18 Actors Who Were Nominated for a Tony for the First Time This Year
While many seasoned Broadway actors are dusting off their trophy shelves to make room for a new addition or waiting for a win after several nominations, 18 hopefuls are vying for their first prize for the first time. Here’s the performers who received their first nomination in the 2019 season.
Paddy Considine
The British film actor is nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his role as Quinn Carney in “The Ferryman,” a role he originated on the West End. Not only is this his first Tony nomination, it also marks his Broadway debut and first time performing onstage.
Adam Driver
The star of “Girls” and “Star Wars” has been on Broadway in “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” and “Man and Boy,” but his role in Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This” earned him his first Tony nomination as Best Leading Actor in a Play.
Jeremy Pope
Jeremy Pope is the talk of the 2019 season, as he became the sixth person in Tony history to be nominated for two performing awards in the same season for his roles in the play “Choir Boy” and the musical “Ain’t Too Proud.” Subsequently, this season marked both his first and second nominations.
Laura Donnelly
The plot of “The Ferryman” is based on the true story of Lauren Donnelly’s uncle, and the remarkable telling of her family story earned her an Olivier Award and a first-time Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Play.
Elaine May
Elaine May may have Oscar nominations and a Medal of Arts award from President Obama, but she didn’t have a Tony nomination until her performance as Gladys in the revival of “The Waverly Gallery.”
Heidi Schreck
Heidi Schreck is another double-nominee as the writer and star of “What The Constitution Means to Me,” a show that earned her nominations for both Best Leading Actress in a Play and Best Play.
Derrick Baskin
With credits such as “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Memphis,” Derrick Baskin is no stranger to the Broadway stage, but his role as Otis Williams in “Ain’t Too Proud” earned him his very first Tony Nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
Damon Daunno
Damon Daunno was a part of “Oklahoma!“‘s journey to Broadway, from Bard SummerScape to St. Ann’s Warehouse to Circle in the Square. Now, he received his first nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Curly.
Caitlin Kinnunen
Caitlin Kinnuen has played three different teenage roles on Broadway over the last 12 years: including Thea in “Spring Awakening,” Carolyn in “The Bridges of Madison County,” and currently Emma in “The Prom.” The actress’s first lead role on Broadway also earned her a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Gideon Glick
Gideon Glick is also a Broadway veteran with roles in “Spring Awakening,” “Spideman: Turn Off the Dark,” and “Significant Other.” This season, Glick was recognized for his performance as Dill in “To Kill a Mockingbird” with a Best Featured Actor in a Play nomination.
Benjamin Walker
The star of the film “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”and Broadway shows “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” and “American Psycho” transitioned away from the gory roles and earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play his role in the revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.”
Fionnula Flanagan
This Irish actress has a Broadway career that spans five decades, but this year marks her first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Maggie in “The Ferryman.”
Andy Grotelueschen
Grotelueschen boasts one other Broadway credit for his role in Roundabout’s production of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” but his current role in “Tootsie” earned him a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Patrick Page
Patrick Page has built quite the career playing villains: past Broadway credits include The Grinch in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Scar in “The Lion King,” and Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.” This year he earns his first Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical playing Satan himself as Hades in “Hadestown.”
Ephraim Sykes
Sykes earns his first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as David Ruffin in “Ain’t Too Proud” after racking up credits in shows such as “Hamilton,” “Newsies,” and “Memphis.”
Lilli Cooper
Cooper has originated roles in both “Spongebob Squarepants” and “Spring Awakening,” but received her first Tony Nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Julie Nichols in “Tootsie.”
Amber Gray
Gray was last seen on the Broadway stage as Helene Kuragina in “Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812.” This year, her role in a different Rachel Chavkin-helmed musical earned her a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Peresephone in “Hadestown.”
Ali Stroker
Originally “discovered” through “The Glee Project, Stroker made her way to Broadway with a debut in Deaf West’s 2015 “Spring Awakening” revival. Her current role as Ado Annie in “Oklahoma!” earned her a Tony nomination, and she made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to be nominated for a Tony award.