15 Times Asian Actors Were Nominated for Tony Awards

CJ Norris
21 hours ago
6 min read

“The American dream belongs to all of us.”― Kamala Harris

Every year, the month of May is observed as Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This prompted me to look into the history of AAPI Broadway actors and the Tony Awards.

Unsurprisingly, there has been very little representation to date. But this year, for the 78th edition of the Tony's—the top level of honour in American theatre—there are several actors of Asian heritage nominated. Among them are TV's Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) and Darren Criss (Glee), as well as pop music's Nicole Scherzinger (The Pussycat Dolls).

This has been made possible due to an unusual amount of AAPI representation on Broadway this season, with shows like Yellow Face and Maybe Happy Ending. Will this influx of representation become the new standard on 'The Great White Way' (perhaps an unironic nickname for New York City's theatre district)? For now, let's dive into the history of Asian representation on Broadway leading up to its biggest night of the year.

A Cultural Monopoly

The theatre has a guilty past of overlooking people of colour. The fact that theatre as an art form began in Europe is likely a major factor in its predominantly white history. But even in modern North America, the evolution of that industry has been slow to change. This is largely tied to greater societal implications permeating the world of art and entertainment. The TV and film industry has evolved more quickly to increase diversity, but the theatre has clung to outdated traditions far longer. Why?

Possibly gatekeepers trying to protect ‘their’ art form
Maybe other cultures have taken longer to ‘buy in’
The slower pace of theatre creation and production

The real answer is probably a combination of these and other reasons. But by the 21st century, methods and social integration had caught up, in theory, and we have started to see more actors of colour on the same stages as caucasian folks. However, until very recently, the majority of POC were just filling ensemble spots. You might have seen one ‘token’ non-white performer in a supporting role.

A good example is Mean Girls. The original Broadway production (2018) kept the cast very accurate to the look of the 2004 movie that the public would inevitably compare it to. Everyone except one principal actor had the pale skin and European features you’d expect for suburban Illinois. That token ‘diversity hire’ was Korean-American Ashley Park as Gretchen Weiners, who would receive a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

Ashley Park originated the role of Gretchen Weiners in Broadway's Mean Girls

When Park and other founding cast members finished their contracts, the casting team kept the same formula, with Krystina Alabado (of Mexican and Lebanese descent) taking over for Park, and Renée Rapp (a white, blonde actress) becoming the new Regina George.

The Great Reset of 2020

We all know how much the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the world. Nobody sees the COVID crisis as a good thing, but there is some good that came from this sort of ‘hard reset’. Every industry had to pause and reconfigure how operations would move forward if and when they were able.

This highly charged time in history coincided with a laundry list of social controversies—many surrounding racial tensions (i.e. the string police brutality incidents resulting in the deaths of many Black Americans.)

Luckily, some arts leaders took these events as a cue to lead by example, putting more ethnic minorities in the spotlight and employing a colour-blind approach to casting. A precedent that was set pre-pandemic by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Not all casting teams have adopted this principle, but enough to get the ‘ball of industry change’ rolling. For example, Black actress Adrienne Warren is currently making waves, starring as Cathy in The Last Five Years on Broadway—a role traditionally played by a white or white-passing woman.

In the last few years, we have also seen some monumental productions that put Asian cultures centre stage:

K-Pop (Tony-nominated 2022)
Here Lies Love (Tony-nominated 2024)
Yellow Face (Tony-nominated 2025)

A Season Full of Filipinos!

Aside from these shows that specifically highlight Asian cultures, the 2024-2025 Broadway season has shown an unprecedented rate of diverse representation—including AAPI actors in roles that both do and don’t require a specific ethnicity. Particularly those of Filipino descent. Broadway legend Lea Salonga highlighted this on Instagram (you might know Lea as the voice of Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and Mulan.)

Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss, Lea Salong, Kay Sibal, Claire-Marie Hall, Eva Noblezada, and Tatianna Córdoba are among the many Filipino actors currently starring on Broadway. (IG/Lea Salonga)

Refreshingly, the 2025 Tony nominations reflect this increase of multiculturalism—specifically with actors of Asian descent. There is still a long way to go, as you’ll see evident in some of the gaps in the following list (the first Tony awards were in 1947, yet the first time an Asian actor was nominated was 1988). But it’s important to celebrate the wins along the way.