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Actor June Squibb, 96, Makes History as Oldest Tony Award Nominee
She joins 14 other actors over 50 who got Tony noms, including John Lithgow, Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf
June Squibb, 96, makes Tony history as the oldest nominee for her performance in "Majorie Prime" on Broadway. Here, she shares an opening night curtain call with her co-star Cynthia Nixon.
Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
As 15 performers over age 50 earned Tony nominations for their Broadway roles, one grownup ruled them all: June Squibb, 96, became the oldest Tony nominee ever for her featured (supporting) role playing an 85-year-old in the play Marjorie Prime. Squibb shattered the record previously held by Lois Smith, who was 89 when she was nominated in 2020 for her role in the play The Inheritance and 90 when the delayed awards ceremony was held in 2021. Let’s hope Squibb goes on to take the trophy home and double down on her record-breaking career.
Don't Miss: June Squibb also appears in AARP's Movies for Grownups Fabulous Women Over 50
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Grownups starring in plays lead the pack
The play was the thing for performers 50-plus when it came to lead roles: Well-known TV and film actors John Lithgow, 80, and Nathan Lane, 70, lead the Tony pack for their respective portrayals of author Roald Dahl in Giant and Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, alongside British actor Mark Strong, 62, for the titular role in Oedipus.
Two women over 50 scored Tony nominations for their lead roles: Lesley Manville, 70, as Oedipus’ wife, Jocasta, in Oedipus, and Kelli O’Hara, 50, as an upper-crust English wife in a stale marriage in the Broadway revival of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels. No actors 50-plus were nominated for their leading roles in musicals this year.
More grownups honored for featured roles
For their “featured” roles, which is Tony-speak for “supporting,” Squibb will be vying for top honors with a deep bench of grownup talent: Laurie Metcalf, 70 (who was denied a best actress nomination for her role in Little Bear Ridge Road), for her portrayal of Willy Loman’s wife, Linda, in Death of a Salesman, Marylouise Burke, 85 (The Balusters), and Betsy Aidem, 68 (Liberation).
Tony nominees Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf are all smiles at the opening night after-party for the new revival of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" at Katz's Deli. Both are nominated for their roles in the Tony-nominated revival.
Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
The great André de Shields, 80, scored a nomination for his portrayal of the singing, dancing feline Old Deuteronomy in the ballroom send-up Cats: The Jellicle Ball. And two SNL vets stole the spotlight: Anna Gasteyer, 59, for Schmigadoon! and Rachel Dratch, 60, for The Rocky Horror Show.
Grownups also were nominated for their featured roles in plays: Danny Burstein, 61 (Marjorie Prime), Ruben Santiago-Hudson, 69 (Joe Turner’s Come and Gone), and Richard Thomas, 74 (The Balusters).
Broadway shows in the spotlight
The nominees for best play are The Balusters, Giant, Liberation and Little Bear Ridge Road; best musical nominees are The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon!, Titanique and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
The Tony Awards ceremony will be held June 7 at Radio City Music Hall during a live telecast hosted by music superstar Pink, who currently has two songs in shows on Broadway. Catch all the action starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+.
Why grownups matter in the arts more than ever
In its coverage of Broadway, TV, music and movies, and the live theatrical performances it presents for free for members, AARP is all about making the most of life after 50 for talents and audiences alike. “We know that over 93 percent of adults in our country want to see older adults in lead roles,” said AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, 53, on the red carpet at this year’s Movies for Grownups Awards with AARP, telecast on PBS.
Tony nominee John Lithgow, starring as author Roald Dahl in the play "Giant," joins co-stars Aya Cash and Rachael Stirling for a curtain call on opening night.
John Nacion/Getty Images
Whether it’s onstage or on-screen, it’s always good business to bet on the 50-plus demo: The Broadway League’s latest survey revealed that theatergoers 50 and older made up 33.5 percent of Broadway attendees in the 2024-2025 season, up 8 percent from the year before. Further, according to new AARP research, more than 8 in 10 Americans (81 percent) agree that what people see on-screen influences how society views getting older, and half of adults across all age groups say this representation helps break down stereotypes about age. Meanwhile, AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards continues to grow as a predictor of Oscar wins as Hollywood listens more to its adult moviegoers.
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