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Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play

American theatre award for Broadway actors

Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play

Summary

American theatre award for Broadway actors

FieldValue
nameTony Award for
Best Actor in a Play
image_upright0.55
holderCole Escola for Oh, Mary! (2025)
imageCole Escola in 2014.jpg
caption2025 Recipient: Cole Escola
awarded_forBest Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
presenterAmerican Theatre Wing The Broadway League
locationNew York City
websiteTonyAwards.com

Best Actor in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality leading roles in a Broadway play. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946.

Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, to "honor the best performances and stage productions of the previous year."

The award was originally called the Tony Award for Actors—Play. It was first presented to José Ferrer and Fredric March at the 1st Tony Awards for their portrayals of Cyrano De Bergerac and Clinton Jones in Cyrano de Bergerac and Years Ago, respectively. Before 1956, nominees' names were not made public; the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatregoers".

Nine actors hold the record for having the most wins in this category, with a total of two. Brian Bedford and Jason Robards are tied with the most nominations, with a total of seven. George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the character to take the award the most times, winning three times.

Winners and nominees

[[José Ferrer]] won twice for ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (1947) and ''The Shrike'' (1952)
[[Fredric March]] won twice ''Years Ago'' (1947) and in ''Long Day's Journey into Night'' (1957)
[[Henry Fonda]] won for ''Mister Roberts'' (1948)
[[Sidney Blackmer]] won for ''Come Back, Little Sheba'' in 1950
Sunrise at Campobello]]'' (1958)
[[Jason Robards]] won for ''The Disenchanted'' (1959)
The Best Man]]'' (1960)
Rhinoceros]]'' (1961)
[[Paul Scofield]] won for ''A Man for All Seasons'' (1963)
[[Alec Guinness]] won for ''Dylan'' (1964)
[[Walter Matthau]] won for ''The Odd Couple'' (1965)
[[Martin Balsam]] won for ''[[You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running]]'' (1968)
[[James Earl Jones]] won for ''The Great White Hope'' (1969) and for ''Fences'' (1987)
[[Alan Bates]] won twice, for ''Butley'' (1973) and ''Fortune's Fool'' (2002)
[[Al Pacino]] won for ''The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel'' (1977)
[[Ian McKellen]] won for ''Amadeus'' (1981)
[[Harvey Fierstein]] won for ''Torch Song Trilogy'' (1983)
[[Jeremy Irons]] won for ''The Real Thing'' (1984)
[[Derek Jacobi]] won for ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1985)
[[Judd Hirsch]] won twice for ''I'm Not Rappaport'' (1986) and ''Conversations with My Father'' (1992)
[[Robert Morse]] won ''Tru'' (1990)
[[Christopher Plummer]] won for ''Barrymore'' (1997)
[[Brian Dennehy]] won twice for ''Death of a Salesman'' (1999) and ''Long Days Journey into Night'' (2003)
[[Jefferson Mays]] won for ''I Am My Own Wife'' in 2004
[[Bill Irwin]] won for ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (2005)
[[Richard Griffiths]] won for ''The History Boys'' in 2006
The Father]]'' (2016)
[[Mark Rylance]] won for ''Boeing-Boeing'' (2008), and ''Jerusalem'' (2011)
[[Geoffrey Rush]] won for ''Exit the King'' in 2009
Fences]]'' (2010)
[[James Corden]] won for ''One Man, Two Guvnors'' (2012)
[[Tracy Letts]] won for ''[[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]]'' (2013)
Network]]'' (2019)
[[Kevin Kline]] won for ''[[Present Laughter]]'' in 2017
[[Andrew Garfield]] won for ''[[Angels in America]]'' (2018)
The Inheritance]]'' (2020)
[[Simon Russell Beale]] won for ''[[The Lehman Trilogy]]'' (2021)
[[Sean Hayes]] won for ''[[Good Night, Oscar]]'' (2023)
[[Jeremy Strong]] won for ''[[An Enemy of the People]]'' (2024)
[[Cole Escola]] won for ''[[Oh, Mary!]]'' (2025)

1940s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
1947
(1st)José Ferrer*Cyrano de Bergerac*Cyrano De Bergerac
Fredric March*Years Ago*Clinton Jones
1948
(2nd)Henry Fonda*Mister Roberts*Lt. Roberts
Paul Kelly*Command Decision*Brigadier General K.C. Dennis
Basil Rathbone*The Heiress*Dr. Austin Sloper
1949
(3rd)
Rex Harrison*Anne of the Thousand Days*Henry VIII

