The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

, 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 Mary Antoinette "Tony" Perry (June 27, 1888June 28, 1946) was an American actress, producer, director and administrator, known for her work in theatre, she was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing and is the namesake of the To ...

, 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 The Broadway League, formerly the League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers, is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry based in New York City. Its members include theatre ow ...

and the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

, 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 José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hi ...

and

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...

at the 1st Tony Awards for their portrayals of

Cyrano De Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...

and Clinton Jones in ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...

'' and ''Years Ago'', respectively. Before

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

, 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 Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accola ...

are tied with the most nominations, with a total of seven. George in ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...

'' is the character to take the award the most times, winning three times.

Winners and nominees

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Statistics

Most wins

; 2 wins

Most nominations

Character win total

; 3 wins * George from ''

'' ; 2 wins * Henry from '' The Real Thing'' * James Tyrone Sr. from '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' * Prior Walter from ''

Angels in America ''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a 1991 American two-part Play (theatre), play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The two parts of the play, ''Millennium Approaches'' and ''Perestroika'', may be presented separate ...

'' * Troy Maxson from '' Fences''

Character nomination total

Productions with multiple nominations

boldface=winner * '' Look Homeward, Angel'' – Alizwa Mleni and Anthony Perkins * '' The Best Man'' –

Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in 1929 as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy '' Ninotchka'' ( ...

and Lee Tracy * '' Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' – Patrick Bedford and Donal Donnelly * ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

'' –

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud ( ; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Britis ...

and Ralph Richardson * ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...

'' – George C. Scott and

Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a British actor. He was once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" an ...

* '' Sizwe Banzi is Dead'' and '' The Island'' –

John Kani Bonisile John Kani (born 30 August 1942) is a South African actor. He is known for portraying T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016) and ''Black Panther'' (2018), Rafiki in ''The Lion King'' (201 ...

and

Winston Ntshona Winston Ntshona (6 October 1941 – 2 August 2018) was a South African playwright and actor. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1975. Biography Born in Port Elizabeth, Zola Winston Ntshona worked alongside fellow South African A ...

* '' Amadeus'' –

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

and

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London, 1974 L ...

* '' Lend Me A Tenor'' – Philip Bosco and Victor Garber * '' True West'' –

Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character actor, character roles—eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical productio ...

and John C. Reilly * '' Stones In His Pockets'' – Sean Campion and

Conleth Hill Conleth Seamus Eoin Croiston Hill (born 24 November 1964) is a Northern Irish actor. He has performed on stage in productions in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards and received two Tony Award nominations. ...

* '' God of Carnage'' –

Jeff Daniels Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime ...

and

James Gandolfini James John Gandolfini (; September 18, 1961June 19, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-American American Mafia, Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007 ...

* ''Sea Wall/A Life'' – Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge * '' The Lehman Trilogy'' – Simon Russell Beale,

Adam Godley Adam N. Godley (born 22 July 1964) is an English actor. He has been nominated for two Tony Awards and four Laurence Olivier Awards for his performances on the New York and London stages, including ''Private Lives'' in 2001, '' The Pillowman'' i ...

and

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey on 14 August 1968) is a British actor. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the London stage, an ...

* '' Topdog/Underdog'' – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Corey Hawkins

Multiple awards and nominations

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

Trivia

* The lead role of George in Edward Albee's ''

'' has earned the Tony Award for three different actors who have performed the character: ** 1963 – Arthur Hill ** 2005 –

Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, choreographer, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. ...

** 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 Stephen John Dillane (; born 27 March 1957) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Leonard Woolf in the 2002 film ''The Hours (film), The Hours'', Stannis Baratheon in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2012–2015) and T ...

* James Tyrone Sr., in Eugene O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' ** 1957 –

** 2003 – Brian Dennehy * Troy Maxson in August Wilson's '' Fences'' ** 1987 – James Earl Jones ** 2010 –

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...

* Prior Walter in Tony Kushner's ''

'' ** 1994 – Stephen Spinella ** 2018 –

Andrew Garfield Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is an English and American actor. After his breakout role in '' Boy A'' (2007), he came to international attention with the supporting role of Eduardo Saverin in the drama ''The Social Network'' ...

*** 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 Cole Escola (born November 25, 1986) is an American comedian, actor, singer, and playwright. They are best known for their cabaret work and appearances on the television series '' Difficult People'' (2015–2017), '' At Home with Amy Sedaris'' ...

became the first non-binary actor to win the award, for their performance of

Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (Birth name, née Todd; December 13, 1818July 16, 1882) was First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865. Mary Todd was born into a large and wealthy ...

in '' Oh, Mary!''. * Actors have won Tony Awards for both Best Actor in a Play and Best Actor in a Musical for playing

Jose Ferrer Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

in ''

'' and

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage and television. His accolades included an Academy Aw ...

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 ''The Wild Duck'' (original Norwegian title: ''Vildanden'') is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It explores the complexities of truth and illusion through the story of a family torn apart by secrets and the intrusion of a ...

'', at the 21st Tony Awards. * The youngest winner in this acting category is Alex Sharp (age 26). The oldest is

Frank Langella Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American actor. He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing frequently on Broadway. He has received four Tony Awards (out of ...

(age 78). * Actors have won Tony Awards for both Best Actor in a Play and Best Actress in a Play for playing

in '' Oh, Mary!'' and Julie Harris in '' The Last of Mrs. Lincoln''.

References

External links

Official Tony Awards
website {{DEFAULTSORT:Tony Award For Best Actor In A Play Tony Awards Theatre acting awards Awards established in 1947 1947 establishments in the United States