Alex Newell Becomes First Nonbinary Acting Tony Winner for ‘Shucked’
variety.comClayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Actor Alex Newell made history at this year’s Tony Awards, becoming the first openly nonbinary performer to win an acting prize for their performance as Lulu in Jack O’Brien’s “Shucked.” “Thank you for seeing me Broadway,” Newell said. “I should not be up here as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black, little baby from Massachusetts.
And to anyone that thinks that they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face that you can do anything you put your mind to.” Newell isn’t the only nonbinary actor nominated at the Tonys, with J.
Harrison Ghee among the shortlisted performers for lead actor (musical) for their performance as Jerry/Daphne in Casey Nicholaw’s “Some Like It Hot.” Ghee and Newell already walked into the ceremony making history as the first nonbinary-identifying actors recognized.
In an interview with Variety, Newell explained why they opted to competed in the supporting actor category. “I went based off the English language,” Newell said. “Everyone who does acting is an actor.
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