NEED TO KNOW
- Darren Criss gained main actor in a musical on the 2025 Tony Awards
- Andrew Durand, Tom Francis, Jonathan Groff, James Monroe Iglehart and Jeremy Jordan had been additionally nominated for the award
- Criss thanked his family and friends, dedicating the prize to his spouse, Mia
Darren Criss has been topped Greatest Actor in a Musical!
On the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, the Possibly Comfortable Ending star took the stage at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor in New York Metropolis, the place he accepted his prize. “Numerous people bought me right here,” he quipped, in reference to the robotic character he performs within the authentic musical.
Criss, 38, devoted his win to his spouse Mia, with whom he shares two children. “The actual hero about this for this exceptional journey is my spouse, Mia, who took an enormous swing on permitting me to do that,” he stated in his speech. “To permit this loopy upheaval in our life, to make this logistically potential, and for bearing the brunt of elevating two tiny mates underneath three, in order that I might elevate a singing robotic on the Belasco Theatre eight occasions every week.”
Spinning the wheel of his Tony statuette, Criss smiled, including, “You are the very pedestal that upholds the shiny spinny bit in our lives, and your love and your assist for me and our lovely youngsters, mixed with the miracle of engaged on one thing as magical as Possibly Comfortable Ending, has been and can all the time be award sufficient.”
The actor additionally shouted out costar Helen J Shen, saying he was “so proud” of a “Broadway debut for the books. That is the place you belong.” After honoring his mom, father and brother, in addition to “each trainer to ever have taught me,” he concluded, “All people on the market, break a leg, and I am gonna go rejoice with my favourite form of folks to get together with: theater folks!”
Criss obtained his first Tony nomination this 12 months for his position as Oliver in Possibly Comfortable Ending. The musical follows two retired “Helperbot” robots within the distant future as they type an unlikely relationship. The Tony-winning present encompasses a e book by Will Aronson and Hue Park with music by Aronson, lyrics by Park and course by Michael Arden. The Glee alum stars within the work alongside Shen, Dez Duron and Marcus Choi.
Possibly Comfortable Ending obtained a complete of 10 Tony Award nominations this 12 months, together with Greatest Musical, Greatest Unique Rating and Greatest Scenic Design of a Musical. Following Criss’ win the present additionally gained Greatest Musical.
Criss made his Broadway debut within the 2012 revival of The best way to Achieve Enterprise With out Actually Making an attempt. The Emmy winner’s earlier Broadway credit additionally embody Hedwig and the Indignant Inch and American Buffalo. He additionally starred in Off-Broadway’s long-running manufacturing of Little Store of Horrors.
Additionally within the operating for the Greatest Actor in a Musical class had been Andrew Durand for Useless Outlaw, Tom Francis for Sundown Blvd., Jonathan Groff for Simply in Time, James Monroe Iglehart for A Great World: The Louis Armstrong Musical and Jeremy Jordan for Floyd Collins.
Durand obtained his first Tony nomination this 12 months for taking part in practice robber Elmer McCurdy within the true story of his demise in a 1911 shootout and the weird occasions that adopted.
Talking about his position within the new musical, he instructed ipromiseyoumedia in an unique interview, “Numerous occasions while you do a present, you kind of know the journey is to get it to Broadway. However this one is particular to me as a result of it was a gaggle of people that got here collectively and actually cared about placing the artwork first and saying, ‘Let’s make this nice present after which see what occurs.’ ”
Durand has beforehand starred in 2023’s Shucked and 2018’s Head Over Heels.
Francis, 25, can be a part of the first-timers membership. He reprises his position of Joe Gillis in Sundown Blvd. after enjoying the character within the West Finish revival, for which he earned an Olivier Award. The present, costarring Nicole Scherzinger, nabbed a complete of seven Tony nominations.
When requested about his jaded screenwriter character, he instructed ipromiseyoumedia in an interview, “He is actually disgruntled as a human and on the finish of his tether… He is solely 26, however you simply know that he’ll be a belligerent outdated man, if he ever bought there. Are you aware what I imply? And so it is actually enjoyable to play that every evening as a result of it is fairly totally different from who I’m as an individual in my day-to-day life.”
Following his first-time win on the 2024 Tony Awards, Groff, 40, was nominated for his portrayal of the real-life singer Bobby Darin within the new musical Simply in Time. The actor additionally produced the present, which charts the highs and the lows of Darin’s iconic profession.
Groff made his Broadway debut in 2005’s In My Life earlier than touchdown his breakthrough position in Spring Awakening. He went on to star in productions of A New Mind, Hamilton, Little Store of Horrors and Merrily We Roll Alongside. On display, he’s recognized for his roles in Glee, Trying and Mindhunter.
Iglehart, 50, was nominated for taking part in the titular character in A Great World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. He additionally co-directed the musical, which closed in February.
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The actor, who gained his first Tony for Aladdin in 2014, felt a particular connection to the real-life jazz singer after taking up his position. “What I discovered most fascinating is how a lot in sure elements I really feel like I actually understood him,” Iglehart stated in an interview with ipromiseyoumedia. “I am not a man who likes battle. I really like appearing, however I can not stand drama. Louis simply wished to play his horn. That made him so completely happy. Performing made him completely happy. He actually did not wish to get into all of the drama of cash or coping with folks.”
Jordan, 40, scored his second-ever Tony nomination for Floyd Collins. He performs the eponymous character within the work, which follows the cave explorer within the weeks he was trapped underground after making an attempt to make a brand new discovery.
“I really like [Floyd’s] overwhelming sense of hope and positivity. How he can fall into some moments of doubt and fright, however at his core, he is simply so splendidly optimistic and all he cares about is that this one factor,” he instructed ipromiseyoumedia of his character. “He desires to find one thing. To search out one thing new. He desires to dwell this extremely full and thrilling and joyful life, and to be acknowledged by his household, his dad and the folks round him for one thing that he is actually good at and likes to do.”
The actor beforehand starred on Broadway in Rock of Ages, Newsies, Waitress and The Nice Gatsby.
See ipromiseyoumedia’s full protection of the 78th annual Tony Awards, hosted by Cynthia Erivo at New York Metropolis’s Radio Metropolis Music Corridor and airing on CBS and Paramount+.
