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What does this nomination mean to you
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This means the culmination of a long odyssey, a great deal of hard work from a small studio
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in Clapham in London all the way to Center Stage on Broadway for three years working
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on one of the most difficult roles in the American canon, a profound sense of accomplishment
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and gratitude and pride. That's this moment. How challenging was he to play eight times a week
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Oh, it was 24-7. I knew that I would have to give my life over to playing the role
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When I started it in London, morning, noon, and night, you're dealing with him psychologically
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physically, and I spent the nights as a vampire. I'd be up all night and sleep all day because when you do the play, actually, by the end
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of the three hours, I as a performer was filled with energy
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It would take me the night to come down. I would sleep during the day in recovery almost and wake up in the afternoon and prepare for
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that evening's performance. It took everything I had, every sinew of my body and spirit to play the role
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That's how complex it is. This is a great reward for all of that dedication
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Doing theater is really magical, isn't it, for you? It is one of the most cathartic things you can do
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It is spirit. It connects you with community. It has a role of great importance in our society because what thoughts are to the individual
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theater is to the community. We reflect on who we are, decide what our values are, and then go out and act on those values
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That's what theater does. When you were really young, just starting out as a kid, what was the first role you
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played and what would older Wendell tell younger Wendell now? The first role I played was in kindergarten
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I played Chicken Little. The sky is falling down. The sky is falling down
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I was a turkey lurkey. I had little white shorts
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That Wendell, that boy, that young kid who dreamed of being an actor had a vision
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It wasn't a dream. It was a vision, a tangible thing that he knew he could do if he worked hard enough
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He's with me. I'm taking him to the Tonys. I'm taking him to the Tonys
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I'm taking him to the Tonys. I'm taking him to the Tonys.
