Congratulations are in order for Daniel Radcliffe! The Tony Awards were held on Sunday night, and Dan won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his performance in the revival of Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. Like the class act that he is, Dan made a very gracious acceptance speech while wearing an amazing purple suit and bow tie. His speech was full of love and gratitude towards everyone. He thanked his director and castmates, as well as Merrily’s crew, band, the stage management team, and basically everyone who “makes the show happen every day.” He also gave special shoutouts to his parents and wife. It was one big lovefest! Dan had some really special words for his costars Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, though, telling them that he’ll miss them when the show closes in July and declaring that he’ll “never have it this good again.” Awwww.
“I’m going to talk fast and try not to cry… I don’t even have to act in this show,” Radcliffe said in his acceptance speech, referring to his close friendship with his co-stars. “I will never have it this good again.”
“When I finished ‘Potter,’ I had no idea what my career was going to be,” Radcliffe said after accepting his award, according to a video recording posted to X by Deadline. “Playing one character for so long kind of builds up in you a desire to do as many things as you possibly can.”
The Stephen Sondheim musical was an infamous Broadway flop when it debuted in 1981, closing after just 16 performances. Three years after Sondheim’s death, the show was reworked by director Maria Friedman and helmed by an all-star trio, Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Radcliffe.
“Harry Potter is going to be the first line of my obituary,” Radcliffe, 34, told The Atlantic in April. “I wanted to try as many different things under my belt, knowing that it was going to be the accumulation of all of those things, rather than one thing, that would actually sort of transition me in people’s minds.”Following the eight-film “Potter” series, Radcliffe took on many stage and indie films opportunities.
He made his Broadway debut in 2008, starring in a revival of “Equus” that required him to perform nude. He sang on a Broadway stage for the first time in the 2011 revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”His other Broadway credits include “The Cripple of Inishmaan” and “The Lifespan of a Fact.”
Radcliffe has been a part of the “Merrily We Roll Along” cast since its off-Broadway run at the New York Theater Workshop. The production transferred to Broadway in October and is scheduled to close on July 7.
I’m so happy for him! I want nothing but great things for Dan. Like everyone else, I’ve watched him grow up and become a great actor who works really hard while also being a really decent human being. His speech was so sweet. You tell just how excited and grateful he really was to finally be recognized for his acting. Groff also finally won his first Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a musical and Dan rushed up to give him a giant hug as he was making his way on stage. As he points out, Harry Potter may be in the first line of Dan’s obituary, but it will now be preceded by the descriptor, “Tony Award Winner.” I hope one day, it reads “EGOT Winner” because I have a feeling this won’t be Dan’s last major acting award.
Daniel Radcliffe running across the audience to hug first-time Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff…okay I’m crying #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/6mqKHK3gcS
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) June 17, 2024
Photos credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com, Darla Khazei/INSTARimages
I’m so happy for him and Jonathan.
Jonathan’s speech was also wonderful
That was all so delightful. Dan seems to have gotten on with career /life in such a quiet way. He’s worked hard. He’s impressive.. I also didn’t know he’s had a partner for 12 years or a child! Congrats Dan and everyone who were nominated. Tonys are the most fun award shows and everyone is just happy to be there. Different to some of the others.
I learned about his wife and child because TERFs defending J.K. Rowling were attacking his wife and sharing conspiracies about his wife, who just gave birth, being trans. Daniel is really a good person.
Ffs. Of course they were 🙄🙄🙄
When he finished Potter, he had no idea what he would be, but the answer to that has since become clear: A huge gift. An unproblematic actor who stands up for what’s right and isn’t afraid to use his voice. And, of course, a great actor!
Aww congrats to him and yeah, of all the 3 Potter leads he’s the one that really put in the work to improve his craft – he’s become such a versatile actor while still being a great person.
I’ve actually never watched any of the Harry Potter movies but I have been fascinated with his career choices since. What an interesting, bold, talented and versatile actor he has grown to be. I am delighted to see his continued success!
Lovely Dan. Just a treasure.
No shout-outs for him as young David Copperfield? Lol 🙂 Love Radcliffe. Erin’s dress is fabulous!
