In news you can file under "hilarious" (he was even trending on Twitter for a few hours), beloved actor-singer Jonathan Groff has made the news because...he spits a lot when he sings, as seen most recently in Hamilton on Disney+. To be fair, lots of singers spit when they sing. And in case we were wondering if this is news to Groff, it is not: He is a well-known stage spitter and (poor thing) has had to answer questions about it for a long time. "I don’t know what it is. I guess I have a lot of saliva in my mouth. I actually don’t think about it too much, unless I’m in a good scene with someone and I can see it hitting their face," he said in 2009. And then again in 2019: "I’ve always been a spitter...I start sweating. I just get wet when I perform onstage. It is just what happens."
He's even been in shows where the first couple of rows are in the "splash zone" (omg). "For the first couple weeks...I can’t help it, I’m just, like, spitting on everyone. And they’re either enjoying it, or they’re laughing, or they’re holding up their programs to block their face...I don’t care anymore, but it made me feel self-conscious at first." So this is apparently a well-known thing, but new fans were introduced to the phlegm for the first time over the past couple days, and they quickly became obsessed.
The memes and GIFs of Jonathan Groff spitting are incredible.
Honestly, all of this is in good fun—the recording of the stage production is making new fans of the epic show, and this just happens to be one aspect—but if you're squeamish, maybe skip this section. But if you have no idea what I'm talking about and you're desperately curious, I have the GIF evidence for you from the Hamilton Disney+ production of what is making fans so delighted/horrified.
I...just spent a lot of time looking at spit gifs.
Fans are obsessed with this fact.
So imagine that you are a first-time watcher of Hamilton, and you are (of course) taking in the epic badassery of the performance, and THEN you see Groff as King George spitting all over the place. We basically got to see a few of these reactions in real time:
The way that I just saw Jonathan Groff’s spit in 4K HD..... #HamiltonFilm #hamifilm pic.twitter.com/hX1ORvJA56July 3, 2020
still can't believe i watched jonathan groff let out a gallon of spit in 4k HD at 3:30 in the morningJuly 3, 2020
POV: me in the front row of hamilton while Jonathan Groff is singing You’ll Be Back pic.twitter.com/IarKzDWbGKJuly 3, 2020
Fans also immediately came to his defense:
NOT JONATHAN GROFF TRENDING BECAUSE OF HIS SPIT LEAVE THE POOR MAN ALONEEJuly 3, 2020
Jonathan Groff. He delivered. He is the moment. Iconic forever. That Royal Spit? Ugh, beautiful, sir. #Hamilton pic.twitter.com/EkVGWjqeTpJuly 3, 2020
Real Broadway fans know that the amount of spit shown in “Hamilton” is actually a VERY conservative display from Jonathan Groff.July 10, 2020
imagine being front row during hamilton and being privileged enough to have Jonathan Groff spit on youJuly 5, 2020
Also, I appreciate the relevance!
If you don't believe masks prevent transmission of disease, just take a few minutes to watch Jonathan Groff spit while singing in Hamilton.July 7, 2020
just donated to the broadway cares covid relief fund in honor of "jonathan groff's spit"July 5, 2020
Even creator Lin-Manual Miranda and music director/conductor Alex Lacamoire weighed in:
King George's spit drool is truly transgressive in 2020, mercy me #HamiltonJuly 3, 2020
The answer is "Yes, I would occasionally feel Jonathan Groff's spittle fall on me during performances." And you know what? Worth it.#HamilfilmJuly 3, 2020
Anyways, the point is—go watch Hamilton, right now, and not just for the spit. (But the spit is a funny highlight!)
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