1950s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
1950
(4th)
Sidney Blackmer*Come Back, Little Sheba*Doc
1951
(5th)
Claude Rains*Darkness at Noon*Rubashov
1952
(6th)
José Ferrer*The Shrike*Jim Downs
1953
(7th)
Tom Ewell*The Seven Year Itch*Richard Sherman
1954
(8th)
David Wayne*The Teahouse of the August Moon*Sakini
1955
(9th)
Alfred Lunt*Quadrille*Diensen
1956
(10th)
Paul Muni*Inherit the Wind*Henry Drummond
Ben GazzaraA Hatful of RainJohnny Pope
Boris KarloffThe LarkPierre Cauchon
Michael RedgraveTiger at the GatesHector
Edward G. RobinsonMiddle of the NightThe Manufacturer
1957
(11th)
Fredric March*Long Day's Journey into Night*James Tyrone Sr.
Maurice EvansThe Apple CartKing Magnus
Wilfrid Hyde-WhiteThe Reluctant DebutanteJimmy Broadbent
Eric PortmanSeparate TablesMr. Malcolm / Major Pollock
Ralph RichardsonThe Waltz of the ToreadorsGeneral St. Pé
Cyril RitchardVisit to a Small PlanetKreton
1958
(12th)
Ralph Bellamy*Sunrise at Campobello*Franklin D. Roosevelt
Richard BurtonTime RememberedPrince Albert
Hugh GriffithLook Homeward, AngelW.O. Gant
Laurence OlivierThe EntertainerArchie Rice
Anthony PerkinsLook Homeward, AngelEugene Gant
Peter UstinovRomanoff and JulietThe General
Emlyn WilliamsA Boy Growing UpHimself
1959
(13th)
Jason Robards*The Disenchanted*Manley Halliday
Cedric HardwickeA Majority of OneKoichi Asano
Alfred LuntThe VisitAnton Schill
Christopher PlummerJ.B.Nickles
Cyril RitchardThe Pleasure of His CompanyBiddeford Poole
Robert StephensEpitaph for George DillonGeorge Dillon

1960s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
1960
(14th)
Melvyn Douglas*The Best Man*William Russell
Sidney PoitierA Raisin in the SunWalter Lee Younger
Jason RobardsToys in the AtticJulian Berniers
George C. ScottThe Andersonville TrialLt. Col. N. P. Chipman
Lee TracyThe Best ManArthur Hockstader
1961
(15th)
Zero Mostel*Rhinocéros*John
Hume CronynBig Fish, Little FishJimmie Luton
Anthony QuinnBecketHenry II
Sam LeveneThe Devil's AdvocateDr. Aldo Meyer
1962
(16th)
Paul Scofield*A Man for All Seasons*Sir Thomas More
Fredric MarchGideonAngel
John MillsRossAircraftman Ross
Donald PleasenceThe CaretakerDavies
1963
(17th)
Arthur Hill*Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*George
Charles BoyerLord PengoLord Pengo
Paul FordNever Too LateHarry Lambert
Bert LahrThe Beauty PartVarious Characters
1964
(18th)
Alec Guinness*Dylan*Dylan Thomas
Richard BurtonHamletHamlet
Albert FinneyLutherMartin Luther
Jason RobardsAfter the FallQuentin
1965
(19th)
Walter Matthau*The Odd Couple*Oscar Madison
John GielgudTiny AliceJulian
Donald PleasencePoor BitosBitos (Robespieere)
Jason RobardsHughie"Erie" Smith
1966
(20th)
Hal Holbrook*Mark Twain Tonight!*Mark Twain
Patrick Bedford & Donal DonnellyPhiladelphia, Here I Come!Gareth O'Donnell
Roland CulverIvanovPavel Lebedev
Nicol WilliamsonInadmissible EvidenceBill Maitland
1967
(21st)
Paul Rogers*The Homecoming*Max
Hume CronynA Delicate BalanceTobias
Donald MaddenBlack ComedyHarold Gorringe
Donald MoffatRight You Are (If You Think You Are)Laudisi
The Wild DuckHjalmar Ekdal
1968
(22nd)
Martin Balsam*You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running*Various Characters
Albert FinneyA Day in the Death of Joe EggBri
Milo O'SheaStaircaseHarry C. Leeds
Alan WebbI Never Sang for My FatherTom Garrison
1969
(23rd)
James Earl Jones*The Great White Hope*Jack Jefferson
Art CarneyLoversAndy Tracey
Alec McCowenHadrian the SeventhFr. William Rolfe
Donald PleasenceThe Man in the Glass BoothArthur Goldman

