laureldb Entertainment awards

Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play

Tony Awards · 338 nominations across 79 ceremonies · 82 wins

79th Tonys · 2026

Winner John Lithgow · Giant
Nominee Will Harrison · Punch
Nominee Nathan Lane · Death of a Salesman
Nominee Daniel Radcliffe · Every Brilliant Thing
Nominee Mark Strong · Oedipus

78th Tonys · 2025

Winner Cole Escola · Oh, Mary!
Nominee George Clooney · Good Night, and Good Luck
Nominee Jon Michael Hill · Purpose
Nominee Harry Lennix · Purpose
Nominee Daniel Dae Kim · Yellow Face
Nominee Louis McCartney · Stranger Things: The First Shadow

77th Tonys · 2024

Winner Jeremy Strong · An Enemy of the People
Nominee William Jackson Harper · Uncle Vanya
Nominee Liev Schreiber · Doubt
Nominee Michael Stuhlbarg · Patriots
Nominee Leslie Odom Jr. · Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch

76th Tonys · 2023

Winner Sean Hayes · Good Night, Oscar
Nominee Corey Hawkins · Topdog/Underdog
Nominee Yahya Abdul-Mateen II · Topdog/Underdog
Nominee Wendell Pierce · Death of a Salesman
Nominee Stephen McKinley Henderson · Between Riverside and Crazy

75th Tonys · 2022

Winner Simon Russell Beale · The Lehman Trilogy
Nominee Adrian Lester · The Lehman Trilogy
Nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson · Lackawanna Blues
Nominee Sam Rockwell · American Buffalo
Nominee David Threlfall · Hangmen
Nominee David Morse · How I Learned to Drive
Nominee Adam Godley · The Lehman Trilogy

74th Tonys · 2021

Winner Andrew Burnap · The Inheritance
Nominee Tom Hiddleston · Betrayal
Nominee Tom Sturridge · Sea Wall/A Life
Nominee Blair Underwood · A Soldier's Play
Nominee Ian Barford · Linda Vista
Nominee Jake Gyllenhaal · Sea Wall/A Life

73rd Tonys · 2019

Winner Bryan Cranston · Network
Nominee Adam Driver · Burn This
Nominee Paddy Considine · The Ferryman
Nominee Jeremy Pope · Choir Boy
Nominee Jeff Daniels · To Kill a Mockingbird

72nd Tonys · 2018

Winner Andrew Garfield · Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
Nominee Mark Rylance · Farinelli and the King
Nominee Denzel Washington · The Iceman Cometh
Nominee Tom Hollander · Travesties
Nominee Jamie Parker · Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

71st Tonys · 2017

Winner Kevin Kline · Present Laughter
Nominee Chris Cooper · A Doll's House, Part 2
Nominee Denis Arndt · Heisenberg
Nominee Corey Hawkins · Six Degrees of Separation
Nominee Jefferson Mays · Oslo

70th Tonys · 2016

Winner Frank Langella · Le Père
Nominee Mark Strong · A View from the Bridge
Nominee Jeff Daniels · Blackbird
Nominee Gabriel Byrne · Long Day's Journey into Night
Nominee Tim Pigott-Smith · King Charles III

69th Tonys · 2015

Winner Alex Sharp · The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Nominee Steven Boyer · Hand to God
Nominee Bill Nighy · Skylight
Nominee Ben Miles · Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
Nominee Bradley Cooper · The Elephant Man

68th Tonys · 2014

67th Tonys · 2013

Winner Tracy Letts · Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nominee Tom Hanks · Lucky Guy
Nominee David Hyde Pierce · Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Nominee Tom Sturridge · Orphans
Nominee Nathan Lane

66th Tonys · 2012

Winner James Corden · One Man, Two Guvnors
Nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman · Death of a Salesman
Nominee James Earl Jones · The Best Man
Nominee John Lithgow
Nominee Frank Langella

65th Tonys · 2011

Winner Mark Rylance · Jerusalem
Nominee Joe Mantello · The Normal Heart
Nominee Al Pacino · The Merchant of Venice
Nominee Brian Bedford · The Importance of Being Earnest
Nominee Bobby Cannavale · The Motherfucker with the Hat

