Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?- Page 2

[Michael Bennett]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#25

Posted: 2/22/13 at 9:40pm

Not really a tv/film star but Jazz/Recording star Dee Dee Bridgewater won a Tony for THE WIZ which was her first theatrical role ever.

[bobs3]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#26

Posted: 2/22/13 at 9:41pm

I think Daisy Eagan covered the roles of Gavroche, Young Cosette, and Young Eponine in LES MISERABLES before she did THE SECRET GARDEN.

[Leadingplayer]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#27

Posted: 2/22/13 at 11:37pm

Not sure if this is true....(and they didn't win Tonys) but I believe Nicole Kidman (The Blue Room) and Carla Guigino (After the Fall) had never even done a school play prior to their Bway debuts. If so I think they both did ok considering.

[Wynbish]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#28

Posted: 2/23/13 at 12:30am

I guess it's safe to say that, as far as we know, no film/TV star won a Tony for their first professional stage role.

Unless you count the South Park guys, who technically did win Tony awards and are film and TV performers themselves

[goldenboy]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#29

Posted: 2/23/13 at 11:05am

Whoopi (before anyone knew her) had a one woman show on Broadway in 1984 produced by Mike Nichols. This put her on the map. She was the new discovery and the thing to see. She won a Drama Desk Award and a Theatre world award for it. Then she did The Color Purple and the rest is history.

[somethingwicked]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#30

Posted: 2/23/13 at 11:04pm

Tonys aside, in terms of stars who'd never done professional theater before appearing on Broadway, Jena Malone had never done a play at any time in her life before replacing Heather Goldenhersh in DOUBT.

Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

[Wynbish]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#31

Posted: 2/23/13 at 11:06pm

Did Julia Roberts do professional theatre before Three Days of Rain?

[Leadingplayer]

Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?#32

Posted: 2/24/13 at 2:07am

I'm not sure if it counts as professional...but Roberts' parents ran a theatre in Georgia where Julia and her siblings all did things.