1970s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
1970
(24th)
Fritz Weaver*Child's Play*Jerome Malley
James CocoLast of the Red Hot LoversBarney Cashman
Frank GrimesBorstal BoyYoung Behan
Stacy KeachIndiansBuffalo Bill
1971
(25th)
Brian Bedford*The School for Wives*Arnolphe
John GielgudHomeHarry
Alec McCowenThe PhilanthropistPhilip
Ralph RichardsonHomeJack
1972
(26th)
Cliff Gorman*Lenny*Lenny Bruce
Tom AldredgeSticks and BonesOzzie
Donald PleasenceWise ChildMrs. Artminster
Jason RobardsThe Country GirlFrank Elgin
1973
(27th)
Alan Bates*Butley*Ben Butley
Jack AlbertsonThe Sunshine BoysWillie Clark
Wilfrid Hyde-WhiteThe Jockey Club StakesMarquis of Candover
Paul SorvinoThat Championship SeasonPhil Romano
1974
(28th)
Michael Moriarty*Find Your Way Home*Julian Weston
Zero MostelUlysses in NighttownLeopold Bloom
Jason RobardsA Moon for the MisbegottenJames Tyrone Jr.
George C. ScottUncle VanyaMikhail lvovich Astrov
Nicol WilliamsonIvan Petrovich Voinitsky
1975
(29th)
John Kani & Winston NtshonaSizwe Banzi Is Dead / *The Island*Various Characters
Jim DaleScapino!Scapino
Peter FirthEquusAlan Strang
Henry FondaClarence DarrowClarence Darrow
Ben GazzaraHughie and Duet"Erie" Smith
John WoodSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
1976
(30th)
John Wood*Travesties*Henry Carr
Moses GunnThe Poison TreeBenjamin Hurspool
George C. ScottDeath of a SalesmanWilly Loman
Donald SindenHabeas CorpusArthur Wicksteed
1977
(31st)
Al Pacino*The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel*Pavlo Hummel
Tom CourtenayOtherwise EngagedSimon
Ben GazzaraWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?George
Ralph RichardsonNo Man's LandHirst
1978
(32nd)
Barnard Hughes*Da*Da
Hume CronynThe Gin GameWeller Martin
Frank LangellaDraculaDracula
Jason RobardsA Touch of the PoetCornelius Melody
1979
(33rd)
Tom Conti*Whose Life Is It Anyway?*Ken Harrison
Philip AnglimThe Elephant ManJohn Merrick
Jack LemmonTributeScottie Templeton
Alec McCowenSt. Mark's GospelMark

1980s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
1980
(34th)
John Rubinstein*Children of a Lesser God*James Leeds
Charles BrownHomeCephus Miles
Gerald HikenStriderStrider
Judd HirschTalley's FollyMatt Friedman
1981
(35th)
Ian McKellen*Amadeus*Antonio Salieri
Tim CurryAmadeusWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Roy DotriceA LifeDrumm
Jack WestonThe Floating Light BulbJerry Wexler
1982
(36th)
Roger Rees*The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby*Nicholas Nickleby
Tom CourtenayThe DresserNorman
Milo O'SheaMass AppealFather Tim Farley
Christopher PlummerOthelloIago
1983
(37th)
Harvey Fierstein*Torch Song Trilogy*Arnold Beckoff
Jeffrey DeMunnK2Taylor
Edward HerrmannPlentyRaymond Brock
Tony Lo BiancoA View from the BridgeEddie Carbone
1984
(38th)
Jeremy Irons*The Real Thing*Henry
Rex HarrisonHeartbreak HouseCaptain Shotover
Calvin LevelsOpen AdmissionsCalvin Jefferson
Ian McKellenIan McKellen Acting ShakespeareHimself
1985
(39th)
Derek Jacobi*Much Ado About Nothing*Benedick
Jim DaleA Day in the Death of Joe EggBri
Jonathan HoganAs IsRich
John LithgowRequiem for a HeavyweightHarlan "Mountain" McClintock
1986
(40th)
Judd Hirsch*I'm Not Rappaport*Nat
Hume CronynThe PetitionGeneral Sir Edmund Milne
Ed HarrisPrecious SonsFred
Jack LemmonLong Day's Journey into NightJames Tyrone Sr.
1987
(41st)
James Earl Jones*Fences*Troy Maxson
Philip BoscoYou Never Can TellWaiter
Richard KileyAll My SonsJoe Keller
Alan RickmanLes Liaisons DangereusesLe Vicomte de Valmont
1988
(42nd)
Ron Silver*Speed-the-Plow*Charlie Fox
Derek JacobiBreaking the CodeAlan Turing
John LithgowM. ButterflyRene Gallimard
Robert ProskyA Walk in the WoodsAndrey Botvinnik
1989
(43rd)
Philip Bosco*Lend Me a Tenor*Saunders
Mikhail BaryshnikovMetamorphosisGregor Samsa
Victor GarberLend Me a TenorMax
Bill IrwinLargely New YorkThe Post-Modern Hoofer

