Daniel Radcliffe won his first Tony Award and admitted it was “one of the best experiences” of his life at a New York ceremony that saw big wins for The Outsiders and Stereophonic.
The 34 year old man star of the Harry Potter films He collected the award at the 77th annual event, which recognizes excellence in Broadway theater, for his role in the revival of Merrily We Roll Along.
After performing with the show’s cast on stage at Lincoln Center’s David H Koch Theater, Radcliffe seemed surprised to win best actor in a featured role in a musical.
“This has been one of the best experiences of my life,” Radcliffe said.
He thanked the late George Furth and Stephen Sondheim “for writing this incredible show” in 1981, whose songs he described as “a gift to be able to sing every night.”
He also said it was an “honor” to share the stage with co-stars Lindsay Mendez and Jonathan Groff in the musical, which chronicles the turbulent relationship between three lifelong friends.
The Outsiders, based on SE Hinton’s book about rival gangs in 1960s Oklahoma, won three awards, including best new musical, and earned producer Angelina Jolie her first Tony.
Stereophonic, the play about a Fleetwood Mac-type band recording an album during a turbulent year, won best new play and took home the most awards of the night with five.
The star-studded ceremony also featured Nick Jonas, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Cynthia Erivo among those in attendance, while there was a surprise performance from Alicia Keys and Jay-Z.
Alicia Keys performs at the 77th Annual Tony Awards. Photo: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Groff, co-star of Radcliffe’s Merrily We Roll Along, won best actor in a musical, while British director Maria Friedman picked up the gong for best revival of a musical with her producer sister Sonia.
The ceremony began with a first-time win for Succession’s Jeremy Strong, who triumphed in the best actor in a play category for An Enemy Of The People.
Sarah Paulson won best actress in a play for her role in Appropriate, a dark family drama-turned-comedy from playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
Kecia Lewis won her first Tony for her role in Hell’s Kitchen. Photo: Reuters
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Theater veteran Kecia Lewis earned her first Tony for Best Featured Actress in the musical Hell’s Kitchen.
In an emotional speech, Lewis recalled how he “entered the Imperial Theater to begin my Broadway career at age 18.”
He added: “This moment is the one I dreamed of for most of those 40 years, so I tell everyone who can hear my voice: don’t give up.”
To win a Tony (short for Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre) It means that a winner is a quarter of the way to becoming one of the few to win an EGOT, the so-called “grand slam” of American show business, achieved by those who also win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy.
London’s West End equivalent awards are the Olivier Awards, which this year were awarded in April.
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