Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he gave an emotional speech after winning his first Tony Award on Sunday night.
The actor, 39, won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical thanks to his role in the show Merrily We Roll Along.
And when he took the stage to accept it, the Glee alum broke down as he paid tribute to everyone who had helped him along the way, from his parents who “allowed his strange flag to fly” to “everyone.” involved’ in his first role on the show Spring Awakening over a decade ago, who ‘made his dream come true’ and inspired him to ‘come out’ at age 23.
He credited musical theater for “saving his soul” and called being part of the “incredible community” “the greatest gift and pleasure of his life,” and his powerful words brought some fans to tears.
Many people took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the moving speech, with some admitting they were “sobbing”.
Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he gave an emotional speech after winning his first Tony Award on Sunday night.
The 39-year-old actor won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical thanks to his role in the show Merrily We Roll Along
“I just started crying, oh my god,” one person said, while another confessed, “I sobbed watching his speech.”
‘Is anyone chopping onions here?’ someone else asked jokingly.
‘I’m definitely not crying. No. Not at all,” reads a fourth tweet.
A fifth said: ‘The MAN you are, Jonathan Groff. I bow to you, this was the sweetest and most honest speech I have ever seen.’
“I love him more every time I see him,” gushed another user.
“I really wish I could watch this show with those three leads.”
“Jon’s speech was very inspiring and humbling,” someone else agreed.
‘I loved how he talked about the impact of Broadway on his life and the importance of using the platform to uplift others.
“It’s a great reminder for all of us in the industry, especially newcomers who are just (getting started).”
‘I just saw Jonathon in Doctor Who and immediately fell in love. This speech makes me love him even more,” another person wrote.
‘What an amazing, beautiful, talented, loving, kind human being this man is. “Now I’m a forever fan.”
Many people took to X, formerly Twitter, with some admitting they were “sobbing” over his powerful words.
During the speech, Jonathan, clearly overwhelmed, read from a sheet of paper while thanking numerous people, starting with his mom and dad.
“Thank you for letting me dress up as Mary Poppins when I was three, thank you for letting me act out scenes from I Love Lucy on my tenth birthday, thank you for always letting my weird flag fly without making me feel weird.” that’s what she said.
‘Although they didn’t always understand me, my family knew the saving power of fanning the flame of a young man’s passions without judging him.
“I live through life with an open heart because you made me know I could,” he added as he began to choke. ‘Thank you I love you.’
The star went on to thank the teachers he had as a child, who he said pushed him to become an actor.
“I moved to New York 20 years ago and got a job as a waitress and became a volunteer for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and all I wanted was to be a part of this community,” the star said.
“Thank you to everyone involved in Spring Awakening, who not only made that dream come true, but also inspired me to come out when I was 23. Now I’m 39 and musical theater is still saving my soul.”
Jonathan thanked his parents for “allowing his weird flag to fly” and “everyone involved” in his first role on the show Spring Awakening for inspiring him to “come out.”
He credited musical theater for “saving his soul” and called being part of the “incredible community” “the greatest gift and pleasure of his life.”
He described his co-stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as his “soulmates.” The camera then showed them in the audience, and they were both crying as well.
He also credited the many people involved in Merrily We Roll Along for “giving him the opportunity to accept, respect, and express both the lightest and darkest parts of me.”
He described his co-stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as “more than just old friends” but rather his “soulmates” as tears began to flow.
The camera showed them in the audience, and they were both crying too.
“I really want to see us change each other for the rest of our lives,” Jonathan said.
‘And finally, I just want to say that when I was a kid in Pennsylvania, I used to record the Tony Awards on a VHS tape and watch the performances over and over again.
“And being able to be a part of creating theater in this city and being able to see the work of this incredible community has been the greatest gift and pleasure of my life. Thank you very much for this honor.”