1990s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
1990
(44th)
Robert Morse*Tru*Truman Capote
Charles S. DuttonThe Piano LessonBoy Willie
Dustin HoffmanThe Merchant of VeniceShylock
Tom HulceA Few Good MenLieutenant Daniel Kaffee, USN, JAG Corps
1991
(45th)
Nigel Hawthorne*Shadowlands*C. S. Lewis
Peter FrechetteOur Country's Good2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark
Tom McGowanLa BêteValere
Courtney B. VanceSix Degrees of SeparationPaul
1992
(46th)
Judd Hirsch*Conversations with My Father*Eddie
Alan AldaJake's WomenJake
Alec BaldwinA Streetcar Named DesireStanley Kowalski
Brian BedfordTwo Shakespearean ActorsWilliam Charles Macready
1993
(47th)
Ron Leibman*Angels in America: Millennium Approaches*'Roy Cohn, et al.'''''
K. Todd FreemanThe Song of Jacob ZuluJacob Zulu
Liam NeesonAnna ChristieMat Burke
Stephen ReaSomeone Who'll Watch Over MeEdward
1994
(48th)
Stephen Spinella*Angels in America: Perestroika*Prior Walter
Brian BedfordTimon of AthensTimon
Christopher PlummerNo Man's LandSpooner
Sam WaterstonAbe Lincoln in IllinoisAbraham Lincoln
1995
(49th)
Ralph Fiennes*Hamlet*Prince Hamlet
Brian BedfordThe Molière ComediesSganarelle
Roger ReesIndiscretionsGeorge
Joe SearsA Tuna ChristmasVarious Characters
1996
(50th)
George Grizzard*A Delicate Balance*Tobias
Philip BoscoMoon Over BuffaloGeorge Hay
George C. ScottInherit the WindHenry Drummond
Martin ShawAn Ideal HusbandLord Goring
1997
(51st)
Christopher Plummer*Barrymore*John Barrymore
Brian BedfordLondon AssuranceSir Harcourt Courtly
Michael GambonSkylightTom Sergeant
Antony SherStanleyStanley
1998
(52nd)
Anthony LaPaglia*A View from the Bridge*Eddie Carbone
Richard BriersThe ChairsOld Man
John LeguizamoFreakHimself
Alfred MolinaArtYvan
1999
(53rd)
Brian Dennehy*Death of a Salesman*Willy Loman
Brían F. O'ByrneThe Lonesome WestValene Connor
Corin RedgraveNot About NightingalesBert "Boss" Whalen
Kevin SpaceyThe Iceman ComethTheodore "Hickey" Hickman

