Character guide
Jeff Slater
from Tootsie
Jeff Slater is Michael Dorsey's roommate and reluctant accomplice in Tootsie, the 2019 musical with music and lyrics by David Yazbek.
- Show
- Tootsie
- Broadway premiere
- 2019
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- David Yazbek
Jeff Slater: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1982 film
Bill Murray played Jeff Slater, Michael's roommate and a struggling playwright, in the 1982 film, where Michael takes the Dorothy job partly to raise $8,000 to produce Jeff's play. Andy Grotelueschen originated the role in the 2019 Broadway musical, and Jeff remains Michael's roommate and an unsuccessful playwright.
On stage Jeff gets his own number, Jeff Sums It Up, plus a reprise of another song. In the film Jeff also rescues Dorothy when John Van Horn corners her at the apartment.
Who is Jeff Slater?
Jeff Slater is Michael's playwright roommate, who is dragged into Michael's elaborate Dorothy Michaels scheme and spends much of the show alternately horrified by and complicit in his friend's escalating deception. Jeff serves as a voice of reason, and occasional exasperation, amid Michael's increasingly tangled lies.
His own creative frustrations as a struggling writer run alongside Michael's story, and his dry, weary commentary on Michael's choices gives the audience a grounded outside perspective on just how far the deception has gone.
Jeff's role in Tootsie
Jeff Slater is a supporting role centered on sharp comic commentary and reactive humor, requiring a performer with strong timing to play the show's most exasperated bystander. His songs and scenes often function as commentary on the absurdity unfolding around him.
Audiences appreciate Jeff as the character who says what everyone is thinking about Michael's increasingly reckless plan, and his frustration provides some of the show's funniest, most relatable moments of disbelief.
Jeff Slater: frequently asked questions
What show is Jeff Slater from?
Jeff Slater is a supporting character in Tootsie, which opened on Broadway in 2019.
Is Jeff Slater a lead or supporting role?
Jeff Slater is a supporting role as Michael's roommate.
Who wrote the music for Tootsie?
David Yazbek wrote the music and lyrics for Tootsie.
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