Disney Channel Original Movies that Kenny directed and choreographed in 2006. High School Musicals 2 and 3 were choreographed and directed by him, along with Senior Year in 2007.
Kenny started directing and choreographing Michael Jackson’s anticipated 50-date This Is It engagement at the O2 Arena, which was billed as Jackson’s final performance in London. Then, with the tragic passing of Michael Jackson in June 2009, this cooperation was called off.
On July 7, 2009, he will oversee the direction of Michael Jackson’s Public Memorial in Los Angeles, which was broadcast live on multiple networks and watched by more than a billion people worldwide.
For the Disney Channel in 2015, Ortega also directed and choreographed Descendants, a movie about the offspring of famous Disney villains. He would return in the same capacity for Descendants 2 and Descendants 3 in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
Kenny Ortega Awards and Achievements
For his work, Kenny has been nominated for and won numerous accolades, such as Outstanding Director at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2002, Outstanding Directing for Children’s Programs at the Directors Guild of America Awards in 2006, Best Choreography in a Musical at the Helpmann Awards in 2007, a Disney Legend Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.
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