2000s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
2000
(54th)
Stephen Dillane*The Real Thing*Henry
Gabriel ByrneA Moon for the MisbegottenJames Tyrone Jr.
Philip Seymour HoffmanTrue WestAustin / Lee
John C. Reilly
David SuchetAmadeusAntonio Salieri
2001
(55th)
Richard Easton*The Invention of Love*A. E. Housman, aged 77
Sean CampionStones in His PocketsJake Quinn
Conleth HillCharlie Conlon
Gary SiniseOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestRandle P. McMurphy
Brian Stokes MitchellKing Hedley IIKing
2002
(56th)
Alan Bates*Fortune's Fool*Vassily Semyonitch Kuzovkin
Billy CrudupThe Elephant ManJohn Merrick
Liam NeesonThe CrucibleJohn Proctor
Alan RickmanPrivate LivesElyot Chase
Jeffrey WrightTopdog/UnderdogLincoln
2003
(57th)
Brian Dennehy*Long Day's Journey into Night*James Tyrone Sr.
Brian BedfordTartuffeOrgon
Eddie IzzardA Day in the Death of Joe EggBri
Paul NewmanOur TownStage Manager
Stanley TucciFrankie and Johnny in the Clair de LuneJohnny
2004
(58th)
Jefferson Mays*I Am My Own Wife*'Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, et al.'''''
Simon Russell BealeJumpersGeorge
Kevin KlineHenry IVSir John Falstaff
Frank LangellaMatchTobi
Christopher PlummerKing LearKing Lear
2005
(59th)
Bill Irwin*Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*George
Philip BoscoTwelve Angry MenJuror #3
Billy CrudupThe PillowmanKaturian
James Earl JonesOn Golden PondNorman Thayer Jr.
Brían F. O'ByrneDoubtFather Flynn
2006
(60th)
Richard Griffiths*The History Boys*Douglas Hector
Ralph FiennesFaith HealerFrancis Hardy
Željko IvanekThe Caine Mutiny Court-MartialLt. Com. Phillip Francis Queeg
Oliver PlattShining CityJohn
David WilmotThe Lieutenant of InishmorePadraic
2007
(61st)
Frank Langella*Frost/Nixon*Richard Nixon
Boyd GainesJourney's EndLieut. Osborne
Brían F. O'ByrneThe Coast of UtopiaAlexander Herzen
Christopher PlummerInherit the WindHenry Drummond
Liev SchreiberTalk RadioBarry Champlain
2008
(62nd)
Mark Rylance*Boeing-Boeing*Robert Lambert
Ben DanielsLes Liaisons DangereusesLe Vicomte de Valmont
Laurence FishburneThurgoodThurgood Marshall
Rufus SewellRock 'n' RollJan
Patrick StewartMacbethLord Macbeth
2009
(63rd)
Geoffrey Rush*Exit the King*King Berenger
Jeff DanielsGod of CarnageAlan
Raúl EsparzaSpeed-the-PlowCharlie Fox
James GandolfiniGod of CarnageMichael
Thomas Sadoskireasons to be prettyGreg

2010s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.
2010
(64th)
Denzel Washington*Fences*Troy Maxson
Jude LawHamletHamlet
Alfred MolinaRedMark Rothko
Liev SchreiberA View from the BridgeEddie Carbone
Christopher WalkenA Behanding in SpokaneCarmichael
2011
(65th)
Mark Rylance*Jerusalem*Johnny "Rooster" Byron
Brian BedfordThe Importance of Being EarnestLady Bracknell
Bobby CannavaleThe Motherfucker with the HatJackie
Joe MantelloThe Normal HeartNed Weeks
Al PacinoThe Merchant of VeniceShylock
2012
(66th)
James Corden*One Man, Two Guvnors*Francis Henshall
James Earl JonesThe Best ManPresident Art Hockstader
Philip Seymour HoffmanDeath of a SalesmanWilly Loman
Frank LangellaMan and BoyGregor Antonescu
John LithgowThe ColumnistJoseph Alsop
2013
(67th)
Tracy Letts*Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*George
Tom HanksLucky GuyMike McAlary
Nathan LaneThe NanceChauncey Miles
David Hyde PierceVanya and Sonia and Masha and SpikeVanya
Tom SturridgeOrphansPhillip
2014
(68th)
Bryan Cranston*All the Way*Lyndon B. Johnson
Samuel BarnettTwelfth NightViola
Chris O'DowdOf Mice and MenLennie Small
Mark RylanceRichard IIIRichard III
Tony ShalhoubAct OneMoss Hart / Barnett Hart / George S. Kaufman
2015
(69th)
Alex Sharp*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time*Christopher Boone
Steven BoyerHand to GodJason / Tyrone
Bradley CooperThe Elephant ManJohn Merrick
Ben MilesWolf Hall Parts One & TwoThomas Cromwell
Bill NighySkylightTom Sergeant
2016
(70th)
Frank Langella*The Father*Andre
Gabriel ByrneLong Day's Journey into NightJames Tyrone Sr.
Jeff DanielsBlackbirdRay Brooks
Tim Pigott-SmithKing Charles IIIKing Charles III
Mark StrongA View from the BridgeEddie Carbone
2017
(71st)
Kevin Kline*Present Laughter*Garry Essendine
Denis ArndtHeisenbergAlex Priest
Chris CooperA Doll's House, Part 2Torvald Helmer
Corey HawkinsSix Degrees of SeparationPaul
Jefferson MaysOsloTerje Rød-Larsen
2018
(72nd)
Andrew Garfield*Angels in America*'Prior Walter, et al.'''''
Tom HollanderTravestiesHenry Carr
Jamie ParkerHarry Potter and the Cursed ChildHarry Potter
Mark RylanceFarinelli and the KingPhilip V of Spain
Denzel WashingtonThe Iceman ComethTheodore "Hickey" Hickman
2019
(73rd)
Bryan Cranston*Network*Howard Beale
Paddy ConsidineThe FerrymanQuinn Carney
Jeff DanielsTo Kill a MockingbirdAtticus Finch
Adam DriverBurn ThisPale
Jeremy PopeChoir BoyPharus Jonathan Young