Nope, no shout-outs for him as young David Copperfield (BBC). Nor were there any shout-outs for him as Weird Al Yankovic (Roku). Apparently you can watch the David Copperfield show on Tubi. I just watched the Weird Al movie on Roku TV, but it m/b available on Paramount+ if you use different streaming device.
Aw, this is lovely. He’s doing varied and interesting work and he seems to be a genuinely good egg. He’s managed to stay sane and hang onto his authentic idiosyncratic self despite the madness of his fame.
I only found out last year that he’s had a partner for ages. And now they have a baby. So he’s managed to keep his personal life to himself as well.
I loved his speech and am so happy for him and Groff.
His career has just been so interesting because he likely never had to work again after Potter, or he could have tried to have done some other fantasy movies or just action movies that might have felt like he was trying to recreate Harry Potter in one way or another. Instead he went in a completely different direction and built a very successful theater career and while yes, Harry Potter will be the first line of his obituary, there will be a lot more to say as well.
He has outgrown Harry Potter and I’m so happy for him. He has such comedic timing and has turned out to be a great actor. I also think this is only his first major award and not a one off thing. He definitely has the talent and the ethic to better his craft.
I’m delighted for Dan! He’s a good person and a fine actor. It’s so nice to see him celebrated. Congratulations, Dan!
Aw congrats to him ❤️
DRad is REAL ONE. Just an insanely talented, good dude. I’m thrilled for him!
We LOVED him in Miracle Workers – the entire cast was SO GOOD and worked so well together. Of course, the writers were amazing too. We’re so sad it was cancelled. If you haven’t seen, DO! And at least go look up him singing She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain because that was possibly one of the best scenes in any of the seasons.
Miracle Workers is a lot of fun. Quirky and cute with different settings and actors having a ball. It was never a huge hit and I’m surprised it went on as long as it did. But obv wish it was still going.
I saw Merrily a few weeks ago, both guys were great and I was happy to see them win. But Lindsay Mendez was the real stand out for me, I was rooting for her!
Daniel has made such a great career for himself, it’s been nice to see.
Lindsay was so great in the show! I was happy to see Dan and Jon win though. Merrily famously flopped in ’81, and when they’d tried to workshop it in London a few years ago will an all-star cast it still flopped. A huge part of the problem is that Frank’s arc, and his choice to sellout makes the character really unsympathetic to audiences. Jon was able to make him more vulnerable and human so even if you don’t agree with his choices you feel for him. In my opinion, he deserved the Tony for that alone!
As for Dan, his speech was so wonderful. I especially loved the little bit where he thanked his singing/vocal coach. Such a small thing but shows who he is as a human being.
I wasn’t surprised Lindsay didn’t win – she has one already for Carousel and she’s missed around 70 performances this season, which is not insignificant. The voters probably didn’t love that.
Probably not, and I’m glad she already has one. She was phenomenal. The whole cast was great. I went to see it knowing pretty much nothing about the show and really enjoyed it.
I missed Lindsay when I saw it earlier this year. Had her understudy.
I continue to be impressed with both Daniel Radcliff and Jonathon Groff.
I’m really happy for Daniel! Post-Harry Potter he’s quirky had stellar career. I recall a conversation with friends years ago where someone dismissed his role in Equus as a mere stunt, claiming he’d only be remembered for Harry Potter. I was taken aback by them being so dismissive and even more so when they doubled down on their comment. I was annoyed on his behalf and thrilled to see him prove them wrong.
Radcliffe had said previously that “Harry Potter will be the first line” of his obituary. I saw somewhere that now his obit will start with “Tony Award winning actor . . . . ”
Personally, I’m thrilled for him. He came out of the meat-grinder, got sober, settled in New York with his family and into what seems like a very happy, fulfilling life.
Cracked me up that they made a point of theater being the first place he could be something other than Harry Potter and the Tonys/CBS Instagram (I can’t remember which) proceeded to caption the video of his acceptance speech with “yer a Tony winner Harry.” Like someone did not get the memo lol
I just want all of the good things for Dan, he’s such a super and genuinely good guy.
Agreed! Dan deserves this! He has proven time and time again that he is much, much more then Harry Potter!