Can Hollywood A-Listers Win Big at the Tony Awards?

Hollywood A-listers Adrien Brody, Tessa Thompson, Ayo Edebiri, and Don Cheadle are set to make their Broadway debuts in two high-profile productions this season, raising questions about whether their star power can translate into Tony Award recognition. The actors will star in “The Fear of 13” and “Proof,” two plays generating significant attention as Broadway continues its post-pandemic resurgence fueled by celebrity-driven casting.

According to Gold Derby, Brody will lead the cast of “The Fear of 13,” a play based on the true story of Nick Yarris, who spent over two decades on death row before being exonerated. Thompson and Edebiri are joining the cast of “Proof,” David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a young woman grappling with her mathematical genius and her father’s legacy. Cheadle is also attached to “Proof,” though his specific role has not been detailed in early reports.

The arrival of these established film and television stars reflects a broader trend on Broadway, where Hollywood talent has increasingly sought stage work in recent seasons. As reported by the Los Angeles Times in its coverage of the 2025 Tony Awards, actors such as George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Sadie Sink, and Robert Downey Jr. Have all appeared in Broadway productions, contributing to record-breaking grosses and attendance during the 2024-25 season.

That season marked the highest-grossing in Broadway history and the second-highest in attendance, with the Tony Awards ceremony held on June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall honoring performances in productions like “Maybe Happy Ending,” which won six awards including Best Musical, and “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Purpose,” which took top honors in their respective categories. Performers including Cole Escola, Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Snook, Kara Young, and Darren Criss received acting awards that night, underscoring the competitive field the new Hollywood entrants will face.

The Tony Awards, administered by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, recognize excellence in live Broadway theatre and are considered the industry’s highest honor, comparable to the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys. Eligibility for acting categories requires performers to be under contract as of opening night, a rule that has occasionally been debated but remains standard practice for determining nominations.

While the presence of Oscar winners like Brody and acclaimed television stars such as Thompson, Edebiri, and Cheadle brings heightened visibility to these productions, Tony voters have historically balanced star power with artistic merit. The 2025 ceremony demonstrated that bold, fearless performances — rather than celebrity status alone — often determine the winners, a trend that may influence how these new Broadway entrants are assessed when the 79th Tony Awards are held on June 7, 2026.