2020s

YearActorProjectRole(s)Ref.No ceremony
2020
(74th)
Andrew Burnap*The Inheritance*Toby Darling
Ian BarfordLinda VistaWheeler
Jake GyllenhaalSea Wall/A LifeAbe
Tom HiddlestonBetrayalRobert
Tom SturridgeSea Wall/A LifeAlex
Blair UnderwoodA Soldier's PlayCaptain Richard Davenport
2021
2022
(75th)
Simon Russell Beale*The Lehman Trilogy*Henry Lehman
Adam GodleyThe Lehman TrilogyMayer Lehman
Adrian LesterEmanuel Lehman
David MorseHow I Learned to DriveUncle Peck
Sam RockwellAmerican BuffaloTeach
Ruben Santiago-HudsonLackawanna BluesVarious Characters
David ThrelfallHangmenHarry Wade
2023
(76th)
Sean Hayes*Good Night, Oscar*Oscar Levant
Yahya Abdul-Mateen IISuzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/UnderdogBooth
Corey HawkinsLincoln
Stephen McKinley HendersonBetween Riverside and CrazyPops
Wendell PierceArthur Miller's Death of a SalesmanWilly Loman
2024
(77th)
Jeremy Strong*An Enemy of the People*Doctor Thomas Stockmann
William Jackson HarperUncle VanyaAstrov
Leslie Odom Jr.Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton PatchPurlie Victorious Judson
Liev SchreiberDoubt: A ParableFather Brendan Flynn
Michael StuhlbargPatriotsBoris Berezovsky
2025
(78th)
Cole Escola*Oh, Mary!*Mary Todd Lincoln
George ClooneyGood Night, and Good LuckEdward R. Murrow
Jon Michael HillPurposeNazareth "Naz" Jasper
Daniel Dae KimYellow FaceDHH
Harry LennixPurposeSolomon "Sonny" Jasper
Louis McCartneyStranger Things: The First ShadowHenry Creel

Statistics

Most wins

; 2 wins

  • Alan Bates
  • Bryan Cranston
  • Brian Dennehy
  • José Ferrer
  • Judd Hirsch
  • James Earl Jones
  • Frank Langella
  • Fredric March
  • Mark Rylance

Most nominations

; 7 nominations

  • Brian Bedford
  • Jason Robards

; 6 nominations

  • Christopher Plummer

; 5 nominations

  • Frank Langella

; 4 nominations

  • Philip Bosco
  • Hume Cronyn
  • James Earl Jones
  • Donald Pleasence
  • Mark Rylance
  • George C. Scott

; 3 nominations

  • Jeff Daniels
  • Ben Gazzara
  • Judd Hirsch
  • John Lithgow
  • Fredric March
  • Alec McCowen
  • Brían F. O'Byrne
  • Ralph Richardson
  • Liev Schreiber

; 2 nominations

  • Alan Bates
  • Richard Burton
  • Gabriel Byrne
  • Tom Courtenay
  • Bryan Cranston
  • Billy Crudup
  • Jim Dale
  • Brian Dennehy
  • José Ferrer
  • Ralph Fiennes
  • Albert Finney
  • Henry Fonda
  • John Gielgud
  • Rex Harrison
  • Corey Hawkins
  • Philip Seymour Hoffman
  • Wilfrid Hyde-White
  • Bill Irwin
  • Derek Jacobi
  • Kevin Kline
  • Alfred Lunt
  • Jack Lemmon
  • Jefferson Mays
  • Ian McKellen
  • Alfred Molina
  • Zero Mostel
  • Liam Neeson
  • Milo O'Shea
  • Al Pacino
  • Roger Rees
  • Alan Rickman
  • Cyril Ritchard
  • Tom Sturridge
  • Denzel Washington
  • Nicol Williamson
  • John Wood

Character win total

; 3 wins

  • George from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

; 2 wins

  • Henry from The Real Thing
  • James Tyrone Sr. from Long Day's Journey into Night
  • Prior Walter from Angels in America
  • Troy Maxson from Fences

