Beloved Broadway Star Bret Hanna Shuford Dies at 46 After Rare Cancer Battle
The theater community and the social media world are mourning a devastating loss this week. Bret Hanna Shuford, the charismatic Broadway actor known for his work in “Wicked” and as one-half of the beloved “Broadway Husbands” influencer duo, has died. He was battling a rare and aggressive type of cancer. He was only 46 years old.
Bret Hanna Shuford Passed Away on Saturday
The news was confirmed on Saturday, January 3, 2026, by his husband and creative partner, Stephen Hanna Shuford. In an emotional Instagram post that has since garnered an outpouring of support, Stephen wrote, “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.”
Hanna Shuford had been an anchor in the New York theater scene for years, but to his hundreds of thousands of online followers, he was a beacon of positivity, offering a window into the life of a working actor and a father.
A Public Battle With a Rare Diagnosis
While his online presence was often filled with joy, Hanna Shuford had been transparent about a harrowing cancer battle over the last year. In the summer of 2025, he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma, an aggressive cancer of the immune system. Also complicating this cancer diagnosis was a condition known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which is a rare disorder where the body’s immune cells attack healthy tissue.
The diagnosis forced Hanna Shuford to put much of his plans on hold, which included pausing his graduate studies at the University of Central Florida. The couple had recently relocated to Orlando with their three-year-old son, Maverick. They had hoped for a season of new beginnings. Instead, they found themselves in a fight for Hanna Shuford’s life.
Friends and fans rallied around the family, with a GoFundMe campaign raising over $300,000 to assist with medical bills. Despite the support and cancer treatment, Hanna Shuford spent the recent holiday season in the hospital. On Christmas Day, he posted a message to his followers from his hospital bed, expressing gratitude for the love he was receiving. His passing just days into the new year has left a large void in the community that rallied so hard to save him.
Bret Hanna Shuford: From Broadway Stages to the Digital Screen
Before he was an influencer, Hanna Shuford was a quintessential theater kid who made his dreams a reality. Born in Texas in 1979, he was drawn to musicals before he even started kindergarten. His professional resume was the envy of many aspiring actors, boasting credits in major productions like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “The Little Mermaid” – the latter being the production where he met Stephen, a ballet dancer who would become his husband.
He was perhaps best known on stage for his time in “Wicked” and “Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour.” However, his talents weren’t limited to live theater. Bret had a diverse screen career, appearing in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” and television staples like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “The Good Fight.” Gamers might even recognize his voice work in the huge hit “Red Dead Redemption 2.”
The Legacy of “Broadway Husbands”
In recent years, Hanna Shuford successfully pivoted to content creation, launching the “Broadway Husbands” brand with husband Stephen. What started as a way to chronicle their lives as performers ended up evolving into a significant platform for LGBTQ+ visibility. The two documented their journey through marriage, surrogacy, and fatherhood for an audience of over 250,000 followers.
Besides his family content, Hanna Shuford was passionate about mentorship. He was a certified life coach and used his YouTube channel to help aspiring actors, trying to demystify and decode the often brutal entertainment industry. He sought to prove that fulfillment in the arts was possible.
Tributes Pour in for Bret Hanna Shuford
The impact he had on his peers is evident in the wave of tributes flooding social media. According to PressBee, Busy Philipps commented on the announcement, writing, “You both have brought such light and beauty and hilarity into the world.”
“Dancing With the Stars” pro Sharna Burgess also shared her grief, calling Hanna Shuford an “extraordinary human” and noting how lucky their son Maverick was to have him. Fellow Broadway stars are remembering him as a supportive, capable colleague and a devoted father. He is survived by his husband, Stephen, and their son, Maverick.
