NEED TO KNOW
- Oh, Mary star Cole Escola won for Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play at the 78th Tony Awards
- “It’s an honor to be in your company,” the actor said in their speech, recognizing their peers
- Fellow nominees in the category were George Clooney, Jon Michael Hill, Daniel Dae Kim, Harry Lennix and Louis McCartney.
Cole Escola is taking home the Tony!
On Sunday, June 8, Escola, 38, won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for their performance in Oh, Mary at the 78th annual ceremony celebrating the best of Broadway. The actor, who uses they/them pronouns, gave several shout outs during their speech, including ones to their mom, their fellow nominees and a date from Grindr.
“I want to thank the other nominees, George, Jon, Harry, Daniel and Louis,” Escola said in their speech, referencing George Clooney, Jon Michael Hill, Daniel Dae Kim, Harry Lennix and Louis McCartney. “It’s an honor to be in your company, and more than that, it’s been a sincere pleasure spending time with you over these warm salads at all these lunches.”
Escola then sent out a sweet message to their mother. “First of all, hi mom. I love you. I’ll call you when I can,” they continued.
Escola named several other people, including director Sam Pinkleton, before mentioning the LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr. “Oh and T Bone from Grindr,” Escola said, before going on to name comedian Amy Sedaris.
The actor and playwright originated the title role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary, alongside Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s husband Abraham Lincoln and James Scully as Mary’s teacher.
Oh, Mary! follows the miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to her husband’s assassination. The absurdist comedy’s Off-Broadway run last February earned Escola a slew of trophies, including the Obie, Drama Desk, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle awards.
Clooney, 64, made his Broadway debut with Good Night, and Good Luck and subsequently received his first-ever Tony nomination for it.
“It’s a thrill to have five nominations for this play. For everyone involved, this has been an incredible experience. I couldn’t be more proud or feel more lucky,” he said in a statement.
Good Night, and Good Luck is based on the 2005 film that Clooney directed, co-wrote and acted in. The show, directed by Tony winner David Cromer, opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 3. In addition to starring in the work, Clooney also co-wrote the play with his screenwriting collaborator Grant Heslov.
Hill, 39, stars in award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play Purpose along with fellow Tony nominee Lennix, 60.
The riveting drama follows the Jasper family — including matriarch Claudine (LaTanya Richardson Jackson), husband Solomon (Lennix), brothers Solomon Jr. (Glenn Davis) and Nazareth (Hill) and Junior’s wife Morgan (Alana Arenas) — as they gather together to celebrate Claudine’s belated birthday. But when Naz’s friend Aziza (Tony winner Kara Young) shows up unexpectedly, the family “is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith and the legacies of Black political power and familial duty.”
Lennix said of the nomination, “I am so thrilled and grateful to be nominated amongst these giants in this category. At this point of my journey, Purpose is more than a title, it is my inspiration.”
Kim’s nomination for his role in David Henry Hwang’s semi-autographical play, Yellow Face, makes the 56-year-old actor the first Asian American to be nominated in the Lead Actor in a Play category.
“I am shocked, surprised and deeply honored by this recognition. To receive my first Tony nomination alongside Francis Jue and David Henry Hwang for a role that explores Asian American identity is incredibly special, and learning that I am the first Asian American to be nominated in this category makes it even more meaningful,” Kim said of the honor.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our show and the people I was lucky enough to collaborate with, especially David, Leigh Silverman, our cast and crew, and the Roundabout Theater. At a time when the arts are imperiled, it’s even more important that we remember the value of theater and the power of the artists making it. Thank you to the American Theater Wing for believing that Yellow Face, and my work, is worthy of a place in this cherished community,” the actor added.
McCartney, 21, plays Henry Creel in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and received a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut.
“So, so thankful. Thank you to the Tony nominators and to everyone who worked on Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” he said of the nomination. “Thank you to SFP, Netflix, Kate Trefry and our amazing directors, Steven Daldry and Justin Martin. I feel so blessed to be welcomed into the Broadway community. So lucky and super excited. Thank you.”
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See PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 78th annual Tony Awards, hosted by Cynthia Erivo at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and airing on CBS and Paramount+.
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