Character nomination total

; 4 nominations

  • Eddie Carbone from A View from the Bridge
  • George from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • James Tyrone Sr. from Long Day's Journey into Night
  • Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman

; 3 nominations

  • Bri from A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
  • Hamlet from Hamlet
  • Henry Drummond from Inherit the Wind
  • John Merrick from The Elephant Man

; 2 nominations

  • Antonio Salieri from Amadeus
  • Charlie Fox from Speed-the-Plow
  • Father Brendan Flynn from Doubt: A Parable
  • Henry from The Real Thing
  • Henry Carr from Travesties
  • James Tyrone Jr. from A Moon for the Misbegotten
  • Le Vicomte de Valmont from Les Liaisons Dangereuses
  • Lincoln from Topdog/Underdog
  • Mikhail lvovich Astrov from Uncle Vanya
  • Paul from Six Degrees of Separation
  • President Ari Hockstader from The Best Man
  • Prior Walter from Angels in America
  • Shylock from The Merchant of Venice
  • Theodore "Hickey" Hickman from The Iceman Cometh
  • Tobias from A Delicate Balance
  • Tom Sergeant from Skylight
  • Troy Maxson from Fences

Productions with multiple nominations

boldface=winner

  • Look Homeward, Angel – Alizwa Mleni and Anthony Perkins
  • The Best ManMelvyn Douglas and Lee Tracy
  • Philadelphia, Here I Come! – Patrick Bedford and Donal Donnelly (jointly)
  • Home – John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson
  • Uncle Vanya – George C. Scott and Nicol Williamson
  • Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The IslandJohn Kani and Winston Ntshona (jointly)
  • AmadeusIan McKellen and Tim Curry
  • Lend Me A TenorPhilip Bosco and Victor Garber
  • True West – Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly
  • Stones In His Pockets – Sean Campion and Conleth Hill
  • God of Carnage – Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini
  • Sea Wall/A Life – Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge
  • The Lehman TrilogySimon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Adrian Lester
  • Topdog/Underdog – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Corey Hawkins

