You’ve seen the spit. If you’ve watched Hamilton on Disney+, you definitely saw it in 4K. That glistening, high-definition glob of saliva that hangs from Jonathan Groff’s lip while he sings "You’ll Be Back" became an instant internet legend. But honestly, focusing only on the "royal spit" is kind of doing a disservice to one of the weirdest, most calculated performances in modern Broadway history.
Jonathan Groff as King George isn't just a comic relief role.
It’s a masterclass in stillness. While the rest of the Hamilton cast is literally running circles on a turntable, sweating through high-energy hip-hop choreography, Groff stands perfectly still. He is an island of 18th-century pop-ballad insanity. Most people think he’s just being funny, but there is a deeply unsettling psychology behind why his version of King George III works so well.
The Barbra Streisand Inspiration You Didn't Expect
When Groff took over the role from Brian d'Arcy James during the Off-Broadway run at The Public Theater, he was terrified. He’s said in interviews that he didn't think he could match d'Arcy James's "Napoleon-like" energy. He felt small.
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He found his "King" in a black-and-white clip of Barbra Streisand.
Specifically, he watched her sing "When the Sun Comes Out" from the 1965 special My Name is Barbra. He noticed how she just stood there, completely owning the space, basically "feeling herself" through the music. He realized that a King doesn't need to move to show power. A King expects the world to move around him.
This led to the "Groff Glide."
He developed a walk that looked like he was on a tightrope. One foot directly in front of the other. No crossing. It made him look like a porcelain doll that might suddenly snap and bite your finger off.
Nine Minutes of Absolute Chaos
Total stage time? About nine minutes.
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Singing time? Barely seven.
Despite the brief appearance, Jonathan Groff as King George won a Tony nomination and basically stole the show every night. It’s because he played the King not as a statesman, but as a jilted lover. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the King’s songs as "breakup letters" to the colonies, but Groff took that literally.
He didn't play him as "mad" in the historical sense (though King George III famously struggled with mental illness later in life). He played him as a psycho-ex-boyfriend.
Why the Spitting Actually Matters
Okay, let's talk about the saliva. Groff has admitted he’s just a "wet" performer. He sweats, he spits—it’s just his biology. He’s been doing it since Spring Awakening. But in Hamilton, that physical trait became a character choice.
The spitting happens because he’s enunciating so violently.
He isn't just singing; he's weaponizing consonants. When he hits those "P" and "B" sounds in "You'll be back, soon you'll see," the spit is a byproduct of his utter contempt for the American rebels. It adds this layer of "unhinged royal" that a cleaner, more polite performance would miss. It’s gross, yeah, but it’s also incredibly effective at showing a man who has lost all composure while trying to maintain a "deadened half-smile."
The Secret Power of the "Puppet Face"
Vocal coaches often point to Groff’s "ventriloquist dummy" jaw as the secret to his comedy. During the "Da-da-da-da-da" sections, his head remains completely frozen. Only his lower jaw moves.
It’s creepy.
It makes him look like a puppet of the monarchy rather than a human being. This stillness creates a massive contrast with the kinetic energy of Alexander Hamilton. While Hamilton is "young, scrappy, and hungry," George is old, stagnant, and decaying.
Backstage Sabotage
Groff wasn't just messing with the audience; he was a menace to his castmates.
During "The Reynolds Pamphlet," he would often stay onstage and try to make the other actors break character. He’s told stories about playing "mini-golf" with his scepter or casually grazing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s arm as he walked by just to see if he could get a laugh. He even once tried to mimic a famous viral video of a woman falling (the "grape stomp" lady) while walking past Lin, finally succeeding in making the creator of the show lose his cool for a split second.
Why We Are Still Obsessed With This Performance
There have been many Kings since Groff left the throne. Andrew Rannells, Taran Killam, Rory O’Malley—all great. But Groff’s version remains the definitive one for most fans because of the sheer restraint.
He understood that the funniest thing a person in a 30-pound velvet cape can do is nothing.
He just stands there. He stares. He blinks. He lets the audience do the work. It’s a lesson in "less is more." By the time he reaches his third song, "I Know Him," and starts manically laughing at the idea of John Adams being President, the audience is already in the palm of his hand.
What You Can Learn From the Groff Method
If you’re a performer or even just someone giving a presentation, Groff’s King George offers a few real-world takeaways:
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- Own your "flaws": If Groff had tried to hide his spitting, he would have been tense and the performance would have suffered. Instead, he leaned into the intensity that caused it.
- Contrast is king: If everyone is loud, be quiet. If everyone is moving, stay still.
- The power of the gaze: Groff made a point to look individual audience members in the eye during his exits. It turned a distant "character" into a personal interaction.
Next time you watch the recording, ignore the spit for a second. Look at his eyes. He isn't blinking. He’s barely breathing. He is a man convinced he is a god, and that’s a lot scarier—and funnier—than any amount of drool.
To really appreciate the technical side of what he did, go back and watch the "Da-da-da" sequence again. Notice how his shoulders never move. He’s using pure diaphragmatic control to belt those notes while staying physically paralyzed. It’s a lot harder than he makes it look.
If you want to dive deeper into his process, check out his interview on The Hamilcast or his "My Life in the Theatre" segment with Playbill. You'll find that beneath the crown, he’s basically just a theater nerd who got really, really lucky with a great pair of heels.