Reeve Carney originated the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, in the record-breaking Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn off The Dark” in 2010. A lifelong musician, Reeve jumped at the opportunity to perform a score by U2’s Bono and The Edge–not to mention re-team with director Julie Taymor, with whom he worked in her film “The Tempest”.
In 2013, however, Reeve finally hung up his Spidey suit and headed to Dublin for his latest project: Showtime’s much buzzed-about new John Logan and Sam Mendes series Penny Dreadful (2014), in which Reeve plays reckless hedonist Dorian Gray.
When he’s not finding new ways to terrify himself as an actor, Reeve is diving headfirst into his music. He’s currently putting the finishing touches on his upcoming album “Youth is Wasted,” which he recorded primarily in his New York apartment. With his demanding “Spider-Man” schedule, it was impossible to get back and forth to the studio, so Reeve decided to build his own studio–right in his living room.
His bizarre Broadway hours also made teaming up with other musicians all but impossible, so Reeve took matters into his own hands, literally, playing every single instrument himself. Thus, the album has a homespun quality, à la Paul McCartney’s “Ram”–which just so happens to be Reeve’s all-time favorite album.
Making music is nothing new to Reeve. He signed with Interscope/Universal at age 22 and formed his namesake band Carney soon after, with his brother Zane. The bank released its debut album, “Mr. Green Vol. 1,”(DAS Label/Interscope/Universal)in 2010 and a live album, “Live at Molly Malone’s,” in 2007(DASLabel/Interscope/Universal).
Reeve becoming a performer was all but a foregone conclusion: pretty much everybody in his family works in the arts. His great-uncle was actor Art Carney. His jewelry designer mother has a degree from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and his father wrote jingles. From early childhood. Reeve sang on his father’s jingles. and at age 10, he was already recording with [link=nm0001391 on “HIStory.”
Reeve spent much of his high-school years hanging out at blues clubs around Los Angeles, playing with musicians over twice his age–and getting a better music education than any class could provide. His dedication paid off, and, after graduating from Hamilton High School Academy of Music, he got into USC’s prestigious Thornton School of Music, but he left after a year to pursue his music in earnest.
In an upcoming Jeff Buckley biopic, Reeve will play the late singer, marrying his love of both music and acting.
