Daniel Radcliffe has clinched his first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in “Merrily We Roll Along.” The actor, famed for his portrayal of Harry Potter, was visibly emotional during his acceptance speech at the 77th Annual Tony Awards held in New York City on June 16, 2024.
Radcliffe, reflecting on his journey, expressed gratitude to his parents, the cast, and the crew of the musical. “Thank you so much to our cast, everybody on that stage. It is an honor to be with you every single night. I will miss it so much…speaking of missing things — Jonathan [Groff], Lindsay [Mendez], I will miss you so much. I don’t really have to act in this show; I just have to look at you and feel everything I want to feel. I will never have it this good again.”
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In the press room, Radcliffe opened up about the challenges he faced after the Harry Potter series ended. “When I finished [‘Harry Potter’], I had no idea what my career was going to be. I’d already started doing some stage stuff, but I didn’t know what the future held at all. To have had the last year playing Weird Al and also ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ it’s been awesome. Playing one character for a very long time builds up an anxiety, like, ‘Do as many things as you possibly can.’ So yeah, I’m doing that right now.”
The Maria Friedman-directed revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical “Merrily We Roll Along” had a successful night at the Tony Awards. Besides Radcliffe’s win, the musical also took home the award for Best Revival of a Musical, and Jonathan Groff won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
Radcliffe’s win and heartfelt reflections underscore his transition from a beloved child star to a versatile actor capable of captivating performances on both stage and screen.