Cole Escola’s first shot on Broadway has earned them one of the most coveted prizes in the theater world. At Sunday night’s Tony Awards, the star of “Oh, Mary!” scored the Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for their delightfully daffy depiction of Civil War-era first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.

Cole Escola made history at the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday night. Escola, the deranged genius behind "Oh, Mary!", won best leading actor in a play for their inspired turn as first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.