Idina Menzel
Interesting Biography Facts
Real name
Idina Kim Mentzel
Occupation
actress, singer
Birth Date
May 30, 1971
Age
53 years
Zodiac Sign
Gemini
Birthplace
Queens, New York, United States
Education
New York University
Nationality
American
Idina Menzel family members
Father's Name
Stuart Mentzel
Mother's Name
Helene Mentzel
Siblings names
Cara Mentzel (younger sister)
Is Idina Menzel a lesbian/bisexual?
No
What is Idina Menzel marital status?
Married
Who is Idina Menzel husband?
Aaron Lohr (current husband); Taye Diggs (ex-husband; baby father)
When did get married?
September, 2017
How many children does she have?
1 (son alker Nathaniel Diggs)
Idina Menzel husband
Taye Diggs (ex-husband; baby father)
Date of birth: January 2, 1971
Idina met Taye at the Rent set. He played Benny Coffin, the ex-roommate of her heroine on the play. The chemistry between them was obvious to the colleagues. They joked at one another, and Idina called him “Sandalwood” because he smelled like that fragrance. Finally, Benny dared to invite her to the cinema. They attended the film “Twister”, and after that both felt, that they had to be together.
The couple tied a knot in 2003 and during ten years they were considered as one of the most romantic couples in Hollywood. But in 2013 they announced their separation. Idina and Taye remained friends for the sake of their son Walker. You can read about her ex-husband and their son in “Taye Diggs”.
Aaron Lohr (husband since 2017)
Date of birth: April 2, 1976
Since 2017 Cara has been married to an actor Aaron Lohr. They met at the set of the musical “See What I Wanna See” in 2005. But only after 10 years of friendship they started dating. In September 2016 the couple got engaged. They tied a knot in September 2017.
Aaron is known as the theater actor. He appeared on the big screen, too. The actor starred in the film adaptation of the musical “Rent”.
Idina Menzel kids
Walker Nathaniel Diggs (son)
Date of birth: September 2, 2009
Who are Idina Menzel parents?
Stuart Mentzel (father)
Idina’s father Stuart tries to stay out of the limelight. But remaining incognito is almost impossible when you are a parent of a superstar. He went out of the shadow in 2006, when attended the premiere of “Ask the Dust” film with his daughter, who played one of the leading parts there. Later he attended some other public events with Idina.
Stuart always believed in his daughter’s talent and helped her to develop it. He took her to New York, and they attended various musicals. Thus, the girl was developing her taste for music. He paid for the formal music lessons for her.
Mr. Mentzel earned his living as a pajama salesman. His clothes were sold in Target and other chains. No need to say, that his daughters, Idina and Cara, were dressed, like two beautiful little dolls.
In 1986 Stuart and his baby mother Helene, divorced. That was painful for Idina, who was in her teens. He used music to get rid of bad thoughts. Now the actress remains close with her father.
Helene Mentzel (mother)
Date of birth: July 21, 1948
Helene Mentzel and her daughter Idina share a close bond. By the way, Helene looks so great, that it’s hard to believe, that both are a mother and a daughter and they have a solid age gap.
Mrs. Mentzel is a licensed psychotherapist.
She studied at Denver University and then passed through many post-graduate classes. Lots of her patients are thankful to her.
Helene is a person, who stands behind Idina’s success. She supported her daughter when the girl had an idea to participate in a talent show, arranged at Syosset High School, her place of study. She sang at the school stage and got a standing ovation. Since then Idina knew, that she would become a singer.
Now the proud mother appears by her daughter’s side at various red-carpet events.
Idina Menzel siblings
Cara Mentzel (younger sister)
Date of birth: 1974
Cara Leigh Mentzel is Idina’s younger sister. She is a voice teacher and writer. The actress has already become a mother. One of her sons, Jake Lemons, has already launched his Instagram account. She is married. Cara is a big lover of dogs and owns several of them.
Bio
Idina Menzel is a theater superstar with a unique voice and incredibly good looks. She was born in the family of Helene and Stuart Mentzel in Queens, NY. She was three when her parents welcomed another girl, her sister Cara Mentzel. Soon after that their family moved to Woodbury, where she grew up.
Her talent for singing was obvious. She was five when she appeared in a music camp and sang in the company of her friend “Cats in the Cradle”, originally performed by Harry Chapin. Her strong voice impressed everyone. From that day music has become an inseparable part of her life. Soon her parents took little Idina to formal music lessons.
Menzel’s friends remember her as a hard-working girl. The daughter of successful parents, she might just drink cocktails at the parties, which her rich classmates arranged very often. But she had no time for it – she practiced music and earned her own money, working in the fast-food café.
After graduation from high school, she entered Tisch School of the Arts, which is part of New York University. Many Hollywood stars were trained there. She earned a bachelor degree in performing arts, but in spite of a solid education, her career remained in a slow phase. She was waiting for the tables in the restaurants and worked at weddings. But finally, fate gave her its smile.
She heard, that playwrights Jonathan Larson and Billy Aronson wrote the play “Rent”, which told about the life of bohemian talented young people, who were captured by AIDs and poverty. She attended the audition and was accepted for the role of Maureen Johnson, a selfish performer, who was involved in a love triangle. Thus, she started her way on top in the middle 1990s.
Today, Idina Menzel boasts with many professional interesting art projects in her resume. She is a solo singer, who has already released four studio albums and is working on the fifth one. She is a film and TV actress and a voice actress. She voiced Elsa of Arendelle in the famous Disney animation film “Frozen” and its parts.
Interesting and fun facts
- She studied drama at the Syosset High School and participated in school productions there. Once she was cast as Nettie, an old woman in the play “Carousel. Her drama teacher explained that she had the most mature voice at school, so she could play an old lady.
- She changed the surname “Mentzel” to “Menzel”. The actress omitted “t” because it was silent, but people often pronounced it. Not to confuse anyone, she took “t” away from her surname.
- In 1996 she got her first prestigious nomination – at the 50th ceremony of Tony Awards.
- Her favorite colors are green and deep purple.
- Her height is 5 ft 4 in and her weight is 121 pounds.