Tony Winners

Winning a Tony is no guarantee of stardom, but it can certainly lead to it. The award has introduced glamorous new faces, launched stellar careers and confirmed scintillating talents.

Liza Minnelli won her first Tony in 1965 while still a teenager, announcing to the world that she had the chops to back up her famous pedigree. Gifted dramatic stars, such as James Earl Jones and Glenn Close, were saluted on Broadway before being feted in Hollywood. And such one-of-a-kind presences as Phil Silvers, Bea Arthur, Charles Nelson Reilly, Hal Linden, Jerry Orbach and Jason Alexander were all honored for their musical theater work before striking gold on television.

Of course stage luminaries such as Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone and Nathan Lane owe their glittering success to the Great White Way. Oscar isn’t what earned him his Walk of Fame star. And Ethel Merman’s TV and movie cameos were the icing on an already grand theatrical cake. Conversely, Linda Lavin and Judd Hirsch, renowned for their sitcom smoothness, demonstrated new complexities through their Tony winning roles.

But whatever the circumstances, this award, the highest honor in the American theater, indicates a level of craft and commitment unmatched in the profession. What's more, the Tony doesn’t just bestow limelight to unheralded working thespians—it also infuses celebrity with substance.

—Charles McNulty, who has covered theater for The Times since 2006

Here's a look at some of the stars of the stage who have been memorialized on the Walk of Fame. If you do not see the person you are looking for below please search our complete list of the stars on the Walk of Fame. And, if you haven’t yet, check out The Times virtual tour of the stars.

Share a thought about The Times’ “Tony Winners” category

  • Which star best represents the group?
  • Does everyone here deserve to be on the list?
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