Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he gave an emotional speech after winning his first Tony Award on Sunday night.
The actor, 39, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 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 all the people who helped him along the way — from his parents, who “let his freak flag fly,” to “everyone.” involved’ in his first role in the show Spring Awakening over a decade ago, which ‘made his dream come true’ and inspired him to ‘come out’ at the age of 23.
He called musical theater “saving his soul” and calling being part of the “incredible community” the “greatest gift and joy of his life” — and his powerful words brought some fans to tears.
Many people then took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the heartwarming speech, with some admitting they were ‘sobbing’.
Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he gave an emotional speech on Sunday night after winning his first Tony Award
The actor, 39, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical thanks to his part in the show Merrily We Roll along
“I just started crying, oh my God,” said one, while another confessed: “I was crying watching his speech.”
“Is someone cutting onions here?” someone else asked jokingly.
‘I definitely don’t cry. No. Not at all,” read 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.”
“Every time I see him I love him more,” said another user.
“I really wish I could see this show with those three leads.”
“Jon’s speech was so inspiring and humbling,” someone else agreed.
“I loved how he spoke about the impact of Broadway on his life and the importance of using your platform to uplift others.
“It’s a great reminder for all of us in the industry, especially the newcomers who are righteous [starting].’
‘I just saw Jonathon on Doctor Who and fell in love straight away. This speech makes me love him even more,” someone else wrote.
‘What an amazing, beautiful, talented, caring, kind person this man is. I’m now a fan forever.’
Many people took to
During the speech, a clearly overwhelmed Jonathan read from a piece of paper as he thanked numerous people, starting with his mother and father.
“Thank you for letting me dress up as Mary Poppins when I was three, thank you for letting me re-enact scenes from I Love Lucy on my tenth birthday, thank you for always letting my freak flag fly without ever making me feel weird about it it,” he said.
“Even though they didn’t always understand me, my family knew the lifesaving power of igniting a young person’s passion without judgment.
“I walk through life with an open heart because you let me know I could do it,” he added as he started to choke up. ‘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 waiting tables and became a volunteer for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and all I wanted was to be 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. I’m 39 now, and musical theater still saves my soul.”
Jonathan thanked his parents for ‘letting his freak flag fly’ and ‘everyone involved’ in his first role on the show Spring Awakening for inspiring him to ‘come out’
He called musical theater “saving his soul” and called being part of the “incredible community” the “greatest gift and joy of his life.”
He described his co-stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as his “soulmates.” The camera then cut to them in the audience, and they were both crying as well
He also credited the many people involved with Merrily We Roll along for “giving him the opportunity to accept, respect and express both the lightest and darkest parts of myself.”
He described his co-stars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as “more than old friends” but rather his “soulmates” as tears began to flow.
The camera then cut to them in the audience, and they were both crying as well.
“I look forward to seeing each other change for the rest of our lives,” Jonathan said.
“And finally, I want to say that as a kid in Pennsylvania, I recorded the Tony Awards on a VHS tape and watched the performances over and over again.
“And to actually be a part of making theater in this city, and to be able to see the work of this incredible, incredible community, has been the greatest gift and joy of my life. Thank you very much for this honor.’