64th Tonys · 2010

Winner Denzel Washington · Fences
Nominee Jude Law · Hamlet
Nominee Liev Schreiber · A View from the Bridge
Nominee Christopher Walken
Nominee Alfred Molina · Red

63rd Tonys · 2009

Winner Geoffrey Rush · Exit the King
Nominee Thomas Sadoski · Reasons to Be Pretty
Nominee James Gandolfini · God of Carnage
Nominee Raúl Esparza · Speed-the-Plow
Nominee Jeff Daniels · God of Carnage

62nd Tonys · 2008

Winner Mark Rylance · Boeing-Boeing
Nominee Laurence Fishburne · Thurgood
Nominee Rufus Sewell · Rock 'n' Roll
Nominee Patrick Stewart · Macbeth
Nominee Ben Daniels · Les Liaisons Dangereuses

61st Tonys · 2007

Winner Frank Langella · Frost/Nixon
Nominee Boyd Gaines · Journey's End
Nominee Liev Schreiber · Talk Radio
Nominee Christopher Plummer · Inherit the Wind
Nominee Brían F. O'Byrne · The Coast of Utopia

60th Tonys · 2006

Winner Richard Griffiths · The History Boys
Nominee David Wilmot · The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Nominee Željko Ivanek
Nominee Oliver Platt · Shining City
Nominee Ralph Fiennes · Faith Healer

59th Tonys · 2005

Winner Bill Irwin · Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nominee Philip Bosco · Twelve Angry Men
Nominee Brían F. O'Byrne · Doubt
Nominee James Earl Jones · On Golden Pond
Nominee Billy Crudup · The Pillowman

58th Tonys · 2004

Winner Jefferson Mays · I Am My Own Wife
Nominee Christopher Plummer · King Lear
Nominee Frank Langella
Nominee Simon Russell Beale · Jumpers
Nominee Kevin Kline · Part 1

57th Tonys · 2003

Winner Brian Dennehy · Long Day's Journey into Night
Nominee Brian Bedford · Tartuffe
Nominee Stanley Tucci · Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Nominee Suzy Eddie Izzard · A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Nominee Paul Newman · Our Town

56th Tonys · 2002

Winner Alan Bates · Fortune's Fool
Nominee Liam Neeson · The Crucible
Nominee Alan Rickman · Private Lives
Nominee Jeffrey Wright · Topdog/Underdog
Nominee Billy Crudup · The Elephant Man

55th Tonys · 2001

Winner Richard Easton · The Invention of Love
Nominee Sean Campion
Nominee Conleth Hill
Nominee Brian Stokes Mitchell · King Hedley II
Nominee Gary Sinise · One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

54th Tonys · 2000

Winner Stephen Dillane · The Real Thing
Nominee David Suchet · Amadeus
Nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman · True West
Nominee Gabriel Byrne · A Moon for the Misbegotten
Nominee John C. Reilly · True West

53rd Tonys · 1999

Winner Brian Dennehy · Death of a Salesman
Nominee Corin Redgrave · Not About Nightingales
Nominee Kevin Spacey · The Iceman Cometh
Nominee Brían F. O'Byrne · The Lonesome West

52nd Tonys · 1998

Winner Anthony LaPaglia · A View from the Bridge
Nominee Alfred Molina · Art
Nominee John Leguizamo · John Leguizamo's Freak
Nominee Richard Briers · The Chairs

51st Tonys · 1997

Winner Christopher Plummer
Nominee Brian Bedford · London Assurance
Nominee Michael Gambon · Skylight
Nominee Antony Sher · Stanley

50th Tonys · 1996

Winner George Grizzard · A Delicate Balance
Nominee Philip Bosco
Nominee Martin Shaw · An Ideal Husband
Nominee George C. Scott · Inherit the Wind

49th Tonys · 1995

Winner Ralph Fiennes · Hamlet
Nominee A Tuna Christmas
Nominee Brian Bedford · The Molière Comedies
Nominee Joe Sears
Nominee Roger Rees · Indiscretions

48th Tonys · 1994

Winner Stephen Spinella · Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
Nominee Sam Waterston · Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Nominee Brian Bedford · Timon of Athens
Nominee Christopher Plummer

