JR was born in Phoenix, AZ and raised in Cincinnati, OH by his Chinese mother,
Kecia Yee, a dance teacher, and his Italian father, Bob Bruno, a casino Pit Boss.  After Performing on "Rescue 911" at age 6 (and not to brag, passing for 4), his parents put him in every performing class they could. 

He graduated from the Performing Arts High School in Cincinnati, and finished college at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music.

Along the way, he danced with San Francisco Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet.

Currently he has been acting in Broadway hits like "Book of Mormon" and "West Side Story" and doing improv and Standup around the city and with the Upright Citizens Brigade.

When he's not Performing, JR is teaching dance in Midtown and trying to figure out how to decorate an apartment without tearing giant holes in the wall.​