Multiple awards and nominations

; Actors who have been nominated multiple times in any acting categories

AwardsNominationsRecipient
47Frank Langella
5Boyd Gaines
36Nathan Lane
5Mark Rylance
4Kevin Kline
Zero Mostel
3Hinton Battle
27Christopher Plummer
6John Lithgow
Michael Cerveris
5Christian Borle
George Hearn
George Rose
John Cullum
Robert Morse
4James Earl Jones
Norbert Leo Butz
Richard Kiley
3Al Pacino
David Burns
David Wayne
Fredric March
Judd Hirsch
Matthew Broderick
Phil Silvers
Rex Harrison
Robert Preston
Stephen Spinella
Walter Matthau
2Alan Bates
Brian Dennehy
Bryan Cranston
Harvey Fierstein
Hiram Sherman
James Naughton
Jonathan Pryce
José Ferrer
Russell Nype
Tommy Tune
18Danny Burstein
Jason Robards
7Brian Bedford
6Philip Bosco
5Brían F. O'Byrne
Hume Cronyn
Jim Dale
4Billy Crudup
Brandon Uranowitz
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Cyril Ritchard
David Alan Grier
Gregory Hines
Jack Cassidy
Joel Grey
Jonathan Groff
Liev Schreiber
René Auberjonois
Tony Shalhoub
3Alfred Drake
André De Shields
Barry Bostwick
Courtney B. Vance
David Hyde Pierce
Gary Beach
Gavin Creel
George Grizzard
Jefferson Mays
Jerry Orbach
John Wood
Larry Blyden
Len Cariou
Mandy Patinkin
Michael Rupert
Richard Burton
Robert Sean Leonard
Roger Bart
Scott Wise
2Alfred Lunt
Andrew Garfield
Barnard Hughes
Ben Vereen
Ben Platt
Bert Lahr
Bertie Carvel
Bill Irwin
Brent Carver
Charles Nelson Reilly
Chuck Cooper
Cleavant Derricks
Cliff Gorman
Denzel Washington
Derek Jacobi
Eddie Redmayne
Edward Herrmann
Fritz Weaver
Gabriel Ebert
George S. Irving
Henry Fonda
Hugh Jackman
Ian McKellen
Jack Albertson
James Monroe Iglehart
Jeffrey Wright
John Benjamin Hickey
John Glover
Kevin Spacey
Laurence Fishburne
Leslie Odom Jr.
Martin Short
Michael Gough
Michael McGrath
Paul Rogers
Ralph Fiennes
Ray Bolger
Reed Birney
Roger Rees
Roger Robinson
Ron Holgate
Roy Dotrice
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Santino Fontana
Sean Hayes
Simon Russell Beale
Sydney Chaplin
Zakes Mokae
NominationsRecipient
5Brian d'Arcy James
George C. Scott
John McMartin
Tom Aldredge
4Donald Pleasence
Gregg Edelman
Raúl Esparza
Raul Julia
Victor Garber
3Alan Alda
Alec McCowen
Alfred Molina
Andy Karl
Ben Gazzara
Brandon Victor Dixon
Brian Murray
Brooks Ashmanskas
Christopher Fitzgerald
Gilbert Price
Harry Groener
Jeff Daniels
Joseph Maher
Joshua Henry
Kevin Chamberlin
Marc Kudisch
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Ralph Richardson
Robin de Jesús
Terrence Mann
Tim Curry
Željko Ivanek
2Adam Godley
Alan Rickman
Albert Finney
Alex Brightman
Andrew Rannells
Andy Griffith
Anthony Heald
Anthony Perkins
Arian Moayed
Biff McGuire
Bob Gunton
Bobby Cannavale
Brad Oscar
Bruce Adler
Charles Brown
Charles S. Dutton
Christopher Sieber
Christopher Walken
Clive Revill
Conleth Hill
Corey Hawkins
David Carroll
David Morse
David Pittu
David Threlfall
Dick Anthony Williams
Donald Moffat
Edward Petherbridge
Edward Winter
Gabriel Byrne
Gary Sinise
Gavin Lee
Herschel Bernardi
Howard McGillin
Jack Gilford
Jack Lemmon
Jeremy Jordan
Jeremy Pope
Joe Mantello
Joel Blum
John Gielgud
Jon Michael Hill
Josh Groban
Jude Law
K. Todd Freeman
Keith Carradine
Larry Bryggman
Larry Haines
Lewis J. Stadlen
Liam Neeson
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Maurice Evans
Maurice Hines
Michael Stuhlbarg
Milo O'Shea
Nicol Williamson
Patrick Wilson
Peter Frechette
Rob McClure
Robert Prosky
Robert Weede
Samuel Barnett
Samuel E. Wright
Savion Glover
Stark Sands
Stephen McKinley Henderson
Theodore Bikel
Tom Courtenay
Tom Sturridge
Tom Wopat
Tony Roberts
Wilfrid Hyde-White

|}

Trivia

  • The lead role of George in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? has earned the Tony Award for three different actors who have performed the character:
    • 1963 – Arthur Hill
    • 2005 – Bill Irwin
    • 2013 – Tracy Letts
  • Other male roles have produced multiple Tony Award winners: Henry in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing
    • 1984 – Jeremy Irons
    • 2000 – Stephen Dillane
  • James Tyrone Sr., in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night
    • 1957 – Fredric March
    • 2003 – Brian Dennehy
  • Troy Maxson in August Wilson's Fences
    • 1987 – James Earl Jones
    • 2010 – Denzel Washington
  • Prior Walter in Tony Kushner's Angels in America
    • 1994 – Stephen Spinella
    • 2018 – Andrew Garfield
      • Spinella won this category in 1994 for playing Prior Walter in Angels in America: Perestroika one year after winning the award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for the same character in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches.
  • In 2025, Cole Escola became the first non-binary actor to win the award, for their performance of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!.
  • Actors have won Tony Awards for both Best Actor in a Play and Best Actor in a Musical for playing Cyrano de Bergerac: Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac and Christopher Plummer in Cyrano.
  • Donald Moffat was nominated for his performances in two different productions, Right You Are (If You Think You Are) and The Wild Duck, at the 21st Tony Awards.
  • The youngest winner in this acting category is Alex Sharp (age 26). The oldest is Frank Langella (age 78).
  • Actors have won Tony Awards for both Best Actor in a Play and Best Actress in a Play for playing Mary Todd Lincoln: Cole Escola in Oh, Mary! and Julie Harris in The Last of Mrs. Lincoln.

References

References

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  2. Simons, Linda Keir. (1994). "The Performing Arts: a Guide to the Reference Literature". [[ABC-CLIO]].
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  71. "'Hell's Kitchen' and 'Stereophonic' lead Tony Awards with 13 nominations each".
  72. (May 2025). "2025 Tony Awards: 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' Lead Nominations".
  73. (2025-06-09). "The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of the 2025 Tony Awards".
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