47th Tonys · 1993

Winner Ron Leibman · Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
Nominee Liam Neeson · Anna Christie
Nominee Stephen Rea · Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Nominee K. Todd Freeman · The Song of Jacob Zulu

46th Tonys · 1992

Winner Judd Hirsch
Nominee Brian Bedford · Two Shakespearean Actors
Nominee Alec Baldwin · A Streetcar Named Desire
Nominee Alan Alda

45th Tonys · 1991

Winner Nigel Hawthorne · Shadowlands
Nominee Tom McGowan
Nominee Courtney B. Vance · Six Degrees of Separation
Nominee Peter Frechette · Our Country's Good

44th Tonys · 1990

Winner Robert Morse · Tru
Nominee Tom Hulce
Nominee Dustin Hoffman · The Merchant of Venice
Nominee Charles S. Dutton · The Piano Lesson

43rd Tonys · 1989

42nd Tonys · 1988

Winner Ron Silver · Speed-the-Plow
Nominee John Lithgow · M. Butterfly
Nominee Derek Jacobi
Nominee Robert Prosky · A Walk in the Woods

41st Tonys · 1987

Winner James Earl Jones · Fences
Nominee Richard Kiley
Nominee Alan Rickman · Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Nominee Philip Bosco

40th Tonys · 1986

Winner Judd Hirsch · I'm Not Rappaport
Nominee Hume Cronyn
Nominee Ed Harris
Nominee Jack Lemmon · Long Day's Journey into Night

39th Tonys · 1985

Winner Derek Jacobi · Much Ado About Nothing
Nominee John Lithgow
Nominee Jim Dale · A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Nominee Jonathan Hogan · As Is

38th Tonys · 1984

37th Tonys · 1983

Winner Harvey Fierstein · Torch Song Trilogy
Nominee Jeffrey DeMunn
Nominee Edward Herrmann · Plenty
Nominee Tony Lo Bianco · A View from the Bridge

36th Tonys · 1982

Winner Roger Rees · The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Nominee Tom Courtenay · The Dresser
Nominee Christopher Plummer
Nominee Milo O'Shea

35th Tonys · 1981

Winner Ian McKellen · Amadeus
Nominee Roy Dotrice · A Life
Nominee Tim Curry · Amadeus
Nominee Jack Weston

34th Tonys · 1980

Winner John Rubinstein · Children of a Lesser God
Nominee Judd Hirsch · Talley's Folly
Nominee Charles Brown · Home
Nominee Gerald Hiken

33rd Tonys · 1979

Winner Tom Conti · Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Nominee Philip Anglim · The Elephant Man
Nominee Jack Lemmon
Nominee Alec McCowen

32nd Tonys · 1978

Winner Barnard Hughes · Da
Nominee Hume Cronyn · The Gin Game
Nominee Jason Robards · A Touch of the Poet
Nominee Frank Langella

31st Tonys · 1977

Winner Al Pacino · The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
Nominee Ben Gazzara · Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nominee Ralph Richardson
Nominee Tom Courtenay · Otherwise Engaged

30th Tonys · 1976

Winner John Wood · Travesties
Nominee Donald Sinden
Nominee Moses Gunn
Nominee George C. Scott · Death of a Salesman

29th Tonys · 1975

Winner John Kani · Sizwe Banzi Is Dead
Nominee Peter Firth · Equus
Nominee Henry Fonda · Clarence Darrow
Nominee Jim Dale
Nominee Ben Gazzara
Nominee John Wood

28th Tonys · 1974

Winner Michael Moriarty
Nominee George C. Scott
Nominee Nicol Williamson
Nominee Jason Robards · A Moon for the Misbegotten
Nominee Zero Mostel · Ulysses in Nighttown

27th Tonys · 1973

Winner Alan Bates · Butley
Nominee Jack Albertson · The Sunshine Boys
Nominee Wilfrid Hyde-White
Nominee Paul Sorvino · That Championship Season

26th Tonys · 1972

25th Tonys · 1971

Winner Brian Bedford
Nominee Ralph Richardson · Home
Nominee Alec McCowen · The Philanthropist
Nominee John Gielgud · Home

