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Video: How Playing the Long Game Earned Nicholas Christopher a Tony Nomination

Nicholas Christopher is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

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13 years after making his Broadway debut in Motown, Nicholas Christopher is at last a Tony nominee for his stellar performance in the first ever Broadway revival of Chess

"I wouldn't have bet you a million dollars if you told me I was going to be nominated for playing a Russian Chess master during the Cold War," he told BroadwayWorld. "There was excitement in going to Brighton Beach and learning  Russian culture and Chess culture and  really reading different books or watching documentaries. Mikhail Baryshnikov was a big inspiration and his defection in Toronto. All of these things sort of come together and  you you let it simmer and then then you eat."

Watch in this video as Nicholas chats more about the honor of getting a nomination, the nuance of his complicated character, and so much more. Plus, check out who he is up against and catch up on all the latest Tony Awards coverage!

The 79th Annual Tony Awards will air on Sunday, June 7, 2026.


Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Direction of a Musical - Top 3
1. Michael Arden - The Lost Boys
24.8% of votes
2. Michael Mayer - Chess
13% of votes
3. Lear deBessonet - Ragtime
12.3% of votes

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