The influencer, who also appeared in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” shared the popular Broadway Husbands account with his husband, Stephen.

Bret Hanna-Shuford, Broadway actor who appeared in Wicked, dies at 46 after rare cancer diagnosis

The influencer, who also appeared in "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," shared the popular Broadway Husbands account with his husband, Stephen.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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January 3, 2026 6:26 p.m. ET

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Bret Hanna-Shuford in 2019. Credit:

Steven Ferdman/FilmMagic

Bret Hanna-Shuford, a Broadway actor and influencer, has died. He was 46.

The actor's husband, Stephen Hanna-Shuford, announced the news on Instagram on Saturday.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that early this morning we said goodbye to the most amazing man, husband, and Papa in the universe," Stephen's post began. "Bret Hanna-Shuford left this world peacefully with love surrounded by his family. Our hearts are broken, but we will continue to make him proud of us…"

Bret Hanna-Shuford and Stephen Hanna-Shuford in New York City on May 15, 2023.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty

During the summer, Bret was diagnosed with the cancer T-cell lymphoma as well as the immune condition hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, rare conditions that affect the immune system. After his diagnosis, Scott Barnhardt, his friend from college, set up a GoFundMe for his medical treatment that raised more $300,000.

Barnhardt asked for continued support for Stephen and the couple's 3-year-old son, Maverick.

"Please hold Stephen and his son, Maverick, in your thoughts and prayers," he wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page following Hanna-Shuford's death. "And, if you're so able, please continue to contribute to and share their GoFundMe. Sending love to you all… and gratitude for the incredible support Bret's village provided him these past few months… the most beautiful symbol of a life well lived."

Born in 1979, Hanna-Shuford began acting at a young age. "I fell in love with movie musicals before I even hit kindergarten," the actor wrote on his website. "And when I saw kids singing and dancing in real life, my fate was set. When I was 5, my mom took me to our local library to see a performance by The Gingerbread Company, a group of kids who traveled around singing about good habits and stranger danger. I knew I had to join them. And the following year, I did."

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Hanna-Shuford began his career in stage adaptations of iconic animated musicals. "Disney Theatrical took me under its wing when I was cast in Broadway's *Beauty and the Beast* and subsequently *The Little Mermaid*," he recalled. "Both shows were dreams come true, and continue to have been gifts in my life. During that time, I met my husband, ballet dancer and actor Stephen Hanna."

The actor also performed in productions of *Wicked*, *Chitty Chitty Bang Bang*, Cirque du Soleil's *Paramour*, and *Amazing Grace*. On screen, he appeared in a small role in *The Wolf of Wall Street* and acted in episodes of *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *Only Murders in the Building*, and *The Good Fight*. He also lent his voice to the hit video game *Red Dead Redemption 2*.

Bret Hanna-Shuford performing with the cast of Cirque du Soleil's 'Paramour' in New York City on July 21, 2016.

Janette Pellegrini/Getty

The Hanna-Shufords shared the Instagram account Broadway Husbands, which chronicled their lives together as theatrical performers, husbands, and fathers to Maverick. Bret also trained as a life coach and had a YouTube channel to share his story with aspiring actors.

"As a kid from small-town Texas, I could never have imagined what it would be like to be in an Oscar-nominated movie or a Tony-nominated show," he wrote. "And that's why I became a certified life coach and started my YouTube channel — to show people across the country that fulfillment in this career is possible."

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Hanna-Shuford was pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Central Florida but paused his studies to undergo treatment. He is survived by his husband, Stephen, and their son, Maverick.**

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