24th Tonys · 1970

Winner Fritz Weaver · Child's Play
Nominee Frank Grimes · Borstal Boy
Nominee James Coco · Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Nominee Stacy Keach · Indians

23rd Tonys · 1969

Winner James Earl Jones · The Great White Hope
Nominee Art Carney · Lovers
Nominee Alec McCowen · Hadrian the Seventh
Nominee Donald Pleasence · The Man in the Glass Booth

22nd Tonys · 1968

Winner Martin Balsam
Nominee Alan Webb · I Never Sang for My Father
Nominee Albert Finney · A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
Nominee Milo O'Shea

21st Tonys · 1967

Winner Paul Rogers · The Homecoming
Nominee Donald Madden · Così è
Nominee Donald Moffat · Così è
Nominee Donald Madden · The Wild Duck
Nominee Donald Madden · Black Comedy
Nominee Hume Cronyn · A Delicate Balance

20th Tonys · 1966

Winner Hal Holbrook · Mark Twain Tonight!
Nominee Nicol Williamson · Inadmissible Evidence
Nominee Roland Culver
Nominee Patrick Bedford
Nominee Donal Donnelly · Philadelphia, Here I Come!

19th Tonys · 1965

18th Tonys · 1964

Winner Alec Guinness · Dylan
Nominee Jason Robards
Nominee Richard Burton · Hamlet
Nominee Albert Finney · Luther

17th Tonys · 1963

Winner Arthur Hill · Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nominee Charles Boyer
Nominee Paul Ford
Nominee Bert Lahr

16th Tonys · 1962

Winner Paul Scofield · A Man for All Seasons
Nominee John Mills
Nominee Donald Pleasence · The Caretaker
Nominee Fredric March · Gideon

15th Tonys · 1961

Winner Zero Mostel · Rhinoceros
Nominee Hume Cronyn
Nominee Anthony Quinn · Becket
Nominee Sam Levene · The Devil's Advocate

14th Tonys · 1960

Winner Melvyn Douglas · The Best Man
Nominee Jason Robards · Toys in the Attic
Nominee Lee Tracy · The Best Man
Nominee George C. Scott · The Andersonville Trial
Nominee Sidney Poitier · A Raisin in the Sun

13th Tonys · 1959

Winner Jason Robards · The Disenchanted
Nominee Cedric Hardwicke
Nominee Christopher Plummer · J.B.
Nominee Alfred Lunt · The Visit
Nominee Robert Stephens · Epitaph for George Dillon
Nominee Cyril Ritchard · The Pleasure of His Company

12th Tonys · 1958

Winner Ralph Bellamy · Sunrise at Campobello
Nominee Peter Ustinov · Romanoff and Juliet
Nominee Hugh Griffith · Look Homeward, Angel
Nominee Anthony Perkins · Look Homeward, Angel
Nominee Laurence Olivier
Nominee Emlyn Williams
Nominee Richard Burton · Time Remembered

11th Tonys · 1957

Winner Fredric March · Long Day's Journey into Night
Nominee Cyril Ritchard · Visit to a Small Planet
Nominee Maurice Evans
Nominee Wilfrid Hyde-White
Nominee Ralph Richardson · The Waltz of the Toreadors
Nominee Eric Portman · Separate Tables

10th Tonys · 1956

Winner Paul Muni
Nominee Boris Karloff
Nominee Michael Redgrave · Tiger at the Gates
Nominee Ben Gazzara · A Hatful of Rain
Nominee Edward G. Robinson · Middle of the Night

9th Tonys · 1955

Winner Alfred Lunt

8th Tonys · 1954

Winner David Wayne

7th Tonys · 1953

Winner Tom Ewell

6th Tonys · 1952

Winner José Ferrer

5th Tonys · 1951

Winner Claude Rains

4th Tonys · 1950

Winner Sidney Blackmer

3rd Tonys · 1949

Winner Rex Harrison

2nd Tonys · 1948

Winner Paul Kelly
Winner Henry Fonda
Winner Basil Rathbone

1st Tonys · 1947

Winner Fredric March
Winner José Ferrer