Broadway’s biggest night is nigh, but a number of Hollywood heavyweights weren’t invited to the party.
Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal were passed over for Tony Awards recognition for “Othello,” their high-priced William Shakespeare revival that was completely shut out of Thursday’s nominations.
Other big names including Robert Downey Jr. (“McNeal”), Julianna Margulies (“Left on Tenth”), Jim Parsons (“Our Town”), Kieran Culkin (“Glengarry Glen Ross”), Bill Burr (“Glengarry Glen Ross”), Bernadette Peters (“Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends”), and Idina Menzel (“Redwood”) were similarly missing from this year’s Tony nods, which honor some of the very best plays and musicals in New York.
It was an ultra-competitive and unusually star-studded theater season, which routinely made headlines for its astronomical ticket prices and outspoken political firebrands.
Other notable omissions included Nick Jonas, who made a much-publicized Broadway return in “The Last Five Years” that was roundly dismissed by critics. More surprisingly, David Hyde Pierce and Jinkx Monsoon were both overlooked for their hilarious turns in “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” as was Helen J. Shen for playing an outdated robot in the tear-jerking “Maybe Happy Ending.”
“Maybe Happy Ending,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Buena Vista Social Club” led the nominations with 10 nods a piece, including best musical. The strange-but-true “Dead Outlaw” and World War II spy satire “Operation Mincemeat” rounded out the best musical category.
As expected, Cole Escola’s madcap “Oh, Mary!” was a major force with five nods, including best play, best actor (Escola) and best featured actor (Conrad Ricamora). The unlikely hit comedy, which tells a deranged alternative history of Mary Todd Lincoln, has attracted high-profile celebrity audience members including Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, and Steven Spielberg.
The other nominees for best play were “The Hills of California,” “English,” “Purpose,” and “John Proctor is the Villain.” Notably missing from the category was “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” Netflix’s high-budget yet critically divisive prequel to the sci-fi streaming sensation. Although, the theatrical spectacle still made off with five nominations, including best actor for newcomer Louis McCartney.
“Succession” star Sarah Snook earned her first Tony nomination for her one-woman tour de force in “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” as did former Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger for her bewitching performance as fading film star Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard,” an audacious revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical.
A-listers George Clooney (“Good Night, and Good Luck”), Sadie Sink (“John Proctor is the Villain”), Mia Farrow (“The Roommate”), and Bob Odenkirk (“Glengarry Glen Ross”) all garnered their first Tony nods as well.
In addition, Audra McDonald looks to extend her record as the most Tony-winning performer in history. The Broadway legend, who has won six Tony Awards, is vying for her seventh trophy with a best actress nomination for the classic showbiz musical “Gypsy.”
How to watch Tony Awards
The 78th annual Tony Awards will air live on Sunday, June 8, from New York’s Radio City Music Hall (8 ET/5 PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+). The ceremony will be hosted for the first time by Cynthia Erivo, the three-time Oscar-nominated star of “Wicked,” who takes over emcee duties from Ariana DeBose.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Awards snubs: The biggest names that missed 2025 nominations
