No they've ALWAYS had the rule that the producers of a given show can petition the nominations committee (in writing within two weeks of opening night) to have certain actors considered for categories that are different than their billing would indicate. This happens every year (as producers jockey to maximize their chances in each category) and I can recall these little press releases every few months regarding the acting categories (as well as determinations of whether a play is a revival or now) going back DECADES (they just had a similar press release about three weeks ago where they said that Bridge & Tunnel was a Special event and not a play and that Bryggman and Hayden from Festen would be the only Lead Actors in that play). If producers don't petition, however, the categories are determined by billing.
I feel bad for David Wilmot. He's terrific and if he remained in the Featured category, he'd at least have had a chance at a nomination, but now as Lead going up against Fiennes, Griffiths, Sher, Byrne, O'Byrne, and Platt, he probably won't even get a nomination.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
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Updated On: 5/11/06 at 03:52 PM