History was made at Sunday night’s 76th Tony Awards with J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell becoming the first nonbinary entertainers to walk away with acting prizes.
In 2015, author and author Toby Marlow of 6 ended up being the very first nonbinary Tony winner.
Ghee won lead star (musical) for representing Jerry/Daphne in Casey Nicholaw’s Some Like It Hot, while Newell declared the included star (musical) statuette for Lulu in Jack O’Brien’s Shucked.
“Thank you for the humanity. Thank you for my amazing business who raised me up each and every single day,” stated Ghee who stars in the adjustment of the classic cross-dressing comedy movie.
“My mom raised me to understand that the presents God provided me were not about me,” Ghee had actually described, according to Variety.
“To use them to be effective worldwide. For every single trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming human– whoever was told they could not be, couldn’t be seen, this is for you. ‘Some Like It Hot’ which ain’t bad.”
J. Harrison Ghee, winner of the Best Performance By A Star In A Leading Role In A Musical for “Some Like It Hot”, presents in journalism room throughout The 76th Yearly Tony Awards at Radio Hotel on June 11, 2023 in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
In an interview with Variety, Ghee discussed the role.
“It’s not a gendered profession to me, and I was grateful to be requested factor to consider on where I wished to be seen,” stated Ghee. “Making that decision wasn’t tough on my spirit. It was simply to be confident and intentional about my work and satisfying the minute.”
Newell expressed appreciation for the honor declaring it was good to be “seen.”
“Thank you for seeing me Broadway,” Newell stated. “I must not be up here as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black, little infant from Massachusetts. And to anybody that believes that they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Alex Newell goes to The 76th Yearly Tony Awards at United Palace Theater on June 11, 2023 in New York City City. (Bruce Glikas/WireImage)
In an interview with Range, Newell discussed why the supporting star classification was selected.
“I went based off the English language,” Newell stated. “Everyone who does acting is a star. That is genderless.”